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The Bolshevik Revolution - The First World War - 1917

The Bolshevik Revolution overthrew the Provisional Government that had been set up following the deposition of Tsar Nicholas II. The Bolshevik's, led by Vladimir Illyich Lenin, reacted to the continued mood of despair within Russia and saw an opportunity to seize control of the country in one swift, and brutal move.

The Bolsheviks had been growing in power for some time. In both Moscow and St. Petersburg they were increasingly influential within the Soviets that had been established by the more militant workers. The armed forces, still at war despite the overthrowing of the Tsar, were eager to end the misery of the conflict and many soldiers looked to groups such as the Bolsheviks to end Russian involvement within the war.

Bolshevism appealed to the poorer classes of Russian society, in particular the Industrial workers and the lower ranking members of the military. They believed, generally speaking, in the works of Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, and vowed to redistribute wealth away from the aristocracy to the proletariat (lower classes).

Confident of success, the Bolsheviks created a plan to overthrow the provisional government. In St. Petersburg members of the Bolshevik movement stormed the Winter Palace with support from disgruntled soldiers and sailors. The seat of power fell with amazing speed. The Bolsheviks quickly consolidated their successes in St. Petersburg and soon had secured Moscow and many other important seats of regional power.

For the next 4 years the Bolshevik movement struggled to take control of the entire country as their opponents, known as the White's, fought a bitter Civil War for control of the nation. The Bolshevik, Red, army, was successful in defeating their opponents. The Civil War ended in the early 1920's, with the Bolsheviks having now taken a firm grip on Russia (now named the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics). This being achieved despite Allied attempts to support the opponents of the Bolsheviks (British troops were sent to Archangel to fight alongside the White Army).

The consequences of the Bolshevik Revolution with regards the war could have been quite disastrous. The Germans were able to quickly negotiate a cessation of hostilities with the new Bolshevik government, thus releasing troops from the Eastern Front for the Spring offensive of 1918. (Troops weren't moved instantly as the formal peace between Russia and Germany wasn't made until the Bolsheviks were secure in their control of Western Russia).