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Battle of Tannenberg (August 1914)
The Battle of Tannenberg was fought between Russia and Germany. The battle resulted in a German victory over the Russians. -
The death of Rasputin (December 1916)
On the night of December 29, 1916, Rasputin was lured into Moika Palace in St. Petersburg. He was first given food and wine laced with cyanide, but when Rasputin seemingly failed to respond to the poison, he was shot at close range and was left for for dead. -
The Bolshevik takeover in November
In 1917, Bolsheviks seized power in Petrograd, leading to the Russian civil war and the establishment of the Soviet Union in 1922. -
Lenin’s return from exile (April 1917)
In 1917, Vladimir Lenin, leader of the Bolshevik Party, returned to Petrograd after a decade of exile to lead the Russian Revolution. -
The March Revolution/ end of the monarchy (March 1917)
The monarchy was overthrown and replaced by the Provisional Government. -
The establishment of the provisional government under Kerensky (March 1917)
In March 1917, amidst the chaos of the Russian Revolution, the Provisional Government, led by Alexander Kerensky, emerged as a temporary authority following the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, aiming to transition Russia towards democracy and address the grievances of the populace. -
Russian Civil War Starts (November 1917)
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war ensued in the former Russian Empire, with various factions competing to determine Russia's political future. -
Assassination of the Romanov family (July 1918)
The Romanov family's murder was rooted in Nicholas' reign, a strict autocrat who inherited a restless Russia. His reign was marked by a stampede, growing discontent, and struggles to maintain a civil relationship with the Duma. -
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (March 1918)
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, at Brest-Litovsk between the Russian SFSR and the Central Powers, marking Russia's exit from World War I. -
Lenin’s establishment of the Comintern (March 1919)
In 1919, Lenin established the Third International in Moscow, consisting of representatives from over 50 communist parties. The Russian Communist Party played a dominant role, aiming to replace the world capitalist economy with a world system of communism through force and violence. -
Lenin’s New Economic Policy (march 1921)
The New Economic Policy (NEP) was introduced by Lenin and the Soviet government in 1921 to provide "breathing space" for Russia's depleted economy. It relaxed restrictions and allowed capitalist activity in lower levels, allowing Russian farmers to buy and sell at market. The NEP caused ideological tension and divisions within the Communist Party. -
Reds win Civil War (1922)
The Red Army swept east, eliminating White Russian forces, and seized Vladivostok in October 1922, ending the Russian Civil War. They continued suppressing revolts against Bolshevik rule. -
Lenin’s death (1924)
Vladimir Lenin, the founder of the Bolshevik Revolution and the first leader of the Soviet Union, passed away at the age of 54 due to a brain hemorrhage. -
Stalin’s first Five-Year Plan (1928)
Stalin's 1928 Five-Year Plan aimed to collectivize agriculture and expand heavy industry, including fuel extraction, energy generation, and steel production. -
Trotsky flees to Mexico (1929)
After Lenin's death in 1924, Trotsky was outmaneuvered by Joseph Stalin and his allies and lost his positions: he was expelled from the Politburo in 1926 and from the party in 1927, internally exiled to Alma Ata in 1928, and deported in 1929. He lived in Turkey, France, and Norway before settling in Mexico in 1937. -
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The Great Purge (1936-1938)
The Great Purge, a brutal Soviet political campaign led by Joseph Stalin, resulted in the execution of at least 750,000 Communist Party members and forced labor in Gulags, causing widespread terror and lasting impact on the Soviet Union.