8.3 The Russian Revolution and Its Effects

Short version: the Russian Revolution was a two-stage collapse of tsarist rule in 1917 that replaced imperial Russia with a Bolshevik (communist) regime and then led to civil war and major social/economic change. What happened, step-by-step: - Long-term problems (autocracy, inequality, slow industrialization, land hunger) worsened by WWI. - February/March 1917: mass protests and mutinies forced Nicholas II to abdicate. A Provisional Government (led by Alexander Kerensky) shared power uneasily with the Petrograd Soviet (workers’ and soldiers’ council). - October/November 1917: the Bolsheviks under Vladimir Lenin seized power in a planned takeover (the October Revolution), promising “peace, land, bread.” - 1918–1921: civil war between Red Army (Bolsheviks, led by Trotsky) and White forces; foreign intervention; Bolsheviks won. Treaty of Brest-Litovsk ended Russia’s WWI involvement. - Economic policy: War Communism centralized the economy; after crises (including Kronstadt Mutiny) Lenin introduced the New Economic Policy (NEP) and used the Cheka for political control. For AP: focus on causes → revolutionary takeover → civil war → effects (new Marxist-Leninist state, withdrawal from WWI, economic shifts like NEP). Use the Topic 8.3 study guide for review (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-8/russian-revolution-effects/study-guide/NLQ5ffQbY6V7jTD9nB7F), the unit overview (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-8) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history) to prep for DBQs/LEQs on causes and effects.

World War I made the Russian Revolution happen by exploding existing problems and creating immediate pressures for change. Russia entered the war with political stagnation, huge social inequality, slow industrialization, and land/food issues. Military defeats, huge casualties, and supply breakdowns (especially in 1915–1917) undermined faith in the tsar and led to protests in Petrograd. That crisis triggered the February/March Revolution of 1917, the formation of the Petrograd Soviet, and the collapse of the tsarist regime. Continued war pressure and the Provisional Government’s decision to stay in WWI let Lenin and the Bolsheviks win support by promising “peace, land, and bread,” paving the October/November 1917 Bolshevik takeover, Brest-Litovsk, and civil war. For AP purposes, tie this to KC-4.2.I.A–C and use context, evidence, and causation when you explain causes/effects on the exam. Review Topic 8.3 on Fiveable (study guide: https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-8/russian-revolution-effects/study-guide/NLQ5ffQbY6V7jTD9nB7F) and try practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

The February Revolution (March 1917 in the Gregorian calendar) was a spontaneous uprising in Petrograd driven by WWI hardship, food shortages, and long-term political stagnation. It forced the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and produced a dual power situation: the liberal Provisional Government (led by Alexander Kerensky) and the revived Petrograd Soviet of workers/soldiers. The October Revolution (November 1917 Gregorian) was a planned Bolshevik seizure of power led by Vladimir Lenin and backed by the Bolshevik-controlled Soviets (and leaders like Leon Trotsky). It overthrew the Provisional Government, established a Marxist-Leninist regime, and led to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, the Russian Civil War (Red vs. White), War Communism, and later the NEP. For AP review, focus on causes (WWI + inequality), actors (Bolsheviks, Soviets, Kerensky), and effects (civil war, communist state). See the Topic 8.3 study guide for details (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-8/russian-revolution-effects/study-guide/NLQ5ffQbY6V7jTD9nB7F) and unit overview (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-8). For practice, try the AP-style questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

The Bolsheviks were a radical Marxist party led by Vladimir Lenin (with key organizers like Leon Trotsky). They believed a tightly organized vanguard should lead a socialist revolution and establish a Marxist-Leninist state. Russia’s collapse in World War I, the February Revolution that toppled the tsar, and the weak Provisional Government (which kept Russia in the war, failed on land reform and food shortages) created mass anger. The Bolsheviks used soviets—especially the Petrograd Soviet—and promises of “Peace, Land, Bread” to gain support from soldiers, workers, and peasants. In October 1917 they seized key cities and government centers, claiming to transfer power to the soviets. Their takeover led to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, a protracted Russian Civil War (Red vs. White), War Communism, the Cheka, and later Lenin’s NEP compromise. For AP review, focus on causes → takeover → effects per Topic 8.3 (see the Fiveable study guide: https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-8/russian-revolution-effects/study-guide/NLQ5ffQbY6V7jTD9nB7F and practice Qs: https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

Lenin got power through a mix of careful planning, crisis, and force. He returned to Russia in April 1917, pushed the Bolshevik line with the April Theses (peace, land, bread), and built support inside Petrograd Soviets and among soldiers and workers (KC-4.2.I.B). The weak Provisional Government led by Kerensky lost legitimacy after continuing WWI, food shortages, and the Kornilov affair. In October/November 1917 Bolshevik-led Red Guards and sympathetic soviets carried out an armed insurrection that toppled the Provisional Government; Trotsky organized the takeover and the Soviets provided political cover. That takeover led to civil war (Red vs. White), foreign intervention, and later Lenin’s compromises like War Communism and the New Economic Policy (KC-4.2.I, I.C, I.D.i). For a focused review, see the Topic 8.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-8/russian-revolution-effects/study-guide/NLQ5ffQbY6V7jTD9nB7F). Practice AP-style questions are at (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

