The Russian Revolution was one of the most notable events of the 20th century. The autocratic czars of Russia wielded enormous power and authority from their inception until their overthrow in 1917, after nearly nine centuries of unbroken rule (the Romanov dynasty did not coalesce until the early 17th century). Broadly speaking, the Revolution largely occurred in two phases: the February Revolution and the October Revolution.
On dating: at the time, in 1917, Russia still operated using the Julian calendar, while the rest of the world operated under the Gregorian calendar. Note that, as they both occurred late in the month, the two revolutions occurred in March and November, as far as the rest of the world was concerned.
By 'October', Russia had already experienced tremendous change. For three years, Russia had been a participant in the first World War, ally to Serbia and enemy of Germany and Austria. For years, tens of thousands of Russians had died in a war that had never been particularly popular amongst the citizens. Things got so bad, along with other factors at play, that the factory workers in Moscow began to organize and revolt. Organized by recently returned ex-patriot Vladimir Lenin, the newly christened Soviets and other left-wing factions worked together to overthrow the regime of the Czars and their allies in 'February' of that year. While a provisional government had risen to take over the daily operations of Russia, it was poorly led and beset by hardships and enemies. Further wartime tragedies eroded public confidence and paved the way for a second Revolution, the last one until the Soviet Union dissolved in 1992.
All of this went on, of course, while the Great War (World War I) still raged across Europe, with Russia still as a major participant. By this point, tens of thousands of soldiers had already died among Russia's forces, and Russia did not fare particularly well in its fight with the German and Austro-Hungarian forces. Though nominally a member of the Entente alongside Britain, the United States, and France, Russian participation, however dismal, critically kept much of the enemy forces occupied. The Entente panicked as the Eastern front began to collapse. Increasing amounts of military and financial aid were forwarded to Russia, and once the Russian Empire collapsed in the midst of revolution, most of this aid wound up in the hand of the so-called White Russians, the loyalist forces who supported the Russian Empire and traditional society in Russia. Standing apart were the Red Russians, a catch-all term for all of the opposing Russian forces in favor of revolution, which included the Bolsheviks. From the point of view of the Entente, it did not matter too much who rose to power in Russia, so long as Russia remained committed to the war.
This did not happen.
While control of the military largely fell in command under the White Russians, continued defeats by the Germans eroded popular will and support. The defeat of Minister of War Kerensky in June of 1917, played a huge role in the coming revolution. The Provisional Government he controlled failed to make progress of any sort in the war, Russia lost control of several cities, and perhaps as many as 60,000 casualties resulted from various blunders. When the October Revolution finally happened, it was led by the Bolsheviks, leading a population that had lost all faith in the government, while largely side-lining other political groups, such as the Mensheviks. In the aftermath of the Second Congress of Soviets, the Bolshehvik party lay in functional control of the government and most of the military.
The Bolsheviks faced opposition from the White forces from the start, but faced an insurmountable disadvantage; arguably half of all remaining Russian forces was in sole control of the Bolsheviks now, and under the ultimate authority of Lenin and his cohorts. The White Army, in the meanwhile, consisted of the various groups who banded together to oppose the Bolshevik forces. Their union, as it were, lacked true unity and cohesion, as well as clear communication between one another.
The collapse of the Russian army and the rise of Bolshevik control did lead to an end to the war with Germany. In 1918, the two parties signed the Brest-Litovsk Treaty, which formally ended the war as well as concessions to Germany. This was a huge victory for the Bolsheviks; the war was over and loyal forces could now be sent to fight the White Army in the civil war, and the terms of the treaty were never really fulfilled, with the defeat of Germany and Austro-Hungary shortly after. The treaty enjoyed a short life, during which Germany created several buffer states out of territory yielded from the treaty, all of which entered legal gray zones with Germany's defeat. During the Civil War, and for years after, the Soviet Union began reconquering lost territories, including and not limited to the present-day countries of Belarus, Lithuania, Ukraine, and Poland, to name a few.
The October Revolution set off a chain of events that had century-lasting impacts. The Russian Empire that had existed for five centuries died, virtually all of the supporters and administrators of the Romanov dynasty eliminated or fled. The communist theories of Karl Marx had taken root in one of the 'Major Powers' of the world, and threatened to spread to other countries. Other nationalist movements erupted in Eastern Europe but had been largely quashed by the Bolshevik-controlled Soviets, with the exception of Finland's successful establishment. Perhaps more concerning to everyone in the world, was the existence of a new Major Power with its own ideological faction, distinct from either of the major alliances of the Great War. This, however, would be further explored over the coming decades.
Information cited from Encyclopedia Britannica, opens a new window
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A Concise History of the Russian Revolution
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