Russian Revolution: Key Events, Causes, and Outcomes

The Russian Revolution: Key Events, Causes, and Outcomes

The February Revolution (1917)

The uprising in Petrograd (St. Petersburg) in February 1917 culminated in the February Revolution. The monarchy fell and was replaced by two bodies:

1. The Provisional Government: Created to organize elections for a Duma. Alexander Kerensky took control of this government.
2. The Petrograd Soviet: Represented the workers and soldiers.

The Bolshevik Slogan

The Bolsheviks' slogan was:

• Peace: An end to World War I.
• Bread: Relief from the prevalent hunger.
• Land: Redistribution of land owned by the aristocracy.

The October Revolution (1917)

The Bolsheviks seized power in an uprising planned by Leon Trotsky, the president of the Petrograd Soviet. The Bolsheviks formed a new government, the Council of People’s Commissars. Revolutionary measures were taken:

1. Peace talks with Germany were initiated.
2. Large agrarian properties were expropriated.
3. Factories were placed under the control of workers.

Events Between 1918 and 1921

• The Bolshevik dictatorship was established.
• A civil war broke out.
• In the summer of 1918, the Bolsheviks executed the Tsar and his family.
• The Communists achieved victory in 1921, supported by the Red Army.

Key Figures and Definitions

Vladimir Lenin: A key leader of the Bolshevik Revolution.

White Army: Part of the army that supported the monarchy during the civil war.

Red Army: Supported the Bolsheviks.

Cheka: The police that controlled the society.

Russia Before World War I

At the turn of the 20th century, the Russian Empire was based on an autocratic political system. The Tsar (Nicholas II) held all the power. The economy was agrarian, and most of the population were peasants, who lived in poor conditions because the land was owned by the aristocracy.

Nicholas II and His Family

Nicholas II, Alexandra, Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Alexei. Nicholas II and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks, bringing an end to the three-century-old Romanov dynasty.

The Death of Rasputin

Rasputin was stabbed, poisoned, shot, and thrown into the river.

The Revolution of 1905

In 1905, extreme social imbalances led to a series of demonstrations in St. Petersburg, which were harshly suppressed. This was followed by a general strike. The first workers’ councils, soviets, were formed.

Political Parties Opposing the Monarchy

The most important was the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (Marxist).

Mensheviks and Bolsheviks

The Russian Social Democratic Labour Party was divided into two groups:

• The Mensheviks, or moderates.
• The Bolsheviks, who were more extreme and proposed a socialist revolution.

Definitions

Soviet: Workers’ councils or political organizations and governmental bodies associated with the Russian Revolution, which gave the name to the latter state of the Soviet Union.

Duma: The legislative body of Russia.