Beginning of Communism Notes

World Regions and Cultures 11- Beginning of Communism Notes (729-733)

Student Learning Objective- Students will be able to explain the causes and effects of the 1917 Bolshevik Russian Revolution

Discussion Questions

1. Make a list of words that you would long for if the following was true.  The only people that live in luxury are born into it.  There is no middle class. Your leader and the nobles believe they were put there by God.  90% of your country is extremely poor and there were no opportunities in life outside of military service even though your country was the largest in the world and has had a historically strong military.

2.            Why did Communism appeal to these people specifically?

3.            Draw comparisons of the US economy in 2017 and Russia’s economy in the early 1900’s.

4.            Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote the Communist Manifesto in 1848.  It taught that:

a.            The working class should overthrow the capitalist class

b.            Communism would be socialism with a strong ______________ control

c.            All people would be financially ______________

d.            There would be a clash between Communism and ______________

e.            Communism would take over the entire ______________

f.             A ______________ would be necessary at first but then the dictatorship should be gone after enough time and it would just turn into Socialism

5.            Nicholas II abdicated because of angry crowds

6.            A provisional government was set up that allowed freedom of speech and religion

1. ______________ or councils were made up of workers, soldiers and peasants

7.            Marxism was popular

1. Julius Martov and the Mensheviks believed that everyone should be in the Communist party
2. Vladimir ______________ and the Bolsheviks believed that 5% of the population would rule for the people

8.            Lenin prevailed in a revolution and then civil war

1. Whites or pro-czarists against ______________ or pro-Bolsheviks

9.            In 1917, Lenin pulled Russia out of ______________

1. His slogans “Peace, Land and Bread” and “All Power to the Soviets” were popular

10. After bitter years of civil war, the Bolsheviks came out on top in 1922.  The Communists had control of the factories, mines, banks, businesses, etc and made everything under government control.  So many people has died and the economy was struggling.  Lenin established the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or ______________ or ______________

11.          He also instituted the New Economic Policy or ______________

12.          The NEP allowed some private businesses and people selling surpluses for private gains.  The government controlled only “heavy industries”.  The economy started doing well!

13.          Lenin died in 1924 without naming a successor.  People wondered if it would be the General Secretary of the Communist party, Joseph ______________ or the Leader of the Red Army, Leon Trotsky.

14.          Stalin won a power struggle and unfortunately, Trotsky was assassinated in Mexico in 1940 by KGB agents after years of hiding

16.          Film clips (check off)

1. 1904 Russo-Japanese War ______________
2. 1917 Bolshevik Revolution ______________
3. 1924- Death of Lenin ______________

Student Learning Objective- Students will be able to explain the causes and effects of the 1917 Bolshevik Russian Revolution