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Marxists revolutionaries disagree over revolutionary tactics. The more radical Bolsheviks are ready to risk everything. The charismatic Vladimir Lenin becomes the leader.
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Japan retaliated by attacking the Russians at Port Arthur, Manchuria.
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200,000 workers and their families approached the Czar's Winter
Palace in St. Petersburg. They were asking for more personal freedom, better working conditions, and elected National Legistlature. -
Russia's first parliament (DUMA) met. Its leaders were moderates who wanted Russia to become a constitution monarchy.
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Nicholas II made the fatefull decision to drag Russia into WWI. Russia was unprepared to handel the military and economic costs.
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Women textile workers in Petrograd led a citywide strike. In the next five people rioted chanting “down with autocracy!” and “down with the war” because of shortages of bread and fuel.
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Armed factory workers stormed the winter palace in Petrograd. They called themselves the Bolshevik Red Guards, they took over government offices and arrested leaders of provisional government.
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Russia and Germany signed the treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Russia surrendered a large part of its territory to Germany and its allies, angered many Russians who now objected the Red Guards and the murder of the royal family.
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Civil War raged in Russia. Several western nations, including the U.S., sent military aid and forces to Russia to help the white army.
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Lenin temporarily put aside his plan for a state controlled economy. Resorted to a small scale version of capitalism called N.E.P. which allowed peasants to sell surplus instead of giving to the government, let small factories, businesses, and farms operate under private ownership.
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Russia was named Union of Soviet Socialist Republic in honor of the councils that helped launch the Bolshevik revolution.
