Welcome to Russian History Retold, Episode 252 from Russia to the Soviet Union, the transition,

Part 1.

Last time, we finished the series on how America viewed the Soviet Union and Joseph Stalin

in 1943.

Today, we begin another three-part series discussing the transition from the Russian Empire

into the Soviet Union.

Finally, we will end it with the change after the collapse of the USSR, where Russia and

the other newly sovereign states establish themselves.

My primary sources for information on the first parts of the series, the transition from

Russia to the Soviet Union, include the scholarly work by Nicholas Ryazanovsky and Mark Steinberg.

I also use the history of Russia, caught in the revolution by Helen Rappaport and the

People's Tragedy, the Russian Revolution 1891 to 1924 by Orlando Faijis.

Today's episode will lay the groundwork for the series.

We will have you imagine what life was like in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century.

Not the life of luxury and leisure that the upper class was leading, but more of an emphasis

on the lives of the rest of the country, the 99% who were making due with what little

they had.

Of course, some people were better off than others, but the majority of the Russian people

were struggling mightily.

We're going to start in 1905 with the first Russian Revolution.

We are beginning here because this is where the first transitions begin.

As we know, Zarnicalis II was forced to accept the creation of an imperial state Duma.

...