The Russian Revolution

In the 19^th century, efforts to modernize Russia by freeing the serfs (peasants), building factories and introducing democracy came to nothing. Tsar Alexander II made reforms, but, in 1881, he was assassinated. Tsar Alexander III undid most of his father’s work, and in desperation some Russians turned to revolution.

The first serious rebellion broke out in 1905, after troops fired on striking workers in the Russian capital, St Petersburg. The rebellion was soon crushed and its leaders, including Lenin, were sent into exile. Lenin remained in exile until 1917. The tsar, Nicholas II, who had come to the throne in 1894, promised the people more civil rights, but this promise was soon broken.

When World War I started, life for most people in Russia went from bad to worse. The railways no longer carried food, fuel and supplies to the cities. The economy almost collapsed and people went hungry. In March 1917, riots broke out again. This time the troops joined the rioters Nicholas abdicated and his advisers resigned.

A new government was set up, led by Alexander Kerensky, but unrest continued. The Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, planned a take-over. In November they attacked the Winter Palace in St Petersburg and seized power (an event known as the October Revolution, because Russia used a different calendar at that time). The Bolsheviks moved the capital to Moscow and made peace with Germany. They broke up large estates and gave the land to the peasants, while workers took control of the factories. In 1918, civil war broke out between the Bolshevik Red Army and anti-Communist White Russians. This ended in victory for the Bolsheviks in 1921. The following year, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was formed. Lenin died in 1924, and was succeeded by Joseph Stalin. Stalin’s rule was tyrannical. He had millions of people killed or sent to prison camps, where they died. 

LENIN

Vladimir Llyich Ulyanov (1870-1924) used the name Lenin. He led the Bolsheviks from 1898, but was exiled from 1905 to 1917. On his return, the Bolsheviks seized power and he became Russia’s new leader.