Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution was a series of socio-economic upheavals in Russia in 1917, leading ultimately to the Russian Civil War. The Revolution occurred in two phases: the February Revolution and October Revolution. After the revolution, the Communist Party rose to power. As a result of the revolution, Russia withdrew from the Allied Powers.
The Great War had weakened Czar Nicholas II, and he abdicated the throne in March 1917. Russia was left under the provisional government of Alexander Kerensky, which intended to continue fighting in the war, but in November 1917, the Bolshevik Communist Party, led by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, overthrew the provisional government and executed the Czar's family.
Lenin made peace with Germany and then withdrew Russia from the war. In March of 1918, Lenin signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which granted Germany many territories, including what is now Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Ukraine, Estonia, and Latvia. This was a humiliating defeat, but Russia was simply to weak to fight anymore.
There was a civil war in Russia from 1918 to 1920 between Lenin's Red Army and the opposing western White Army. Ten million people died in the war and five million died in the resulting famine. The Red Army won.
After the civil war, Russia was in economic ruins. Lenin announced his New Economic Policy (NEP) to restore trade and industry to the county. The NEP permitted some capitalism to create incentives, and it allowed some foreign investment. Peasants were permitted sell surplus crops. Profits by merchants were allowed. But government still controlled all major industries. The private ownership only applied to small factories, farms and stores.
Politically, Lenin established the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1922, allowing one central government under Lenin to control many socialized republics. In 1924, the Bolsheviks began calling themselves “Communists” and established a constitution. But there was only one political party, and it held all the power. It was the Communist Party.
