Russian Revolution Russian Revolution
Dec 31, 2015
Russian RevolutionRussian Revolution
Causes of the RevolutionCauses of the Revolution
Industrialization of RussiaIndustrialization of Russia– Used foreign investment to build factoriesUsed foreign investment to build factories– Poor working conditions led to urban unrestPoor working conditions led to urban unrest
Russo-Japanese WarRusso-Japanese War– Russia was embarrassed by loss to JapanRussia was embarrassed by loss to Japan
Revolution of 1905—”Bloody Sunday”Revolution of 1905—”Bloody Sunday”– Russian soldiers fire on unarmed protestersRussian soldiers fire on unarmed protesters
500-1000 people were killed500-1000 people were killed
– Led to creation of the DumaLed to creation of the Duma
Resistance MovementsResistance Movements
Workers begin to Workers begin to support the support the revolutionary ideas revolutionary ideas of Karl Marxof Karl Marx
Believed industrial Believed industrial workers would workers would overthrow the czaroverthrow the czar
Bolshevik party Bolshevik party formed in 1903formed in 1903– Led by Vladimir Led by Vladimir
Lenin (right)Lenin (right)
Causes of the RevolutionCauses of the Revolution
World War IWorld War I– Russia was consistently defeated by GermanyRussia was consistently defeated by Germany
4 million casualties in the first year4 million casualties in the first year
– Demonstrates weakness of czarist ruleDemonstrates weakness of czarist rule– Czar’s wife Alexandria runs the government Czar’s wife Alexandria runs the government
while husband leads the war effortwhile husband leads the war effort Rasputin undermines her authorityRasputin undermines her authority
– Defeats destroyed the moral of Russia troopsDefeats destroyed the moral of Russia troops Soldiers mutinied, deserted, or ignored ordersSoldiers mutinied, deserted, or ignored orders
February RevolutionFebruary Revolution
Women in St. Petersburg led citywide Women in St. Petersburg led citywide strike in March 1917strike in March 1917– 200,000 workers joined the strike200,000 workers joined the strike– Soldiers sent to stop the strike joined the Soldiers sent to stop the strike joined the
strikersstrikers– Led to general uprising in RussiaLed to general uprising in Russia
Czar was forced to abdicate his throneCzar was forced to abdicate his throne Provisional government establishedProvisional government established
– Led by Alexander KerenskyLed by Alexander Kerensky
Bolshevik RevolutionBolshevik Revolution
Lenin and the Bolsheviks seize power Lenin and the Bolsheviks seize power in October 1917in October 1917– Motto was “Peace, Land, Bread”Motto was “Peace, Land, Bread”
Immediate ReformsImmediate Reforms– Ordered all farmland be distributed to Ordered all farmland be distributed to
peasantspeasants– Control of factories given to workersControl of factories given to workers– Withdrew from World War IWithdrew from World War I
Treaty of Brest-LitovskTreaty of Brest-Litovsk
Russian Civil WarRussian Civil War
Reforms of Vladimir LeninReforms of Vladimir Lenin
New Economic PolicyNew Economic Policy– Creates limited Creates limited
capitalists reforms in capitalists reforms in order to promote order to promote agricultural and agricultural and industrial industrial developmentdevelopment
Dies in 1924Dies in 1924– Battle for succession Battle for succession
between Leon between Leon Trotsky and Joseph Trotsky and Joseph StalinStalin
Reforms of Joseph StalinReforms of Joseph Stalin Goal was to create Goal was to create
communist state communist state envisioned by envisioned by BolsheviksBolsheviks
CollectivizationCollectivization– Eliminate private farms in Eliminate private farms in
favor of collective farmsfavor of collective farms– Kills millions of peasantsKills millions of peasants– Secures Soviet control of Secures Soviet control of
countrysidecountryside
Five-Year PlansFive-Year Plans
First Five-Year Plan (1928) focuses First Five-Year Plan (1928) focuses on iron, steel, machine tools, and on iron, steel, machine tools, and electricityelectricity– Called for 1115% increase in coal Called for 1115% increase in coal
production, 200% increase in iron, and production, 200% increase in iron, and 335% in electric power335% in electric power
– Posted worker production in factoriesPosted worker production in factories Workers who failed to meet production Workers who failed to meet production
quotas were shot or imprisoned in the Gulagquotas were shot or imprisoned in the Gulag
Great Purge (1936-1939)Great Purge (1936-1939)
Attempt by Stalin to eliminate Attempt by Stalin to eliminate political oppositionpolitical opposition– Leading members of the Bolshevik party Leading members of the Bolshevik party
were executed or sent to labor campswere executed or sent to labor camps Stalin purged prominent military Stalin purged prominent military
officialsofficials– 50% of a military officers were purged50% of a military officers were purged
Historians estimate 10 to 20 million Historians estimate 10 to 20 million people died during the Great Purge people died during the Great Purge
China Civil War
Republican Revolution (1912)
Sun Yat-sen (Sun Yixian)– Founded Kuomintang
(KMT) – Nationalist party Overthrew Manchu (Qing)
dynasty Established a republic President of Chinese
Republic who succeeded him – Yuan Shih-k’ai
Kuomintang symbol
The "Blue Sky with a White Sun flag" was designed by Lu Hao-tung in 1895 and is used to this day as the naval jack of the Republic as
well as the flag of the Kuomintang
(KMT). An image of three Republic of China flags, including the "Five-coloured flag" (centre), the army flag (left) and Sun Yat-sen's flag, the flag currently in use.
