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The Russian Revolution
George Orwell's novel Animal Farm satirzes the overthrowing of the Czar.
Russian Revolution and American Response After the repressive and corrupt regime of Czar Nicholas II was overthrown in March 1917, a new provisional government that vowed to keep Russia in the fight against Germany was created. This new Government, headed by Alexander Kerensky, was eventually overthrown by radical Bolsheviks (followed teachings of Karl Marx), lead by V.I. Lenin, who demanded to get out of the war and become a communist state. The Bolsheviks negotiated a treaty with Germany (Brest-Litovsk) which allowed the Germans to move to the Western Front. President Woodrow Wilson approved of the overthrow of the czar but refused to recognize the Bolsheviks who threatened capitalism and the fourteen points. By august 1918 Wilson agreed to British and French plans and sent troops to Siberia and northern Russia. His goals were to protect the Chinese Eastern and Trans-Siberian Railways from the Japanese, and to not alienate the British and French who opposed withdrawal. This intervention led to the U.S. becoming an active anti-Bolshevik participant in the Russian Civil war. The Russians grew further from the west with these actions and the Communist establishment of the Third International (or Comintern) and their call for worldwide revolution deepened allied mistrust.
The Red Scare From 1919 to 1920, the red scare took effect in the United States. Strikes, antiwar agitation and even racial disturbances were increasingly blamed on foreign radicals and alien ideologies. In a 1919 Seattle general strike, Mayor Ole Hanson claimed that the strikers wanted to take possession of the United States government and try to imitate the Russian anarchy. To try and stop these events, General A. Mitchell Palmer began a coordinated campaign to root out people supporting the uprisings and Russia. Palmer used the broad authority of the 918 Alien Act, which allowed the government to deport any immigrant found to be a member of a revolutionary organization. Through a series of raids, they roughed up several hundred people and 249 people were deported. In early 1920 some 6000 people were arrested in cities and herded into prison. These events, deemed the Palmer raids, were the driving force in the Red Scare.
Election of 1920 In The Election of 1920, the political candidates were horrifically subpar. Woodrow Wilson decided not to run again after becoming exhasuted from his presidency during World War I. The Democratic candidate was James Cox, who distanced himself from Wilson's views, casuing Cox to be disliked by a large sum of his party. The Republican candidtae, Warren Harding, had no right to run; he lacked experience, intellect, obtained ambiuous views, and his only liable qualification was he looked like a president. Due to the request of normalcy from the people, Harding was elected president by the greatest landslide in history to that date, 16 million to 9 million and the Republicans reatianed congess. As the nation wanted to be rid of social dislocation, inflation, and big government, they were oblivious of the future which was moveing further away from normalcy.
Attorney General Mitchell Palmer
Bolshevik Symbol
V.I. Lenin: Leader of the Bolshevics
Trans-Siberian Railway
Czar Nicholas II
Red Army Choir
Conclusion: Although overlooked, World War I had economic, social, and political effects on American lifestyle. Soon, the second Industrial Revolution would occur as the Republicans made effort to bridge government and industry between states and businesses. During wartime national prohibition became one of the largest growing issues, and Bolshevism was used to repress radicalism, organized labor, and feminism, and the entire progressive reform. Advertising and public relations changed due to World War I since propaganda, sales techniques, and psychology began to evolve in society. From the dislocation and fear instilled in the nation during the war, and the fear of pro-German sentiments, Americans requested a sense of normalcy, but this would only increase prejudice towards immigrants and African Americans.
Elana Rosner Jenna Wilson Alicia D'Annibale Trent Stetler Armen Berberian
