Put title: Why was Tsar Nicholas II so unpopular?
Read this: On May 27th 1896, a
LOs:
To identify the reasons for Tsar Nicholas’ unpopularity
To explain the main cause of the Russian Revolution 1917
banquet was held at a field outside
Moscow for Nicholas’ coronation. Free
beer and gifts were given by the new
Tsar Nicholas II. Half a million people
turned up, but a rumour spread that
there was not enough beer. In the
panic 1,429 people were crushed to
death. That night Tsar Nicholas II and
his wife Alexandra went to a ball.
Discuss: What impression does this
give of Nicholas II?
Task 1: Start a mind map/list of
reasons for Tsar Nicholas
unpopularity.
To identify the reasons for Tsar Nicholas’
unpopularity

To understand the steps Mussolini took to rise

to power

Evaluate how Mussolini changed the lives of

Italian people
Every Easter, Tsar Nicholas II gave a jewelled egg to
his wife, Alexandra. They were priceless pieces
designed by the Russian jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé.

Add to your list, why would this make the Tsar unpopular with the people.
Early Problems in the reign of Nicholas II

Add this to your list: Defeat in

the Russo-Japanese War of
1904.

TASK 2: Watch the 3 minute

YouTube clip.
As you watch, write down
reasons why the Russian defeat
would anger the people.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
qS1csqutxv4
Early Problems in the reign of Nicholas II

Add this to your list:

In 1904, workers worked on
average an 11 hour day (10
hours on Saturday).
Conditions in the factories
were extremely harsh and
prices increased by 20%.
Add this to your list: 1905 – Bloody Sunday

1. Who led the revolt?

2. How many signatures did the
petition get and what were the
demands?
3. How many people marched in
St Petersburg?
4. How many troops were on
guard?
5. What were the consequences
of Bloody Sunday?
TASK 3: Watch the clip on Bloody Sunday and
answer the questions above in full sentences
https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=9Jxzolu4Vbo
Add this to your list: 1905 Revolution

Read this: In June, 1905, sailors on the Potemkin battleship, protested

against the serving of rotten meat. The captain ordered that the ringleaders
be shot. The firing-squad refused to carry out the order and unrest spread
throughout Russia. Tsar Nicholas II was forced to promise reforms including
the creation of a Duma or Parliament.
 Add to your list: Rasputin
undermined the power of the Tsar
Task 4: Rasputin had a corrosive effect on the
monarchy, destroying the reputation of Nicholas
II further. Watch this TED TALK.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dEf1ep3O
9I
Now bullet point the ways in which Rasputin
undermined the Tsarist monarchy.

Optional Challenge Activity: Read the profile

sheet on Rasputin and create a storyboard
about his life.
 Optional challenge activity:

How useful is source A in understanding the role

Rasputin had in destroying the Tsar’s reputation?

Use this writing frame:

Source A is useful in (use wording of question)
because it suggests (make a point)…This is shown in
the source (use source details/content)… and implies…
This is accurate/useful because…use own knowledge

The provenance of the source is useful, especially the

(pick an element of provenance)… This is useful
because (use own knowledge to explain why it is
useful)…

Source A: A cartoon from Russia, 1916

Add this heading to your list or mind map: WW1 led to the Russian Revolution of 1917
Russia entered the First World War on 1st August 1914. By the end
of 1914, the Russians had lost over 1 million men. This was because
although Russia had an army of 6 million troops, there were only 5
million rifles. Many of the soldiers did not even have boots in a
country where temperatures can drop to -50 degrees centigrade.

Many of the Russian officers were chosen because they were TASK 5:
members of the nobility, not because they were good soldiers. Print off the table.
Prices increased between 100% and 500% in Russia during the First Add a key
World War. • Political problems
Throughout the First World War, 15 million men had to join the • Social problems
Russian armed forces. Most of these were peasants which meant • Economic problems.
not enough food was being grown to feed both the army and the
people in the towns and cities. Colour code each statement

Between 1914-1917 inflation in Russia rose by almost 400%. Challenge: Which of these do you believe was
However, the workers’ wages did not keep up with prices, so they
could not afford to buy what little food there was in the cities. the biggest problem and would create the
most outrage? Justify your opinion.
In August 1915 Tsar Nicholas II took personal command of the army.
This was a mistake because he was now personally blamed for all of
Russia’s defeats.
In February 1917, a revolution broke out in the capital city of
Petrograd as crowds attacked bakeries in the desperate search for
bread.
 Abdication of the Tsar Read this slide.
Following large scale criticism and the revolution in Optional activity Watch the 4
February Revolution, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated on minute national Geographic clip
outlining the background to the
March 2nd 1917. This ended 300 years of Romanov Russian Revolution and Lenin's rise
rule. Russia would never have a King again. to power
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=OHZ3Qww9kIY
However, the Provisional government who came to
power carried on fighting the First World War and
did not solve the food shortages in the towns and
cities so it was very unpopular. This in turn led to
the Bolshevik Revolution of October 1917, led by
Vladimir Lenin, who turned Russia into the first
Communist country in the world.

In 1918 the Tsar and his family were murdered by

Bolsheviks.
Put new subtitle: How did Vladimir Lenin change Russia?

Read this reminder:

What is Communism?

Communism was invented by the German

man, Karl Marx

Communism means;
• Everyone is equal
• Religion is banned
• Only the government owns businesses
• There are no rich and in theory no poor
• You can only vote for the Communist party
• There are no private schools.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N8hsXQapjY&t=1
Watch this TED TALS on Lenin.
 
TASK 6 : Use this information to explain in a paragraph how Lenin appealed to the workers.

Optional Challenge question: Which do you think would be his most popular policy and why?

What changes did Lenin make to Russia?

• Women were declared equal to men.

• Peasants who had a surplus of grain were forced to hand it over to the government
so that people in the cities would have enough bread.

• Factories were taken away from their owners and placed under the control of
workers’ committees.

• All land was taken away from the Tsar and the old landlords.

• A maximum 48 hour week was declared for factory workers.

• Money and jewellery in rich people’s bank accounts were taken by the state and
rich people were forced to share their houses with poor families.

• Russia was re-named the Soviet Union in 1922.

Read this: In 1924, Lenin died after a
stroke.
His body was preserved and can still be
seen today in Red Square in Moscow.

Under his coffin is a huge machine, which

keeps his body at a certain temperature.

He is injected with chemicals and a team

of people have to remove mould from
his body with toothbrushes.

Optional Challenge question:

Explain why Lenin was significant and
why his body is preserved and adored by
Russian people
Summary of causes of the Russian Revolution
1917
• Unpopularity of Tsar Nicholas
• Inequalities in Russian Society
• The influence of Rasputin
• The impact of World War 1
• New ideas and leaders.

Task 7: Write one paragraph explaining which of these causes you think is
most important in causing the Russian revolution and why.
https://www.historyhit.com/what-were-the-key-causes-of-the-russian-revolution/
What to find out more? Read this article.