What does the word "soviet" mean? To begin, a soviet in Russian terms literally means an elected government council in a Communist nation. This is how the Soviet Union or Union of Soviet Social Republics (USSR) received its name.
The Russian Revolution, Decline of Russian Empire
In 1917 The Russian Revolution began. The kingdom of the czars and czarinas in Russian history came to an abrupt end. The people of Russia grew angry at the conditions they were forced to live in, standing in line for food and other basic necessities. They watched as the monarchy lived in luxury at their palaces, waited on hand and foot by servants. The situation was a powder keg waiting to blow.
Therefore, in February 1917, The Russian Revolution began with protests that erupted while citizens stood in line for food. The protests morphed into complete chaos, the police unable to get the people under control. At government headquarters, the Duma, the dynasty of the Romanov family, including Czar Nicholas, was denounced.
The Romanovs were demoted to house arrest and thrown out of power. In place, a provisional government replaced the former ruling czar family. This action signified that the once great Russian Empire had come to an end.
History of Russia, The Bolsheviks Rise to Power
A minority of Duma deputies declared themselves in power. This was the Provisional Government, led by Prince Lvov then Alexander Kerensky. However, the worker and soldier soviets disagreed with this government because they felt it did not represent the common people. A main soviet was formed and ruled alongside the existing power.
When Vladimir Lenin came out of exile in 1917, he returned to Russia with a new party called the Bolsheviks. Claiming a utopia of working class rights, Lenin and his party became immensely popular among the workers and ordinary citizens overall.
October Revolution 1917
In October 1917, Lenin led the Bolsheviks into The October Revolution. Based on Marxism and his own school of thought, Lenin used this ideology to launch the birth of Communism in Russia. By November 1917, Lenin and the Bolsheviks revolted against the Provisional Government with well-organized, strategic planning. The Provisional Govt. was not prepared and lost power.
Soviets came into power. The soviets were local councils elected by peasants and workers. This led to opposition by the White Army, or those who represented the liberals, monarchists and support from outside countries such as the US and Great Britain. The brutal Russian Civil War was fought, the Red Army (the soviets) against the Whites.
Lenin prevailed. The Soviet Union was officially born.
Soviet history in Russia began with The Russian Revolution and continued with The October Revolution led by Vladimir Lenin. These are the events which led to the formation of the USSR from 1922 to 1991.
Check the Eastern Europe blog to view more articles on Soviet Union history.
Jennifer Ciotta - Jennifer Ciotta is the author of I, Putin (Vladimir Putin novel): http://vladimirputinnovel.com.
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