The Russian Revolution refers primarily to the pivotal events of 1917 that led to the fall of the czarist autocracy and the establishment of a socialist government under the Bolsheviks. It was a sequence of two major revolutions: the February Revolution, which forced Tsar Nicholas II to abdicate and led to the formation of a provisional government, and the October Revolution, in which the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, seized power.
Background and Causes
The revolution was driven by widespread dissatisfaction with the imperial government under Tsar Nicholas II, intensified by Russia's disastrous involvement in World War I, economic hardship, food shortages, and social inequality. The country was marked by stark class divisions, with a large peasantry under a wealthy nobility, and a largely illiterate population suffering repression and poverty. Earlier upheavals such as the failed 1905 revolution had already exposed deep unrest in society.
February Revolution 1917
This first phase began with strikes and riots in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) over food scarcity and general discontent. The army eventually sided with the protesters, compelling the tsar to abdicate. A provisional government was then formed but struggled to maintain control or address critical issues like land reform and the ongoing war.
October Revolution 1917
The Bolsheviks, under Lenin’s leadership, capitalized on the provisional government's weaknesses, advocating for peace, land redistribution, and workers' control. In October, they staged a nearly bloodless coup, taking over key government institutions. This established Bolshevik dominance and led to the creation of a communist state.
Aftermath
The revolution precipitated a brutal civil war (1917–1921) between the Bolshevik Red Army and anti-Bolshevik White forces, ending with Bolshevik consolidation of power and the founding of the Soviet Union. Although initially promising liberty to peasants and workers, the Bolshevik regime soon imposed strict state control and repression. The Russian Revolution profoundly influenced 20th-century global politics by showcasing a successful overthrow of monarchy and capitalism in favor of socialism. This overview primarily concerns the 1917 revolutions, but there was also a significant earlier uprising in 1905, which was the first Russian revolution that forced some reforms but did not overthrow the monarchy.
