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The RSDLP splits
The Bolshevik-Menshevik SplitThe Russian Socialist Party splits into the Mensheviks and the Bolsheviks. Bolsheviks means "majority" and Menshevik means "minority." This is the first sign of division or unrest in Russia. The split is the first event in the lead up to the Russian Revolution. -
Bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday Massacre in RussiaBloody Sunday is the massacre by the Russian government on protestors in Petersburg. It sparked anger amoung the common people of Russia because it showed how little the Tsar cared for their wellbeing. -
The First Moroccan Crisis
The First Moroccan CrisisKaiser Wilhelm goes to Moroco to pledge his support for Morocco which he did on purpose to upset France and England. Germany got what they wanted, and it almost caused WWI right then. -
Bosnian Annexation Crisis
Bosnian Crisis of 1908In 1908, Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia which created a great deal of strife in that country which was part of the Ottoman Empire. They were being seperated from their people, and it caused anger that carried over into World War I. -
Italo-Turkish War
Italian-Turkish WarThe defeat of the Turkish people by Italy between 1911 and 1912 showed the weaknesses of the Ottoman Empire. It was the beginning of the end for the Empire which would eventually crumble in WWI. -
Balkan League Formed
Balkan LeagueIn 1912, Serbia, Greece, Montenegro, and Bulgaria formed the Balkan League. This was an alliance against the Ottoman Empire, and it angered Austria-Hungary because they were scared of their rising strength. -
Lena Massacre
The Anniversary of the Lena Massacre The Lena Massacre was a shooting of gold mining protestors in Russia. It sparked even more revoltuionary sentiments in the country because they were unarmed and hundreds were killed for no reason. -
Archduke Franz Ferdinan Assassinated
Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinatedWhen Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by Gavrillo Princip in Serbia, it was the straw that broke the camel's back. It incited the 1st World War, and set the Central Powers against the Triple Entente. -
July Ultimatum
Austria-Hungary issues ultimatum to SerbiaAustria-Hungary, following the assassination of Ferdinand, sent an ultimatum to Serbia stating their demands in order for war to be avoided. However, Serbia rejected the ultimatum, and the war started. -
Russia Mobilizes
IMMEDIATE CAUSES OF WWIRussia, preparing for the worst case scenario, mobilizes its troops along the German border. This angers the Germans, and they begin to mobilize as well. After the Russians refuse to stop sending troops, the Germans declare war. -
World War I Begins
OUTBREAK OF WORLD WAR IWorld War I officially starts when Germany declares war on France and invades Belgium. The US remains neutral on the war. This is the begining of the one of the largest wars in world history, and it is the one of the first mass showings of modern warfare. -
First use of gas
Germans introduce poison gasThe first use of chlorine gas in warfare was fired by German soldiers into enemy lines. The innovation of using gas as a weapon characterized the rest of the war as well as parts of the rest of the 20th century. It lead the way for other developments, like mustard gas, which could be fired into the trenches of enemies. -
The Lusitania Sinks
Lusitania SinksThe sinking of the British ship R.M.S. Lusitania by a Germany submarine sparked anger across the world because it killed hundreds of innocent people. It was one of the early reasons that the US went into the war, and it gave other countries a cause to fight for. -
Germany limits submarines
Germany agrees to limit its submarine warfareAfter the Lusitania sunk, Germany responded by eventually limiting their use of submaries because they didn't want to have everyone against them or make the US come into the war. -
First tanks are used
First tank producedThe first tanks are used in battle by the British, and this also, like chemical weapons, sparks a new age of warfare. It changes the landscape of war becuase it puts more firepower into the pre-existent artilllery, but it also made the causalty numbers rise. It changed the mobility of war as well because semmingly invinciple vehicles could ride into battle. -
Rasputin assassinated
Rasputin is murderedRasputin, one of the most powerful men in Russia, was assassinated in late 1916 because of his influence over Tsar Nicolas. Some nobles plotted an assassination attempt which went badly, but they ended up killing him. This eventually helped lead to the end of the monarchy and the rise of the Bolsheviks. -
Zimmerman Telegram
Zimmermann Telegram published in United StatesA telegram was intercepted which was supposedly a message from Germany to Mexico proposing an alliance in the case of the US entering the war. This was one of the reasons the US entered the war. -
Dissolution of the Duma
The DumaTsar Nicolas orders the Fourth Duma to dissolve, but they go against his orders and create their own government. This is in direct opposition to the monarch, and it is a powerful stand against historical themes. -
February Revolution Begins
February Revolution beginsThe February Revolution begins when riots develop across Petrograd, Russia because of a loss of food and rights. This is the first of the many revolutions to follow and results in the abdication of Nicolas II. -
Abdication of Tsar Nicolas II
Czar Nicholas II abdicatesThe Monarchy offically ends when Tsar Nicolas is made to step down from his position after the February Revolution. It leads to the power struggle between the Bolshevics and their many challengers. -
US enters the war
America enters World War IWhen the US enters the war, it ends incredibly swiftly. With the new firepower and energetic soldiers joining the triple entente, it was too much for the central powers to handle. -
The July Days
THE JULY DAYS: TURNING POINT IN THE REVOLUTIONIn July of 1917, riots and armed clashes started between industrial workers and the government. The Bolsheviks supported it, and many of them were arrested. It meant a decline in power for the Bolsheviks. -
The Kornilov Affair
The Kornilov AffairKornilov, a commander in the Russian army, attempted to overthrow the Russian government but failed. While the attempt was unsuccessful, the support for Bolsheviks grew out of this event. It also created a tension between the military and the government because of how badly the head of the government treated them afterwards. -
October Revolution
Russian RevolutionThe October Revolution overthrew the government and put the Soviets in charge. Bolsheviks were at the end of this new government, and it led to the creation of the Russian Socialist Federative Socialist Republic. -
Volunteer Army was established
White ArmyThe Volunteer army was an anti-Bolshevik military group that sought to overhtrow their new government. It eventuallly turned into the basis for the White army which fought with the Red army. -
Cheka is established
The ChekaCheka, a security organization in Russia, was created to put down rebellions and investigate crimes against the government. It was a corrupt organization that tortured and killed innocent people. It struck fear into the people living under the Bolshevik regime, and it did not resemble the freedom they were supposedly fighting for. -
Allied Intervention
Allied Intervention in RussiaThe western allies of WWI intervented in the civil war to support the white army because they wanted to get rid of the socialist Red army. However, they did not have much support as well as having just ended another war, so they withdrew pretty soon after entering. The Red Army was able to use this to show the Russian people that the White army was just a puppet of the West. -
Russian Constitution of 1918
1918 Constitution of the RSFSRThis constitiution was put in place by the Bolsheviks and declared the working class, the ruling class. It was the keystone of the new socialist state that emerged out of the October Revoltuion. -
Execution of the Romanov family
Romanov Family ExecutedThe execution of the remaining royal Romanov family led by the former Tsar Nicolas finally put a definite end ot the monarchy. All of his family was killed by the Bolsheviks because they wanted to show their power and send a message that they are the true leaders. -
Armistice
Armistice - The End of World War I,1918World War I ends and Germany is made to pay for their incitment of the war. The Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Emprie are disbanded, and almost all monarchies cease to exist. World War I was the first war with that scale and that type of warfare. It changes the politics of the world and makes the US a world power.
