Ryan Velarde

Period 4

3-8-06

*Journal#1- Recall WWI and the conditions in Russia in 1800s and early 1900s. List

possible causes for the Russian Revolution in 1917.

During WWI, Russia was not a very industrialized country. While much of the world had great technology, Russia did not. They still had many farms rather than machines and industries. The times were harsh and Russia was not ready or prepared for war. Russia was sending troops to the war with out-dated weapons. They did not have many weapons or ammunition.

A possible cause for the revolution could be unhappy people living in Russia. They were unhappy because of the czar and what he was doing or not doing for the country. The people of Russia did not have enough food to eat. The people were also upset by Rasputin and the mess he made of the country. WWI could also have been another reason for the revolution. The people were just not happy with how the country was being run.

*Journal Question #2- What problems angered the people of St. Petersburg?

Problems on the battlefield in war angered the people of St. Petersburg. There were also food shortages and fuel shortages. People of St. Petersburg would shout “bread” “bread”. Troops in charge of the streets in St. Petersburg refused to shoot at the demonstrators. Because of this the government had nothing to do and the czar abdicated or gave up power. A temporary government was then set up.

*Journal #3- Why is it often difficult to establish democracy in a country without a tradition of democratic government?

It is different because the people and leaders are not used to democracy. In other types of government the government does things for the people, but it is different in democracy. In a democracy, the people would not be used to working for themselves. The strong willed people would rise up above everyone leaving the lazy people in the dust which is different from other types of government. In a democracy, the hard workers would stand out and be rewarded for their work. It would just be hard for the people to make a transition from having the government do everything for them to having to actually doing something for themselves. Many people would not survive.