The Bolshevik Revolution occurred on 7 November 1917 (old calendar 25 October) and established a new republic: Soviet Russia. The Bolsheviks were radical socialists led by Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924), whose goal was a fairer society where workers and peasants were not exploited by wealthy capitalists. Following the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II (reign 1894-1917) on 2 March and the inability of the Provisional Government to deal with a series of crises through the summer of 1917, the Bolsheviks seized power by force, using the Red Guards militia. The Provisional Government was dissolved, and the tsar and his family were murdered. Workers were given more rights and peasants given their own land to work, Russia withdrew from WWI, and only one party was permitted – the Communist Party, as the Bolsheviks now called themselves.
More about: Bolshevik RevolutionDefinition
Timeline
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2 Mar 1917Tsar Nicholas II is obliged to abdicate.
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10 Oct 1917Vladimir Lenin returns to Russia from exile in Finland.
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Nov 1917Vladimir Lenin becomes the 'chairman' of a temporary Workers' and Peasants' Government.
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7 Nov 1917The Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. (O.S. 25 October)
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21 Nov 1917Vladimir Lenin issues Land and Peace decrees.
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Dec 1917Vladimir Lenin negotiates a ceasefire with Germany in WWI.
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Jan 1918Vladimir Lenin dissolves the Constituent Assembly.
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3 Mar 1918Germany and Russia sign the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which sets the conditions for Russia's withdrawal from the First World War.
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17 Jul 1918Tsar Nicholas II, his wife, and their five children are shot by Bolshevik revolutionaries.
