Russia

Though the Russian revolution goes back well beyond 1916, it was the tsar’s actions then that set the rest of events into place. At that point the duma was adjourned and the tsar then tried to rule alone, leaving all political parties quite upset. Soon in 1917 strikes erupted in Petrograd causing the government to return to the Duma, who then set up a provisional government. Two major political parties emerged as a result. The first group, the menesheviks, Socialist party, was willing to work with the temporary government. The other side of the social democratic party was the Bolsheviks led Vladimir Lennin. Lennin saw the formation of a new government as the Bolsheviks chance to take control. Eventually Leon Trotsky, the other leader of the Bolsheviks led a coup against the government, and began to rule the land of Russia. Elections were then held in November and even though the social revolutionaries won a large majority, the first day they met, they were dispersed by the Bolsheviks red army. By now the Bolsheviks had total control of Russia. They soon issued reforms turning it into a socialist state, nationalizing land, Property of the church being in the control of the state, and workers in charge of factories. They also removed Russia from the fighting in World War I. For the most part there was no opposition until 1921. Civil war erupted between Red Russians, the revolutionaries, and the White Russians, those who had opposed the revolution. The Army eventually won due to Leon Trotsky. The Bolsheviks had total control.