Introduction to Modern

World History
• After WWI to WWII
• Russia, Germany, Japan, China
• League of Nations
Conflict between different
set of ideas
• Democracy
• Communism/ Socialism
• Nationalism
• Nazism
Second World War
• WHY?
• WHO?
• How it ended?
• CONSEQUENCES.
•KEY INDIVIDUALS
• LENIN
• STALIN
• HITLER
• MAO ZEDONG
• Link to History of Southeast Asia
• Ask yourself:
• Why it happened?
• What are the impact/ consequences?
• Similar/ different
• Change / continuity
• Russia: 1st country to become a communist
state
• Revolution: A complete change which takes
place in a short time.
• Monarchy: Royal family
• Tzar/ Tzarina: Emperor/ Empress
• Communism: An economic system where
everything is controlled by the state - there
is no private property.
• Thus, everyone is equal.
• Dictatorship: One-man / one-party rule
• Democracy: A political system whereby the
people are ruled by the people through the
process of election.
• Civil War: A war within the country -
fought among its people.
• Tzar - Nicholas II (1894- 1917)
• Had absolute power
• Aristorcacy - extremely wealthy and
influential - owned most of the land, held
important position in the army, govt.
• Felt that it was a natural order of things that
they were rich and others were poor.
• No idea how the ordinary people lived.
 • Middle Class: • Factory workers:
• Had little power but • lived in towns- eg:
wanted more Moscow/ St
• Lawyers, doctors, Petersburg
businessmen • poor living and
• wanted to be able to working conditions
have a say in the • Peasants -3/4 of the
running of the country. population-former
slaves- poor- in debt-
work on land
 Opposition groups
Consisted of Social Social Democrats
middle class & Revolutionaries -Marxists
intellectuals – - wanted land to -believed that
wanted moderate be given to the state should own
changes peasants all property and
- prepared to use use it for the good
-Wanted violence of the people.
constitutional - divided into 2
monarchy groups:
 Social Democrats/ Marxists
• BOLSHEVIKS • MENSHEVIKS
• do not want to • willing to cooperate
cooperate with others with others
• impatient for • (minority)
revolution to take
place
• (majority)
Impact of the First World War on Russia

• Army
• poorly supplied, losing battles, suffered
loses
• Leadership
• Weak, low morale, govt badly runned
• Discontent
• Lack of food, poor living conditions
 The Tzar and the Tzarina

• Unpopular
• did not share power with Duma
• dependent on Rasputin, a “holy man”
• when the tzar led the army in the war, the tzarina
was left to run the country. Influenced by the
scandalous Rsputin
• Govt - corrupted, ministers appointed/ sacked
• Tzarina came to be known as a traitor.
 The February Revolution, 1917

• EVENTS -
• unplanned but predictable
• workers went on strike - shops were raided
• Tzar had no idea how bad things were
• ordered strike to be quelled by force-
soldiers were told to fire at the people but
refused, instead soldiers joined them
• Nicholas was then asked to abdicate
 The February Revolution, 1917

• Reasons
• food shortages due to poor harvests, poor farming
methods, lack of manpower due to men at war
• Town people also suffered
• army deserters flooded the city, making problems
worse
• soldiers refused to shoot the demonstrators
• revolution--> unplanned, had no leader and no
common purpose
 The February Revolution, 1917

• Nicholas II abdicated
• set up of provisional government
• First head of the provisional govt was
Prince Lvov, later replaced by the
Menshevik leader, Alexander
Kerensky.
 Reasons for failure of the Provisional
Government:
• No solution for unemployment/ No land
reforms
• refused to end war - thus became unpopular
with all sections of society as the war
damaged the country further
• No confidence/ authority to stand up to the
Petrograd Soviet
• Demands of Bolshevik for “peace, bread and
land” were more popular.
 The Petrograd Soviet

• Competed with Provisional Govt.

• The Soviet was a council of soldiers and
trade unionists who were Mensheviks and
Social Revolutionaries
• After Feb Revolution, the Soviet took over
control of transport & food supplies - had
more contact with the people
• encouraged people to form their own soviets
• Petrograd Soviet stronger than the govt.
 The October Revolution, 1917

• Increasing support for the Bolsheviks

• unlike the February revolution, this one was well-
planned - by Lenin.
• ThePetrograd Soviet and the Red Guards, led by
Trotsky- took over control of vital communication
links and govt places like the Winter Palace.
• Members of the Provisional Govt were arrested.
• The Bolsheviks now appointed their own govt
officials in the Congress of Soviets
• Lenin was appointed Leader of the Govt.
Political: Did not want to share power. Parliament was
closed down. Opposition was suppressed. Other political
parties banned.
• Social: • Economic:
• teaching of religion was • private ownership of
forbidden land was abolished
• strict censorship of press • all people were declared
• the Cheka (secret equal
police) instill fear in the
people.
 The Brest- Litovsk, 1918

• The treaty which pulled Russia out of the

First World War
• Russia lost vast territories to Germany
• lost one-third of the population
• Lenin thought that it was a price worth
paying, in order to concentrate on internal
problems.
 The Civil War
• The Reds: • The Whites:
• the Bolsheviks • made up of different
groups-
• supporters of the Tzars
• social revolutionaries
• liberals
• mensheviks
• educated middle class
• foreign powers- US/
France/ Britain
 The Whites failed because:

• Weaknesses of Whites:
• Strength of Reds:
• no clear objectives/ war
• Capable Leader- Leon plans
Trotsky
• placed around the edge of
• resourceful, inspiring
Russia - no
• Controlled main industrial communication- no
areas- had access to supplies cooperation
• controlled the centre • disunited
• no support from the
peasants
 WAR COMMUNISM

WHAT?
• Lenin’s economic policy (1918-1921)
• Nationalisation - factories/ businesses were put under
govt control
• Factories produced essential items for war effort
• labour conscription introduced
• Grain taken from peasants to be given to city/ soldiers
• Food rationing was introduced
 WAR COMMUNISM

• WHY?
• Economic condition was appalling
• industrial production slowed down
• emergency measure to help the Bolsheviks
win the Civil War
 WAR COMMUNISM

• Effects
• production worsened as factory workers ran away to the
country side
• Peasants resented the government for taking their food
away, so they refused to cooperate - planted less
• + drought/ poor harvest led to famine
• The Krondstadt Rebellion - though it was crushed, Lenin
was embarrassed by strength of rebellion
• Introduced a new policy called “ The NEP”
 THE NEW ECONOMIC POLICY

• WHAT?
• A step back from “pure communism”- but
necessary to prevent failure of the communist
system and downfall of the government.
• Measures:
• food was not confiscated, peasants could sell
excess food
• small companies could be privately run.
• Foreign investments were encouraged
• peasants allowed to rent land
 THE NEW ECONOMIC POLICY

• Effects:
• Food production increased
• production of goods increased
• Criticism:
• Businessmen were said to be profiting while while
workers were still poor
• rich peasants (kulaks) were said to behave like the
aristocrats, renting out lands - return to old order.