The Russian revolution of 1917 saw the overthrow of the tsarist autocracy in February and the seizure of power by the Bolshevik party in October.The Bolsheviks proceeded to establish the world’s first Communist state on a territory covering one-sixth of the globe. A series of events and ideas led to the October revolution, each significant in its own capacity.
The abolition of serfdom in 1861, under Alexander II, and the reforms which followed were a ‘watershed’, ‘a turning point’ in the history of Russia. After being soundly defeated in the Crimean War (1853-56), Russia was fully exposed to her backwardness in all fields- military, economic, social and administrative. The reforms under Alexander II, an aftermath of the war were undertaken to air the grievances of different sections of society. During the late 1860s and 70s, a more assertive public opinion was emerging with recurrent outbreaks of student protest and formation of a small but dynamic underground revolutionary movement, which pressurized the government for more changes. …show more content…
However, more recent scholars, many of them inspired by Marxist theory, stress the indigenous radicalism of the working classes. According to their view, in the course of the revolutionary struggle the workers acquired class consciousness and came to support the Bolshevik Party because that party represented their well understood interests. It is evident that in the course of 1917 the working classes came to be radicalized as a result of the deteriorating economy. The October events, therefore, should be regarded as a genuine proletarian