The Five-coloured flag was used as a national flag from the inception of the Republic in 1912 until the demise of the warlord
government in 1928.
ROC or Taiwan
Republic of China: Weaknesses
Disunity– Local warlords fought Kuomintang for
control– Wars raged between 1912 and 1928
Foreign imperialists– Americans, Europeans, and Japanese
Poor transportation– 1914 – only 6,000 miles of railroad track
225,000 miles in the smaller United States
– Few decent roads
Foreign Imperialists
Twenty-One Demands (1915)– Japan attempted to make China a Japanese
protectorate– Action condemned and stopped by other
leading world powers World War I and the Treaty of Versailles
– China attempted to abolish concessions and extraterritoriality Attempt failed
– China did not sign the Treaty of Versailles– Japan gained mandate over most of
Germany’s Asian possessions and rights
Age of the Warlords
The warlord era is the period in the history of the Republic of China, from 1916 to 1928, when the country was divided among military cliques
Three Principles of the People
Book published by Sun Yat-sen before his death in 19251. Principle of Mínquán
Democracy – the people are sovereign
2. Principle of Mínzú Nationalism – an end to foreign imperialism
3. Principle of Mínshēng Livelihood – economic development,
industrialization, land reform, and social welfare – elements of progressivism and socialism
Growth of Communism Sun Yat-sen appealed for Russian
(Soviet) aid following the Versailles Conference– 1921-1925 – China received advisors,
arms, communist propaganda, and loans
– Russia revoked its imperialist rights in China
Chinese flag, 1912-1928
The Kuomintang (KMT) is Split Right wing
– Business people– Politicians
Left wing– Communists– Intellectuals– Radicals– Students
Northern Expedition summer of 1926
(1926–1928)KMT general Chiang Kai-shek emerged as the leader of the National Revolutionary Army,
NRA forces easily defeated the Zhili armies of Wu Peifu and Sun Chuanfang in central and east China.
The Guominjun and Shanxi warlord Yan Xishan joined forces with the KMT against the Fengtian. -Fengtian, submitted himself under the condition he would continue to rule over Manchuria, but the Japanese would later occupy Manchuria in 1931.
In 1927, the KMT-CCP alliance ruptured with the communists being brutally purged -resulted Civil War
Chiang established his capital in Nanjing but still needed to take Beijing to get international recognition. Yan Xishan, now a KMT general, occupied Beijing.
Nationalist Revolution Sun Yat-sen succeeded by Chiang
Kai-shek Communists expelled by Kuomintang 1926-1928 – war to control the
warlords Capital moved from Peiping (a.k.a.