The Provisional Government was the temporary, non-Bolshevik government set up after the February/March 1917 abdication of Tsar Nicholas II. Led first by liberals and then by Alexander Kerensky, it tried to run Russia while elections were planned. It failed because it had no broad legitimacy, shared power with the Petrograd Soviet ("dual power"), and kept Russia in World War I—which worsened food shortages, inflation, and military collapse (CED KC-4.2.I.A & B). Its weak reforms on land and the economy disappointed peasants and workers, while crises like the Kornilov affair made Kerensky look ineffective. Lenin and the Bolsheviks used slogans (“Peace, Land, Bread”) and revived the Soviets to undermine the Provisional Government and prepare the October takeover (CED KC-4.2.I.B). For AP review, connect causes (war, social inequality, political stagnation) to effects (Bolshevik regime, civil war); see the Topic 8.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-8/russian-revolution-effects/study-guide/NLQ5ffQbY6V7jTD9nB7F) and try practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

The Russian Civil War (1918–1921) was mainly Bolshevik "Reds" vs. the anti-Bolshevik "Whites." The Reds (Bolsheviks, led politically by Lenin and militarily organized by Trotsky into the Red Army) wanted to defend the October Revolution and build a Marxist-Leninist state. The Whites were a loose mix—monarchists, liberals, moderate socialists, and regional nationalists—who opposed Bolshevik rule for different reasons (restore order, reverse socialization, or stop central control). Foreign powers (Britain, France, Japan, U.S.) intervened on the Whites’ side to try to revive the Eastern Front in WWI or limit Bolshevik influence. The war’s brutality led Bolshevik policies like War Communism, the Cheka’s repression, and later the NEP compromise. This topic maps to KC-4.2.I.C and often shows up on AP short answers/essays—review the Topic 8.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-8/russian-revolution-effects/study-guide/NLQ5ffQbY6V7jTD9nB7F) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

Lenin’s New Economic Policy (NEP, 1921) was a temporary retreat from “pure” communism to revive a shattered economy after World War I and the Russian Civil War. Under War Communism the state had nationalized industry and requisitioned grain, causing famine, uprisings (like Kronstadt), and industrial collapse. The NEP reintroduced limited market mechanisms: small businesses and retail trade could be private, peasants could sell surplus grain on the open market, while the state kept control of “commanding heights” (heavy industry, banking, and foreign trade). Lenin abandoned pure communism because economic collapse and political instability threatened Bolshevik rule; the NEP aimed to restore food production and industrial output while keeping overall state control (CED KC-4.2.I.D.i). For the AP exam, know NEP’s features and effects (War Communism → NEP → later Stalinization) and review the Topic 8.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-8/russian-revolution-effects/study-guide/NLQ5ffQbY6V7jTD9nB7F). For more unit review or practice questions, see Unit 8 (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-8) and practice problems (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

The Petrograd Soviet helped cause the revolution by acting as a parallel center of authority that undercut the Provisional Government. After the February Revolution it embodied "dual power": the Provisional Government claimed formal rule, while the Soviet—made up of workers’ deputies and soldiers—controlled factories, troops, and street power. Its Order No. 1 weakened officers’ authority, encouraged soldiers to follow elected committees, and made the government dependent on Soviet consent. The Soviet spread radical demands (peace, land, food) and gave a platform for Bolshevik leaders like Lenin and Trotsky to push “all power to the Soviets,” setting the stage for the October takeover. This dynamic is central to the CED’s KC-4.2.I.B explanation of how worker and military insurrections and revived Soviets undermined the Provisional Government. For more review, see the Topic 8.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-8/russian-revolution-effects/study-guide/NLQ5ffQbY6V7jTD9nB7F) and practice problems (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

Before 1917 Russia had several deep, long-term problems that made revolution likely. Politically it was stagnant: an autocratic tsarist regime with limited reform and weak institutions. Socially there was huge inequality—a tiny nobility and urban elite vs. millions of poor peasants and growing but still small industrial working class. Economically Russia had incomplete industrialization: pockets of factories and railroads but weak infrastructure and low urbanization. Land and food distribution was unjust—most peasants had small plots, insecure tenure, and periodic famines. National minorities and a weak middle class added to instability. These issues were worsened (but not created) by World War I, which strained the military, caused food shortages, and increased support for revolutionary change (CED KC-4.2.I.A). For quick review use the Topic 8.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-8/russian-revolution-effects/study-guide/NLQ5ffQbY6V7jTD9nB7F) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history) to prep DBQ/LEQ evidence.

