Russian Revolution facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Russian Revolution |
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| Part of World War I and the Revolutions of 1917–23 | |||||||
 Soviets attacking the Tsar's police in the early days of the March Revolution |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Imperial Governmenta Provisional Government |
 Petrograd Soviet Bolsheviks Left Socialist-Revolutionaries |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Nicholas IIa Georgy Lvov Alexander Kerensky |
Vladimir Lenin Leon Trotsky Lev Kamenev |
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| Strength | |||||||
| Russian Army |
Red Guards: 200,000 |
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| a. Until 15 March 1917. | |||||||
The Russian Revolution was a major event in Russia in 1917. It was a series of big changes that ended the rule of the Tsar (the emperor of Russia). These events also led to the creation of the Soviet Union.
The first part of the revolution happened on March 8, 1917. In Russia, this date was recorded as February 28, 1917. This is because Russia used an older calendar called the Julian calendar. Most of the world used the Gregorian calendar, which we use today.
After this first revolution, called the February Revolution, Tsar Nicholas II was forced to give up his power. A temporary government took over. This government was meant to rule for a short time. It would stay in charge until the country became stable again.
The second part, the October Revolution, happened in October by the old calendar. A group called the Bolsheviks took control. They were Communists. They replaced the temporary government and created the Soviet Union. The royal family was put under house arrest. Later, they were killed. The term Red October is sometimes used to describe these events.
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Why the Russian Revolution Happened
During the 1890s, Russian factories grew. This created more jobs in cities. Many people moved to cities for work. These city workers started to learn more about politics. They wanted to form political parties to make their lives better. Their living and working conditions were very bad.
People from other parts of the Russian Empire, like Poland and Ukraine, also formed parties. They wanted to stop the Russians from treating them unfairly. All this made people very angry.
In 1905, the Tsar's guards shot at peaceful workers. This started a rebellion. It did not change much at first. But Tsar Nicholas promised to create an elected Parliament, called the Duma.
The Duma was first elected in March 1906. However, there were arguments about it. Some people wanted the Tsar to keep all his power. Others wanted ordinary people to have more say. Nicholas stopped the Duma from meeting three times. This made people even angrier because they could not speak out against him.
In 1914, Russia joined World War I. At first, people felt proud and united. But Russia had huge problems getting supplies for its soldiers. By 1915, many soldiers were sent to fight without guns. Communication was poor, and army officers argued a lot. This meant they did not plan well. Soldiers became very unhappy. Over 3 million Russians died in the war. The capital city, Saint Petersburg, was renamed Petrograd in 1914. The Tsar thought its old name sounded too German.
In 1915, the Tsar decided to lead the Russian Army himself. He moved to the army's headquarters. This was a mistake. He did not make things better. Instead, people started to blame him directly for the war's problems. Also, because he was away, his wife, Queen Alexandra, was left in charge of the government. The Duma tried to warn her that people were angry. But she ignored them. She even ignored a report from the secret police. The report said a revolution might happen if things did not get better for ordinary people.
The February Revolution Begins
The first revolution started with a series of worker strikes in early February 1917. People waiting in food lines in Petrograd began to protest. Thousands of women from fabric factories joined them. The strike quickly spread across the capital city. By February 25, most of Petrograd's factories had to close.
On the evening of February 25, Tsar Nicholas II sent a message to the army chief in Petrograd. He ordered the army to stop the strikes. The army chief tried, but the soldiers did not obey. Instead, they joined the workers. The police also joined the protests. The government's power completely fell apart.
On March 15, Tsar Nicholas gave up his throne. Control of Russia was given to a temporary government. This government was made up of socialists.
From February to October
After the February Revolution, the new temporary government faced challenges. A large group of workers in Petrograd, called the Petrograd Soviet, had a lot of power. The government's leader, Alexander Kerensky, tried to make things better. He allowed freedom of speech and let political prisoners go free. But people were still unhappy. There was not enough food. Wages went down. The country's debt grew very large.
Vladimir Lenin arrived in Petrograd in April 1917. He was a Communist. The temporary government was Socialist. Lenin had been sent away from Russia by the Tsar. But the new government allowed him to come back. He started to lead a Communist group called the Bolsheviks.
In July, the Bolsheviks held protests against the government for four days. The military attacked them. Lenin had to escape to Finland. He stayed there until August. Then, the Bolsheviks were asked to help defend the government. The army was trying to take over. This event made the Bolsheviks look better to the public. The government even gave them weapons.
The temporary government's reputation kept getting worse. The Bolsheviks' reputation improved. This was because they refused to work with the government unless both sides could agree on things.
The October Revolution
On October 10, the Bolshevik leaders voted to start a revolution. One began in Estonia on October 23. Another started in Petrograd two days later. This time, the revolution was mostly peaceful. The Bolsheviks' Red Army took over many government buildings without a fight. Only two people were killed. It ended when they took over the Tsar's old Winter Palace. This happened on the morning of October 26. The temporary government leaders were arrested.
The Soviets took power and formed a new government called the Congress. This began on October 25. Some members who were not Bolsheviks walked out of the first meetings. But this did not change much. Leon Trotsky, a Bolshevik leader, made fun of them as they left. He told them to go "where you belong... the dustbin of history!" Eventually, all parties that opposed the Bolsheviks were broken up. Their leaders were arrested.
The new Congress began to get rid of private property. This meant that all land and money would be owned by everyone, not by individuals. Control of factories was given to the workers who worked there.
What Happened Next
Before the revolution, several countries were part of the Russian Empire. These included Estonia and Ukraine. They had been asking for independence since February. When the new government formed, they declared their independence. The new government allowed it.
In Russia, the revolution faced big challenges. Countries that were not Communist and groups called the White Armies fought against the Bolsheviks. In July 1918, countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and France sent more than 15 armies to fight the Bolsheviks. The former Tsar and his family were killed. This was to stop them from being freed by the White Armies. To win the war, Lenin started a plan to send food and supplies to the Communist Army. The plan worked. The Bolsheviks won the war. But because of the lack of food, between 3 and 10 million people died from hunger.
The Third Russian Revolution was a fight against both the Bolsheviks and the White Army. It was led by anarchists, who wanted no government at all. It lasted from 1918 to 1922.
Some European countries officially recognized the Soviet Union as a proper country in the early 1920s. The United States did not recognize it until 1933.
Related pages
Images for kids
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Soldiers blocking Narva Gate on Bloody Sunday
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Provisional Government's volunteer soldiers secure Petrograd's Palace Square with the Austin Armoured Car, summer 1917
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Russian troops in trenches awaiting a German attack
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Revolutionaries protesting in February 1917
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Soldiers marching in Petrograd, March 1917
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Russian troops meeting German troops in No Man's Land
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Meeting before the Russian wire entanglements
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Revolutionaries attacking the tsarist police in the early days of the February Revolution.
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A revolutionary meeting of Russian soldiers in March 1917 in Dalkarby of Jomala, Åland
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American, British, and Japanese Troops parade through Vladivostok in armed support to the White Army
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Execution of the Romanov family, Le Petit Journal
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Soviet painting Vladimir Lenin, by Isaac Brodsky.
See also
In Spanish: Revolución rusa para niños
