What Was the Bolshevik Revolution?
The Bolshevik Revolution refers to the second revolution that occurred in Russia in October 1917 led by Lenin and the Bolshevik party. The revolution took place on Oct. 25, 1917, and involved Bolshevik troops seizing key locations in the Russian capital of Petrograd from the provisional government.
The revolution was complete by Oct. 26, 1917, when the Prime Minister of the provisional government, Alexander Kerensky, fled the Winter Palace and Bolshevik troops seized control. Upon seizing power, Lenin declared that Russia would pull out of World War I and also implement policies that ended private land ownership. Forces also seized factories from their owners and placed them under direct control of their workers.
The Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 followed an earlier revolution that took place on Feb. 23, 1917. The February 1917 revolution started as a worker’s protest led by 90,000 women workers from various Petrograd factories. The scale of the protests grew larger over the following days until the shutdown of the city of Petrograd on February 25. The revolution caused Czar Nicholas II, who had been ruler of Russia, to abdicate from his throne on March 2, 1917. Between the February 1917 revolution and the Bolshevik Revolution, a provisional government made up of former Duma members ran Russia.
