Centuries of rule under the czars, or emperors, in Russia came to an end with the Russian Revolution of 1917. The revolution occurred in two stages over a period of eight months. The events of the period brought drastic changes for the Russian people and eventually a new government that was just as harsh as that of the czars.

Background

Russia had suffered greatly under the rule of the czars. Peasants, or poor farmers, in particular had few rights and lived in poverty. Various groups had attempted to bring about reform since the early 1800s, but few changes had been made. The people still had little say in the government of the country. After an uprising in 1905 Czar Nicholas II created a legislative body called the Duma. However, the czar still held a great deal of power. He dissolved several sessions of the Duma when its members called for reform.

February 1917

During World War I (1914–18) the Russian army suffered terrible losses against the Germans. The war also hurt the Russian economy. During the severe winter of 1916–17, the major cities suffered shortages of food and fuel. The people were angry about this and about the way the government handled the war. Finally, in early 1917, protests over these conditions turned into large demonstrations and rioting in the capital city of Petrograd (now St. Petersburg). At the time, there were two different calendars in use. According to the calendar the Russians used, the rioting started in February. According to the calendar used by Western countries, the month was March.When the army joined the demonstrators instead of stopping them, Czar Nicholas II was forced to step down.

After the czar stepped down, a committee of the Duma appointed a provisional, or temporary, government. Between March and October the government was reorganized four times. However, it was unable to handle the problems troubling the country. The government also faced a challenge from a soviet, or council, called the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies. The Petrograd soviet challenged the authority of the government.

Rise of the Bolsheviks

Soon soviets were organized in other cities and towns based on the model of the Petrograd Soviet. As the provisional government's power grew weaker, the soviets' power increased. Within the soviets, several different political parties fought for control. Eventually the Bolsheviks, led by the revolutionary Vladimir Lenin, gained the greatest influence. The Bolshevik slogan of “peace, land, and bread” was popular with hungry workers in the city and with the soldiers.

October 1917

In October 1917 (November according to the Western calendar) the Bolsheviks took over the government with very little bloodshed. Soon the Bolsheviks had installed their own general as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

A meeting of all the soviets took place in Petrograd at the same time. It approved the formation of a new government composed mainly of Bolshevik leaders and led by Lenin. The Bolsheviks ended all private ownership of land and took over all property that belonged to the czar's family and the church. They also instituted an eight-hour workday and gave factory workers more control over their work.

Civil War

Meanwhile, Lenin held talks with Germany in order to end Russian participation in World War I. The two countries signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in early 1918. Many in Russia were unhappy with the treaty because the Bolsheviks had agreed to give up land to the Germans. This was one cause of a civil war that soon broke out between the Bolsheviks, who had changed their name to the Russian Communist party, and their opponents. During the war the Bolsheviks executed the czar and his family. The Bolsheviks eventually won the war and established the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1922.