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

2. -Socialism –
The means of production (businesses and services) are
owned by the ―public‖ and operated for the good of all.
The government controls key industries and thus parts
of the economy.
-Marxism / Communism -
 A radical type of socialism based upon the belief that:
 the working class majority would unite and forcibly
take the political and economic power from the wealthy
minority—who took advantage of them.
 The working class would then control the government,
industry and agriculture.
 Worker councils would govern ―democratically‖. Goods
and services, profits and benefits would be shared
equally. Eventually, a classless society would develop.

3. http://www.diffen.com/difference/Co
mmunism_vs_Fascism

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

5. 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.

6. 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.

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

8. 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”

9. The BOLSHEVIK REVOLUTION

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

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

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

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

16. The Great Terror 1937-38
• Arrests - about 7 million
• Executions - about 1
million
• In prison or camps in
late 1938 - about 9
million
• Gulags in Siberia
• Died in camps - about 2
million

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

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

19. Original cosmonauts
The guy in the back fell
out of favor. Where’d
he go?

20. 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