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Overview. The Russian Revolution took place in 1917 , during the final phase of World War I. It removed Russia from the war and brought about the transformation of the Russian Empire into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), replacing Russia’s traditional monarchy with the world’s first Communist state.
- Key People
Alexander I. The Russian tsar, or emperor, whose death in...
- Quiz
Test your knowledge on all of The Russian Revolution...
- Lenin and The Bolsheviks
The Russian Revolution (1917–1918) quizzes about important...
- The Aftermath
The Russian Revolution (1917–1918) quizzes about important...
- A Century of Unrest
The first signs of widespread political dissent in Russia...
- The October Revolution
Bolshevik leader who resisted Lenin’s plans for a prompt...
- Key People
- Overview
- World War I and the decline of the Russian Empire
Corruption and inefficiency were widespread in the imperial government, and ethnic minorities were eager to escape Russian domination. Peasants, workers, and soldiers finally rose up after the enormous and largely pointless slaughter of World War I destroyed Russia’s economy as well as its prestige as a European power.
Russian Revolution of 1905
Learn about the uprising that laid the foundation for the 1917 revolution.
World War I
Learn about World War I, an important catalyst for the Russian Revolution of 1917.
Why is it called the October Revolution if it took place in November?
Centuries of virtually unchecked Russian expansion in Asia ended with an embarrassing defeat in the Russo-Japanese War (1904–05). This military reverse shattered Russia’s dreams of establishing hegemony over the whole of Asia, but it also contributed to a wave of domestic unrest. The Revolution of 1905 compelled Nicholas II to issue the October Manifesto, which ostensibly transformed Russia from an unlimited autocracy into a constitutional monarchy. The tsar’s reactionary policies, including the occasional dissolution of the Duma, or Russian parliament, the chief fruit of the 1905 revolution, had spread dissatisfaction even to moderate elements of the nobility. The Russian Empire’s many ethnic minorities grew increasingly restive under Russian domination.
Despite some reforms that followed the Russo-Japanese War, the Russian army in 1914 was ill-equipped to fight a major war, and neither the political nor the military leadership was up to the standard required. Nevertheless the army fought bravely in World War I, and both soldiers and junior officers showed remarkable qualities. The Russian invasion of East Prussia in August 1914 was defeated by Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff at Tannenberg, but it required the Germans to send reinforcements from the Western Front and so saved France from defeat and made possible the victory on the Marne. The campaigns of 1915 and 1916 on the Eastern Front brought terrible casualties to the Russian forces, which at times did not even have sufficient rifles. As late as July 1916, however, the Russian army was capable of making a successful offensive under Gen. Aleksey Brusilov in Volhynia and Bukovina.
Britannica Quiz
Plots and Revolutions Quiz
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
In response, many Russian people took to the streets in peaceful protests and marched to the Winter Palace in Petrograd (St. Petersburg). But on a day that became known as "Bloody Sunday," the tsar's military forces killed hundreds of protesters. This sparked massive protests and civil war across the country.
The backstory of the Russian Revolution. The Russian Revolution of 1917 was an important event for the entire world, not only Russia. To see how this all came to be, let’s look back about a decade. In 1905, the Russian tsar, Nicholas II, refused to withdraw from a humiliating war with Japan.
The Russian Revolution (1917-1918) (SparkNotes History Note) Buy Now. View all Available Study Guides. From a general summary to chapter summaries to explanations of famous quotes, the SparkNotes The Russian Revolution (1917–1918) Study Guide has everything you need to ace quizzes, tests, and essays.
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Stage 1: The February Revolution. The first stage of the Russian Revolution occurred in February 1917, and it was the event that finally removed the Tsar and the imperial family from power. This stage began on February 23rd, when women workers in the city of Petrograd walked away from their factory jobs to march onto the streets in protest.
Mar 12, 2024 · The Russian Revolution was a series of uprisings from 1905 to 1917 led by peasants, laborers and Bolsheviks against the failed rule of the czarist Romanovs.
