Dynastic monarchies in Russia and China faced economic and social problems in the early 20th century, leading to revolutions. In Russia, the tsar was overthrown and a provisional democratic government formed, but it failed amid World War I losses. Radicals like the Bolsheviks gained power, and their leader Lenin seized control. A civil war ensued as anti-communist forces fought back, but the Bolsheviks prevailed. Lenin established communist rule, redistributing land and industrializing through five-year plans. In China, the Qing dynasty fell in 1912 and a provisional government took over, but problems continued and communists gained victory in 1949, establishing the People's Republic of China.

1. Communist Revolutions in Russia and China
 Before the revolutions – monarchs were from a long
lasting dynasty
• QING – 1644-1912
• Romanov Tsars – 1300s to 1918
 PROBLEMS – economic, social class tensions,
rebellions, war
 Revolution part 1 – Dynasty fell and a provisional
government took over (semi-democratic)
 Problems continued, Provisional government failed,
radicals gained power
 Civil War and Communist victory
 1921-1991 Soviet Union
 1949 - ? Peoples Republic of China

2. Russian Revolution &
Communist Russia
Russia = Soviet Union = USSR

3. THE FALL of TSAR’s Government
 PROBLEMS in Russia:
lack of freedom, poor
leadership, major
economic problems, &
food shortages.
 EVENTS that challenged
the Tsar’s authority:
westernization, defeat in
the Russo-Japanese War,
“Bloody Sunday”, 1905
Revolution, & losses
during World War I.

4. Stages of Russian Revolution
1916-1917
 Soldiers, rural and urban
workers, & intelligentsia
lead protests.
 Bloodless Revolution
in March 1917: the
Tsar abdicated the
throne and a
PROVISIONAL
GOVERNMENT was
set up.

5. PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT failed as
Russian losses in WWI and economic
problems continued
 Radical movements gained support and
momentum.

6. The BOLSHEVIK REVOLUTION
 1917 The Bolsheviks (one of the
radical communist groups) and their
leader, Vladmir LENIN, gained
enough support and power to seize
control of the government “on behalf
of the people”

7. The BOLSHEVIK REVOLUTION

8. CIVIL WAR:
1918 - 1920
 Civil War began as
forces against the
communists fought
back.
 Red (Bolshevik)
Army vs. White (anti-
Bolshevik) Army

9. CIVIL WAR:
1918 - 1920
 The Tsar and his
family were
executed before
the communists
won and took
complete control of
the country.

10. COMMUNIST RULE
 Land was
redistributed
(collectivization)
 Industrialization
(5-Year Plans)
 Women gained
status
 Military was built-
arms race

13. A single death is a
tragedy; a million
deaths is a statistic.
Joseph Stalin

14. Psycho!
“To choose one’s
victims, to prepare
one’s plan, to quench
a strong desire for
vengeance, and then
to go to bed . . .there
is nothing sweeter in
the world.”
Josef Stalin

15. How bad was Stalin & his
government?
• 1 million imprisoned or exiled between 1927 to
1929
• 6 to 7 million killed by an artificial famine in 1932-
1934
• 1 million executed during the ''Great Terror'' of
1937-1938
• Most other estimates from reputed scholars
and historians tend to range from between 20
and 60 million.

16. The Gulag System

17. There’s Trotsky at a
Lenin speech.
Where’d he go?

18. There’s Trotsky again
with Lenin.
Where’d he go?