What Was The Russian Revolution?

In history, there have been a few aggressive, violent and world-changing revolts, and the Russian Revolution is often considered among these. In 1917, people rose up in what is variously known as the Bolshevik Revolution or October Revolution. But historical details show that there was another revolt early in the year that was aimed at taken down the Tsar. He abdicated and a provisional government took over.

This provisional government was then the target of the revolution in October, led by a group known as Bolsheviks. Three states in the Baltic region Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia, were particularly affected by the outcome of the Russian Revolution, especially since many of the revolt leaders were natives of that area.

Most people are familiar with the events of 1917 commonly known as the Russian Revolution, but few are aware that this huge country was in constant upheaval for several years before and after 1917.

There was an earlier revolution (1905) in which peasants in the Baltic states took action against tyrannical leaders. So, using the term “Russian Revolution” could include all of the upheavals, revolts and changes that took place leading up to what is generally referred to as “the” revolution in this country.

The October Revolution sprang from a mass of people who were dissatisfied, even violently angry, at the class of people who owned most of the property (a minority). Even after the Tsar left the throne, many of the poverty conditions and repression of lower classes continued. Some leaders, declared radicals by government leaders, were arrested. The government shut down some newspapers that were feeding the movement with revolutionary ideas.

When Vladimir Ilich Lenin returned from his time in exile (due to early radical action) the country seemed to have the leader it needed to make great changes. Elections in September 1917 sent many from the Bolshevik group to seats in the government. Then in October, military men who favored the Bolshevik cause advanced against the seat of the government, the Winter Palace. Some members of the Provisional Government were arrested at the beginning of the two day revolt.

Bolsheviks were in power briefly, but elections in November and December did not give the group the majority of seats. They tried to take control however, and this action started what is known as the civil war involving a group called the White Guard or Whites. Troops from the Baltic region helped the Bolsheviks defeat this group, but the civil war continued for more than a year.

Eventually, the Bolshevik group was commonly called the Communists. In spite of the outside forces that tried to take them out of power (United States, Great Britain etc.) the Communists remained in power when the internal war ended in 1920. The Communists were to remain in charge of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics for decades after that time. Struggles for independence continued within the union however, especially in the Baltic region. The results were the three independent states mentioned earlier.

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