Level 21
1 day < 1 min
LeaderboardGuest · Log in
The Late 19th Century and WWI

The Russian Revolution

The collapse of the tsarist regime and the Bolshevik seizure of power.

Wikimedia Commons · Pyotr Novitsky · Public domain

60-Second Review

Express review

A condensed, point-by-point summary of the module, for reviewing right before a test or exam.

  1. Imperial Russia on the Eve of Revolution. At the dawn of the twentieth century Russia was an agrarian autocracy under Nicholas II, strained by deep social tensions.
  2. The Revolution of 1905 and the Stolypin Reforms. Bloody Sunday triggered the 1905 revolution, followed by Stolypin's mix of repression and agrarian reform.
  3. Russia in the First World War and the Collapse of Tsarism. Wartime defeats, economic collapse, and Rasputin's influence destroyed the monarchy's legitimacy by 1917.
  4. The February Revolution and the System of Dual Power. The spontaneous February Revolution toppled the tsar and produced a fragile dual power with the soviets.
  5. Lenin, the Bolsheviks, and the Radicalization of 1917. Lenin's April Theses and disciplined Bolshevik organization pushed the revolution toward armed insurrection.
  6. The October Revolution and the First Soviet Government. The Bolsheviks seized power in October 1917 and issued decrees on peace, land, and workers' control.
  7. The Russian Civil War: Reds, Whites, and Revolutionary Terror. Civil war (1918-1922) pitted Reds against Whites amid War Communism and Red and White Terror.
  8. Consolidating Soviet Power: the USSR, the NEP, and the Revolution's Legacy. The USSR formed in 1922, the NEP revived the economy, and Lenin's death opened Stalin's rise to power.

This module continues after "World War I" in the syllabus. If you haven't reviewed it yet, it may help set the context.

Key points

Visual module map

1Imperial Russia on the Eve of Revolution
2Russia in the First World War and the Collapse of Tsarism
3Lenin, the Bolsheviks, and the Radicalization of 1917
4The October Revolution and the First Soviet Government
5Consolidating Soviet Power: the USSR, the NEP, and the Revolution's Legacy

Alternative visual view: a simplified sequence of some of the module's key points, in their order within the syllabus.

Your module mastery

0% (overall measurement)
Approximate breakdown by skill
Understanding of historiographical debate0%

A rough estimate based on the key points reviewed, not an exact measurement of actual mastery.

Final test

You need to review all key points to unlock the final test.

Optional mini-games

Extra practice, with no penalty, to reinforce the module's content.

Review Flashcards

Review each key point with cards that flip to reveal the summary.

Memory

Match each concept with its definition in as few attempts as possible.

Time Attack

Answer true or false statements before time runs out.

Chronological Order

Put the module's key points back in their original order.

Further reading

Bibliography and cited sources used to create this module.

  • Orlando Figes, A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution, 1891-1924.
  • Richard Pipes, The Russian Revolution.
  • Sheila Fitzpatrick, The Russian Revolution.
  • Alexander Rabinowitch, The Bolsheviks Come to Power: The Revolution of 1917 in Petrograd.
  • Evan Mawdsley, The Russian Civil War.
  • Isaac Deutscher, The Prophet Armed: Trotsky, 1879-1921.
  • Leon Trotsky, History of the Russian Revolution.
  • John Reed, Ten Days That Shook the World.