(15-4) Russia: Empire of the Czars

(15-5) The Decline of Austria-Hungary


Introduction - START HERE!

Chapter 15: Part 2 covers sections 4 and 5.  Keeping with the themes of liberalism (power to the people) and nationalism in 19th-century Europe (thanks, Napoleon!), this section discusses how liberalism slowly makes the czars of Russia painfully transition towards a constitutional monarchy and how nationalism begins to weaken Austria-Hungary. 

 

In 15-4, you will see that Russian czars were autocrats who had always held absolute power and did not want to give it up.  The people of Russia suffered great hardships after a humiliating defeat in the Russo-Japanese war that almost bankrupted the country.  Also working conditions were terrible since Russia was beginning the process of their industrialization.  In what Vladimir Lenin would call the "great dress rehearsal" for his communist revolution that later took place in 1917 (during World War I), the people of Russia engage in a revolution to have more of a say in their government in 1905.  The terrible events of "Bloody Sunday" contributed to this.

 

In 15-5, we see that nationalism created a dual monarchy and eventually began to weaken Austria-Hungary in the late 1800s and early 1900s since it contained so many different nationalities within its borders(the opposite effect it had on Italy and Germany).

Unit To-Do List:

1.  Read chapter 15, sections 4 and 5 in your textbook (this is what we call Chapter 15: Part II).

2.  Use the provided notes below (PowerPoint and completed guided notes) to review the material.  There is a supplemental video also below to help enrich your learning on "Bloody Sunday" and the Russian Revolution of 1905.

3.  Once you have completed your reading and studying, utilize the supplemental materials to check for understanding.