Russian Revolution Essay

Russia entered the 20th century as an oppressed tsarist state and the last of the Medieval European strongholds. The people were poor, starving and hopeless and, unlike the rest of Europe, had not experienced revolution. Eventually, however, a small group of revolutionaries emerged and overthrew the tsarist regime. Russia quickly devolved into anarchy and the resulting turmoil saw the rise of the Bolshevik Party and Vladimir Lenin. This was the beginning of the Russian Revolution, a prolonged event that deeply impacted Russia and the whole of Europe and the effects of which continue to be felt today.
As the tsarist regime fell, Lenin and the Bolshevik Party entered Russia. They operated on a Marxist platform and operated quickly to “develop Russia in such a way as to spread social revolution throughout Europe and eventually the world.” Though their opponents were also Marxist the Bolsheviks were the most militant, least tolerant and most revolutionary. After toppling the remaining dictatorial powers during the October Revolution the Bolsheviks created multiple Soviets and disclosed all the secrets of the tsars, including the treatises that had been made with other countries. All of this was done in an effort to expose the corruption of the capitalist countries and the old regime. What the party did not count on, however, was how their actions would impact the rest of Europe and how other nations would respond.
After the Bolsheviks revealed the corruption of Old Russia international opposition to the party increased. By the end of World War I more than twenty countries supported a Russian counter-revolution designed to stop the Bolshevik s. Yet, the internal opposition was more furious and soon a civil war broke out between th...

... middle of paper ...

...eeded in putting communism on the political map of the world. Governments across Europe and Latin America emulated Stalin and instituted their own brands of communism within their respective countries. Yet, what was to be the permanent revolution, has infected and affected the world for almost an entire century. Every year since 1917 has seen people in revolt. Economics, austerity, and political corruption have been the common causes of popular uprisings across the world, and whether the revolutions have been peaceful or violent, the result has nearly always been a change in the political structure and the redrawing of boundary lines. The continued presence of Russian-backed revolutions combined with the cries of the European people for independence and security reflect the ongoing influence of the Russian Revolution on the whole of Europe and, possibly, the world.