Start with a clear thesis that answers "why" the revolution happened (e.g., long-term structural problems made Russia vulnerable, and WWI was the immediate catalyst). In your intro add contextualization: tsarist political stagnation, social inequality, incomplete industrialization, and land/food distribution problems (CED KC-4.2.I.A). Plan body paragraphs that each connect document evidence to those causes: 1) political failures (autocracy, Provisional Government weakness), 2) social/economic grievances (peasants, workers, food shortages), 3) WWI stresses (military defeats, casualties), 4) role of Soviets and Bolsheviks (worker/military insurrections, Petrograd Soviet). For the DBQ specifically (60 minutes, 15-minute reading): craft a defensible thesis, use at least 4 documents to support your line of reasoning, include one piece of outside evidence (e.g., Kornilov Affair, Kerensky, Treaty of Brest-Litovsk), and source at least two documents (POV/purpose/audience). End with a short synthesis or complexity (multiple causes interacting, Lenin exploiting conditions). For a focused study guide and practice DBQs, see the Topic 8.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-8/russian-revolution-effects/study-guide/NLQ5ffQbY6V7jTD9nB7F) and Unit 8 overview (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-8). For more timed practice, use Fiveable’s practice problems (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

The Russian Revolution transformed Russia and reshaped the world. Domestically it ended the Romanov monarchy, replaced the Provisional Government (February/March, Petrograd Soviet) with a Marxist-Leninist regime after the Bolshevik takeover (October), and sparked a brutal civil war (Red vs. White, Trotsky, foreign intervention). Economically the state moved from War Communism to Lenin’s New Economic Policy (NEP), centralizing power, creating the Cheka secret police, and repressing dissent (Kronstadt Mutiny shows limits). Internationally it pulled Russia out of WWI (Treaty of Brest-Litovsk), inspired communist movements worldwide, challenged liberal and colonial orders, and set the stage for a Soviet state that later became a global rival—a key long-term cause of 20th-century ideological conflict. For AP use, link these effects to CED keywords (Bolsheviks, Lenin, NEP, Cheka) in short-answer or essay responses; see the Topic 8.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-8/russian-revolution-effects/study-guide/NLQ5ffQbY6V7jTD9nB7F) and more unit review (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-8). Practice questions available at (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

Foreign powers intervened in the Russian Civil War for a mix of ideological, strategic, and practical reasons. Politically and ideologically, Britain, France, the U.S., and others feared the spread of Marxist-Leninist revolution and wanted to support anti-Bolshevik (White) forces. Strategically, Allied states wanted to protect huge stockpiles of war supplies in Russian ports and keep lines open to the Eastern Front after Russia exited WWI via the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Some interventions aimed to rescue the Czech Legion or to prevent German access to resources and territory. Economically and diplomatically, countries hoped a non-Bolshevik government would honor prewar debts and preserve trade links. Finally, interventions reflected great-power rivalries—states tried to shape postwar Eastern Europe and limit Bolshevik consolidation under Lenin and the Red Army. For a focused CED-aligned review, check the Topic 8.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-8/russian-revolution-effects/study-guide/NLQ5ffQbY6V7jTD9nB7F) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

Short answer: partly—with big trade-offs. Why: the Bolsheviks did create a Marxist-Leninist regime that aimed to help workers and peasants (CED: Bolsheviks, Lenin, Petrograd Soviet). Early successes: land was redistributed from landlords to peasants after 1917 and workers had soviets and some control in factories. But the Civil War and War Communism (CED: War Communism, Cheka) brought requisitions, famine, and repression that hurt peasants and urban workers. Lenin’s New Economic Policy (NEP) reversed strict communist economics to revive food and industry, showing compromise but also inequality. Under Stalin later, collectivization and dekulakization targeted wealthier peasants and caused mass famine (kulaks, collectivization, Kronstadt mutiny as a warning about dissent). So you can argue the revolution improved political power for workers/peasants in theory, but economic outcomes and human costs were often disastrous. For AP evidence, use War Communism, NEP, collectivization, and Civil War examples (see the Topic 8.3 study guide for quick review: https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-8/russian-revolution-effects/study-guide/NLQ5ffQbY6V7jTD9nB7F). For practice questions, try Fiveable’s AP practice bank (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).

Short answer: The Russian Revolution created communism in practice by replacing the old regime with a Marxist-Leninist state. WWI made tsarist political stagnation, social inequality, food/land problems, and worker unrest explode (CED KC-4.2.I.A). The February Revolution toppled the tsar and set up a weak Provisional Government while revived Soviets (workers’ councils) grew. Military and worker insurrections—led by the Bolsheviks under Lenin—overthrew the Provisional Government in October and claimed power (KC-4.2.I.B). The Bolsheviks then fought a civil war (Red Army vs. White Army) and used institutions like the Cheka to consolidate control (KC-4.2.I.C). Economically, Lenin first used War Communism, then reluctantly shifted to the New Economic Policy to stabilize the economy (KC-4.2.I.D.i). That sequence—Bolshevik seizure, civil-war monopoly on force, and state control of major resources—turned revolutionary ideology into a centralized communist regime. For more review, see the Topic 8.3 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-8/russian-revolution-effects/study-guide/NLQ5ffQbY6V7jTD9nB7F) and Unit 8 overview (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-european-history/unit-8). Practice questions: (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-european-history).