Russian Revolution of 1917 has greatly influenced the world. Its causes are discussed below.

Autocracy of Tsars: 

Russia was ruled by emperors known as Tsars. They were despots. Farmers and factory workers in Russia led a tragic life under the autocracy of the Tsarist emperors.

Economic causes: 

The low agricultural production affected the farmer’s income. Moreover, the landless farmers had to pay huge tax. Though Russia was rich in natural resources, their industrial production was meagre.

Influence of thinkers and writers: Writers like Maxim Gorky and Leo Tolstoy depicted the plight of the workers and farmers in their works. The Marxist ideologies formulated by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels stirred the workers. They called for establishing the supremacy of the workers instead of that by the capitalists.

Social Democratic Party: 

Trade unions were formed to find remedies for the plight of the workers. Based on the Marxist ideologies, the Social Democratic Workers Party was formed. Later this party was split into the Mensheviks and the Bolsheviks. The main leaders of the Bolsheviks were Lenin and Trotsky. Alexander Kerensky led the Mensheviks.

Rousseau – Japanese war: 

The crisis reached its worst when Russia was defeated in the Russia- Japan war in 1905. The workers organized a huge march at Petrograd on 9 January 1905 demanding political rights and economic reforms. The march was fired at by the soldiers and hundreds of demonstrators were massacred. This event is known as the Bloody Sunday. Workers’ organizations called ‘Soviets’ were formed all over Russia to conduct strikes.

February Revolution: 

When strikes gained strength, the emperor Tsar Nicholas II formed a legislative assembly called Duma’. When the First World War started in 1914, the Tsar decided to participate in it, ignoring the protests from Duma. A lot of Russian soldiers were killed in this war.

Food shortage became severe by 1917. In February 1917, workers and soldiers joined together and captured Petrograd. Tsar Nicholas II was thrown out of power. A provisional government was formed under Alexander Kerensky, the Menshevik leader. This event is known as Februaiy Revolution.

Lenin and Bolshevik Party: 

A group of Soviets did not approve the provisional government. Lenin, the leader of the Bolsheviks argued that the entire power should be transferred to the Soviets if they were to realize the aims of the revolution. The Bolsheviks and the Soviets supported him. They propagated that only a proletarians’ government could eradicate centuries old economic backwardness and inequality. They put forward demands like:

• Withdraw Russia from the First World War. 
• Seize the lands owned by the lords and distribute them to farmers. 
• Make factories public property.

October Revolution: 

In October 1917, the Bolsheviks started an armed rebellion against the provisional government. Kerensky fled from the country. Russia came under the control of the Bolsheviks. This event in which the Bolsheviks attained power is known as the October Revolution. A proletarians’ government came under the control of Lenin in Russia.