The Russian Revolution ended centuries of tsarist rule, established the world's first socialist state, and reshaped 20th-century geopolitics.
Key Facts
- February Revolution
- Tsar Nicholas II abdicated on 15 March 1917
- October Revolution date
- 7 November 1917 (O.S. 25 October)
- State founded
- Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR)
- Treaty ending WWI involvement
- Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, signed March 1918
- Duration
- 1917–1922
- Secret police established
- Cheka, formed by the Bolsheviks after October Revolution
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Mounting military defeats by Germany during World War I, severe shortages of bread and grain, collapsing army morale, and widespread public unrest destabilized the tsarist government. Officials concluded that Nicholas II's abdication was necessary to prevent total collapse, while socialist and workers' organizations competed for political influence amid growing strikes and mutinies.
Beginning with the February Revolution in 1917, Russia abolished its monarchy when Tsar Nicholas II abdicated. A dual power structure emerged between the Provisional Government and the Soviets. The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, then launched the October Revolution on 7 November 1917, overthrowing the Provisional Government and proclaiming a socialist republic. A bloody civil war between the Red Army and the White movement followed, lasting until 1922.
The Bolsheviks consolidated power, signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk to exit World War I, and reorganized the former Russian Empire into the world's first socialist state. The Cheka suppressed opposition through the Red Terror. The revolution inspired subsequent upheavals across Europe and served as a model and catalyst for communist movements worldwide throughout the 20th century.