Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution refers to the political upheavals that led to the fall of the tsarist regime and the establishment of Soviet power in Russia between 1917 and 1922. It comprises two major phases: the February Revolution, which overthrew Nicholas II, and the October Revolution, which brought the Bolsheviks to power.
In February 1917, popular strikes and protests, exacerbated by military defeats in World War I and social misery, forced Nicholas II to abdicate. A provisional government was installed, but Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks overthrew it in October 1917 in the coup known as the October Revolution.
A bloody civil war followed (1917-1922) between the Bolshevik Red Army and counter-revolutionary forces (White Army). The Bolshevik victory led to the creation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1922, which shaped the 20th century.
Key Events
Lenin and the Bolsheviks seize power in Petrograd, overthrowing the provisional government and triggering a civil war that transforms Russia into the world's first communist state.
The Union Treaty creates the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, uniting Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Transcaucasia in a communist federal state that will become a world superpower.