-
The February Revolution of 1917 was an uprising in Petrograd, sparked by food shortages and WWI hardships, which led to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II. Protests, initially led by women and workers, were joined by mutinous soldiers. Resulting in the collapse of the Romanov Dynasty. A provisional goverment was formed which shared power with the Petrograd Soviet. -
The October Revolution was a Bolshevik led uprising in Russia on October 1917 that overthrew the Provisional Government and brought Vladimir Lenin to power. Led by the Bolsheviks, armed workers and soliders seized key locations in Petrograd and stormed the Winter Palace, ending the Provisional Government's rule and establishing a socialist government based on soviet councils. -
The Russian Civil War was fought between the Reds (Bolsheviks) and the Whites (anti-Bolsheviks) after the 1917 Revolution. The Reds, led by Lenin and Leon Trotsky, aimed to defend their new government, while the Whites wanted to restore the old order. The war spread across Russia, causing massive destruction and millions of deaths. The Red Army eventually triumphed, securing Bolshevik control over most of the former Russian Empire. This victory paved the way for the formation of the USSR.
-
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty that ended Russia's participation
in WWI, signed by the New Bolshevik government with Central Powers. Forced by
the threat of a German advance, Russia was compelled to cede vast territories,
including Finland, Ukraine, and Poland, losing about a third of its population and
significant resources . This harsh agreement was necessary move for the
Bolsheviks to consolidate power amid the Russian Civil war, however it fueled more conflict in the future. -
The USSR was officially formed on December 30, 1922, after the Bolsheviks won the Civil War. It united Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and the Transcaucasian Republic under a single communist government. The USSR was based on Lenin’s idea of a federation of equal socialist republics, though Moscow held most of the power. Its creation helped restore stability and rebuild the economy after years of conflict. This event marked the beginning of the Soviet Union and its rise as a major world power. -
Vladimir Lenin, leader of the Bolshevik Revolution, died on January 21, 1924, after suffering several strokes. His death created a power struggle within the Communist Party. In his final writings, Lenin warned against Stalin’s increasing power, but his advice was ignored. Stalin quickly quickly began consolidating control. Lenin’s body was embalmed and placed in Red Square, becoming a lasting symbol of Soviet ideology. -
Stalin rose to power in 1928 after a long struggle following Lenin’s death. He outmaneuvered his rivals, Trotsky, Zinoviev, and Kamenev through political alliances and fear tactics in the Communist Party. Using his role as General Secretary, Stalin placed loyal supporters in key positions across the government. Once in control, he launched the First Five-Year Plan and collectivisation to industrialise the USSR. His rise was the start of a totalitarian regime that would dominate life for decades.
-
The Nazi-Soviet Pact was signed between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Officially a non-aggression agreement, it included a secret protocol to divide Eastern Europe between the two powers. The pact allowed Germany to invade Poland without fear of Soviet intervention, triggering World War II. For the USSR, it provided time to strengthen its military before facing conflict with Germany. The agreement ended in June 1941, when Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, invading the Soviet Union. -
Joseph Stalin died on March 5, 1953 after suffering a stroke. His death ended nearly three decades of totalitarian rule over the Soviet Union. The event triggered a power struggle among top Soviet leaders to succeed him. Stalin’s death eventually led to de-Stalinization under Nikita Khrushchev, reducing political repression. It marked the beginning of a new era in Soviet politics and governance.