War and Revolution in Russia
1. World War I and Nicholas II's Downfall (1917):
- Russia allied with Germany and Austria initially. -
Nicholas II's ineffective leadership led to discontent.
- In 1917, popular unrest forced Nicholas II to
abdicate.
2. Russian Revolution and Civil War (1917-1921):
- Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, seized power in
Petrograd (October 1917).
- Civil war between Reds (communists) and Whites
(monarchists). - Bolsheviks dissolved the Constituent
Assembly, established harsh control. - Lenin's tough deal
with Germany and the creation of the Cheka (secret police).
3. Building Communism (1921-1953):
- Lenin's death led to power struggles; Stalin
emerged as leader.
- Stalin's dictatorship transformed the Communist
Party.
- Emphasis on socialist realism in art, challenging
traditional norms.
4. Industrialization and Collectivization (1920s-1930s):
- NEP initially, but Stalin's Five-Year Plan focused
on rapid industrialization.
- Collectivization led to struggles with peasants,
causing a massive famine.
- Purges and totalitarianism under Stalin in the
1930s, eliminating opposition.
5. Totalitarian System and Foreign Affairs:
- Stalin's regime marked the first totalitarian
system, controlling all aspects of life.
- The Soviet Union's dream of global socialist
revolution didn't materialize.
- Stalin initially misjudged Hitler, signed a pact in
1939, but later faced a brutal attack in 1941.
- The Great Fatherland War (WWII) led to
territorial expansion and increased patriotism.
These key points highlight the tumultuous period of war,
revolution, and the establishment of the Soviet Union in the
early to mid-20th century.
COLD WAR
*UNITED STATES AND USSR (Union of the Soviet
Socialist Republics)
-After World War II, the world entered a new era
marked by the emergence of two powerful
countries, the United States and the USSR (Union
of Soviet Socialist Republics), as the main
superpowers. This period is often referred to as
the Cold War.
*The Soviet Union was virtually exhausted
by 1945;
-agricultural production had declined by two-
thirds, industrial production was skewed toward
military needs, and housing was in such short
supply that 25 million people were homeless or
living in makeshift shelters.
*After World war II
-the Soviet Union emerged as the second-most
powerful nation globally, despite demobilizing
the majority of its 11-million-man army.
*Soviet forces occupied northern Iran until May 1946, and
stayed in Austria until Nikita Khrushchev withdrew them
in 1955.
*The conquest of Berlin
-Following the conquest of Berlin and the division
of Germany into four occupation zones by the
Allies, Soviet-occupied East Berlin and East
Germany were taken over by the German
Communist Party, renamed the SED (Socialist
Unity Party of Germany). Stalin was keen to keep
Germany divided and weak. When, in 1948, the
United States introduced a currency reform in the
western sectors without consulting the USSR,
Stalin ordered Berlin, located over 100 miles
inside the eastern sector, blockaded.