The script discusses the historical events leading up to and during the Russian Revolution, focusing on the reign of Nicholas II and the subsequent rise of Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin.
The narrative begins with the coronation of Nicholas II as the Emperor of Russia in 1894. Nicholas was an absolute monarch, meaning he had the final say on everything concerning the Russian Empire. The script also mentions the technical matter of the Russian calendar being thirteen days behind the Gregorian calendar, which explains why events like the October Revolution are sometimes dated in November.
The script goes on to discuss the rapid industrialization of Russia in the late 19th century, the rise of communist ideas, and the subsequent demand for greater representation from the working class. The Imperial Russian government is described as being somewhat distant and incompetent, with numerous foreign policy failings, including the Russo-Japanese War in 1904.
The narrative then shifts to the events of Bloody Sunday in 1905, which led to riots across the Empire. In response, Nicholas II appointed a new prime minister, but the Duma, the elected assembly, was largely powerless.
The narrative proceeds to discuss the outbreak of World War I, during which Nicholas II appointed himself as the head of the army and left his wife, Empress Alexandra, in charge of the capital. The script also mentions the assassination of Rasputin in 1916 and the subsequent abdication of Nicholas II in 1917.
The script then discusses the rise of Lenin and Trotsky, who led the Bolsheviks in the overthrow of the provisional government. Lenin declared three decrees upon taking control: a decree on peace, a decree on land, and a decree on workers. The script also mentions the beginning of the Russian Civil War and the eventual victory of the Bolsheviks.
The narrative then discusses Stalin's rise to power after Lenin's death in 1924. Stalin implemented a series of reforms, including the five-year plans and collectivization, which transformed Russia from an empire struggling to keep up to a political and economic powerhouse. The script concludes by noting that while the Russian Revolution replaced one authoritarian regime with another, it played a crucial role in turning Russia into a superpower and was vital in stopping the Nazis.
1. In 1894, Nicholas II was coronated as the Emperor of Russia. He was an absolute monarch, which meant he had the final say on everything concerning the Russian empire .
2. The Russian calendar was thirteen days behind the Gregorian calendar in use today, which is why some historical events like the October Revolution are said to have occurred in November .
3. The Russian Empire was large and had seen rapid industrialization during the late 19th century .
4. The Imperial Russian government suffered from being somewhat distant and incompetent, leading to conflicts with the Japanese, which resulted in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 .
5. The event known as Bloody Sunday occurred in 1905, when a priest led a procession through Russia's capital, Saint Petersburg, to present a petition to the Emperor. The crowd was fired upon, leading to hundreds of deaths and riots across the Empire .
6. In 1914, Saint Petersburg was renamed to Petrograd to sound more Russian .
7. Russia had mixed success in the First World War. Nicholas II appointed himself as the head of the army and left his wife, Empress Alexandra, in charge of the capital .
8. War fatigue and food shortages led to protests in 1917. Nicholas II abdicated, leading to the exile of many people, most notably Vladimir Lenin, who returned to Russia .
9. Lenin formed a rival government to the provisional government, the Petrograd Soviet. He began calling for the overthrow of the provisional government, promising the Russian people land, food, and an end to the war .
10. The Bolsheviks seized city infrastructure and the Winter Palace, the seat of the Russian government. Lenin then declared the Bolsheviks were now in control .
11. Lenin announced three decrees after the Revolution: the decree on peace, which promised to end the war; the decree on land, which abolished private land ownership; and the decree on workers, which introduced a minimum wage .
12. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in 1918 resulted in all of Russia's territory being surrendered to Germany in the Austro-Hungarian Empire .
13. The Russian Civil War began in earnest, with the Bolsheviks and their supporters (the Reds) opposed by various factions (the Whites) .
14. The Bolsheviks began what is known as the Red Terror, which involved sending dissidents to work camps, shooting protesters, and holding the families of generals hostage to ensure their loyalty .
15. In 1919, the Polish invaded Ukraine, capturing Kiev. The Bolsheviks counter-attacked and forced the Polish all the way back to Warsaw .
16. In 1922, Russia and its surrounding Socialist Republics agreed to form the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics .
17. Stalin became the General Secretary of the USSR, the highest political post, in the early 1920s. He tightened his grip over the Soviet Union by implementing purges, assassination, censorship, and a secret police force, the NKVD .
18. Stalin implemented several domestic reforms, such as the five-year plans, designed to improve industrial output, and collectivization, whereby farmers were forced to unite their farms to increase crop yields and speed up mechanization .