Russian Revolution
Two revolutions in 1917 — the February Revolution that overthrew Tsar Nicholas II and the October Revolution in which the Bolsheviks seized power — led to the Russian Civil War and the creation of the Soviet Union (1922).
Preceding Causes
Catastrophic military defeats and casualties in WWI, mass food shortages, Tsarist autocracy's failure to reform, Rasputin's destabilizing influence on the court, and revolutionary socialist and Marxist organizing among workers and soldiers.
Romanov Dynasty
The Romanovs ruled Russia for 304 years, continuing and accelerating its expansion into a vast empire, overseeing Westernization under Peter the Great, and ultimately collapsing in the 1917 Revolution.
World War I
The first industrialized global conflict, killing an estimated 15–22 million people (roughly 9–11 million military and 6–13 million civilian), and fundamentally redrawing the map of Europe and the Middle East.
Historical Consequences
Creation of the Soviet Union (1922), the world's first state founded on Marxist-Leninist ideology. Russian Civil War (1917-1922) killed millions. Spread of communist ideology globally. Laid the groundwork for Stalinist totalitarianism, the Cold War, and 20th-century ideological conflicts.