Peking, today’s Beijing) to Nanking (Nanjing)
Presidential Palace under Kuomintang Government in Nanjing
Civil War in China 1927-1932 and 1933-1937 – war between
Communists and Nationalists Communists – Mao Tse-tung (Mao Zedong) Nationalists – Chiang Kai-shek War halted 1932-1933 and 1937-1945 to
fight Japanese aggression Communists were victorious in 1949 Nationalists retreated to Formosa (Taiwan) End of imperialism in China
– Hong Kong returned to China in 1997
Japanese Aggression
Japan was a threat to China – 1894-1941
1937 – Japanese invasion– Japanese took control of north and areas
along the coast– Rape of Nanking– Chinese Communists and Nationalists
Intermittently were at peace as they united to fight against the Japanese
Guerrilla and scorched earth tactics Received American aid against the Japanese
World War II U.S. interest in China increased after
Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941 Cairo Conference (1943)
– Chiang Kai-shek met with Allied leaders– Discussed war in eastern Asia
Westerners gave up imperialist rights in China
U.S. Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 repealed in 1943
Communists in Control – 1949
Communists and Nationalists resumed civil war following World War II
Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist government wasted foreign economic aid
Many Kuomintang deserted to Communists Manchuria – taken over by Communists in
1948 December, 1949 -- Communists in control Chiang Kai-shek and Nationalists retreated
to Formosa (Taiwan)
Geographical Changes
Communist China gained control over:– Chinese– Turkestan
(Xinjiang)– Inner
Mongolia– Manchuria– Tibet
PRC = People’s Republic of China (Communists) / ROC = Republic of China (Nationalists)
Political Changes under Mao
Communist government on mainland China
Mao Tse-tung (Mao Zedong)– Chairman Mao –
chairman of the Communist party and leader of China – 1943-1976
Mao Zedong毛泽东
Economic Changes under Mao
First Five-Year Plan (1953-1957)– Advances in agriculture and coal,
electricity, iron, and steel production Second Five-Year Plan (1958-1962)
– “Great Leap Forward”– China became a leading industrial country– Peasants organized into communes – Widespread catastrophe – famine – at least
14,000,000 deaths
Propaganda Poster for the Great Leap Forward
Foreign Relations Russia (Soviet Union)
– Growing split between USSR and China “Peaceful coexistence” policy of USSR viewed as
surrender
– 1960 – end of Soviet economic aid Tibet
– Seized in 1962 Korea
– Aided North Korea in the Korean War (1950-1953) Vietnam
– Supported North Vietnam and aided Viet Cong during Vietnam War (1959-1975)
Foreign Relations Cold War
– Economic aid to Africa, Asia, and Latin America
“Atomic Club” (1964)– Fifth overall, and first non-white, country to
develop nuclear weapons United Nations
– One of five permanent members of U.N. Security Council (1971, replacing Taiwan)
Relations with United States– 1972 – U.S. President Richard Nixon opened
diplomatic relations with China
Mao’s Little Red Book The Chinese Communist Party is the
core of the Chinese revolution, and its principles are based on Marxism-Leninism. Party criticism should be carried out within the Party.
The revolution, and the recognition of class and class struggle, are necessary for peasants and the Chinese people to overcome both domestic and foreign enemy elements. This is not a simple, clean, or quick struggle.
War is a continuation of politics, and there are at least two types: just (progressive) and unjust wars, which only serve bourgeois interests. While no one likes war, we must remain ready to wage just wars against imperialist agitations.
Mao’s Little Red Book Fighting is unpleasant, and the people of
China would prefer not to do it at all. At the same time, they stand ready to wage a just struggle of self-preservation against reactionary elements, both foreign and domestic.
China's road to modernization will be built on the principles of diligence and frugality. Nor will it be legitimate to relax if, 50 years later, modernization is realized on a mass scale.
A communist must be selfless, with the interests of the masses at heart. He must also possess a largeness of mind, as well as a practical, far-sighted mindset.
Women represent a great productive force in China, and equality among the sexes is one of the goals of communism. The multiple burdens which women must shoulder are to be eased.
Cultural Revolution (1966-1969)
“Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution”– Effort to revive interest in
Mao’s ideas (and for Mao to regain power) after the failed Great Leap Forward
– Mao claimed that reactionary bourgeoisie elements were taking over the party
– Call for youths to engage in post-revolutionary class warfare
– Red Guards (consisting of young people) marched throughout China
– Older alleged reactionaries removed from positions of power
China after Chairman Mao Mao died in September, 1976 “Gang of Four”
– Failed at a coup d’état in October, 1976
China continued to industrialize
One-Child Policy adopted – 1979
Tiananmen Square Massacre – 1989
Today – issues include:– Balancing limited capitalism
with communist ideals– Environmental pollution– Unequal male-to-female ratios
resulting from One-Child Policy– Control of Tibet
Review Questions
1. Which group led the Republican Revolution of 1912?
2. What common enemy united the Nationalists and Communists?
3. Who led the Communist Revolution?4. Describe the Great Leap Forward.5. Describe the Cultural Revolution.6. What issues face China today?