Abstract
This paper will explain the emergence of a totalitarian state under Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union after 1917 and how the Bolsheviks came to power in spite of the fact that they were neither the greatest nor the most influential movement in Russia at the time.

Abstract
This paper examines the strengths of Soviet organization, as well as the weakness of the Whites, who were backed by western intervention. The paper looks at measures taken, such as "War Communism" used to supply food to the army and the ruthless structure of communist forces, which lead to the Bolshevik victory in the Russian Civil War.

From the Paper
"In 1917 Lenin and the Bolsheviks, known as the Communists or Reds, had seized control over Petrograd and Moscow quite easily. However, they controlled only part of Russia and many groups opposed them. Could they hang on to power? The Mensheviks, Social Revolutionaries and supporters of the Tsar said they had no right to rule. Collectively, these opponents became known as the Whites. The Whites were opposed to the Reds for two main reasons: they seized the land, property and factories of the well off and they attacked religious beliefs. By the end of 1918 civil war had broken out in Russia between the Whites and the Reds. The Whites were supported from abroad by the Allies; Britain, France, the USA and Japan. The Allies opposed Lenin in retaliation for his Brest-Litovsk peace treaty with Germany in March 1918. They had also lost capital and property as the Reds refused to repay loans which had been made to the Tsar's government, and had nationalized foreign owned businesses' in Russia without compensation. Yet, despite a large number of anti-Bolshevik groups within Russia, who were backed by the most powerful countries in the world, the Bolsheviks did eventually win the Russian Civil War. But why?"

Tags:civil, communist, lenin, russia, trotsky, war, bolshevik, economic, political, military

Abstract
The paper discusses how the Bolsheviks were able to gain control of Russia during the revolutionary period due to a combination of factors. The paper explains how the Bolsheviks built upon the existing economic, social and political turmoil created by the tsarist regime, used the mistakes of the Provisional Government to their advantage and gained control over other revolutionary parties by way of their charismatic leaders, control of the army and control of the major industrial cities. The paper shows how the Bolsheviks had to fight to secure their government by successfully wiping out opposition during the Russian Civil War and satisfying the demands of the people for "Peace, Land and Bread."

From the Paper
"Historically the tsarist regime has been contested with revolutionary action; in fact, the Romanov Dynasty was born out of autocratic turmoil during the "times of trouble" from 1584 to 1613 . During this time there were many rebellions, riots, and mutinies, they were not directed at reforming the autocratic institution, but merely aiming to take its place. Revolutionary action continued after the death of Alexander the Great, who did not name an heir, as there was a rapid turnover in the occupation of the throne. This period was known as the "era of the palace revolutions" and is characterized by an increased importance in maintaining the loyalties of the senior military."

Tags:Tsars, Karl, Marx, Lenin, communism, Provisional, Government, Red, Guard

Abstract
The paper evaluates the arguments of three different authors on the question of how the Bolsheviks gained and sustained power. The paper maintains that the argument by Diane Koenker appears to have overextended herself in her belief of the role of the people, claiming them to be the source of the revolution.. The paper supports Richard Pipes' theory of the revolution from above, combined with Jeffrey Brooks' examination of the influence of the media on the revolution. The paper concludes that it was the actions of Lenin and the other leaders from above, not the masses, that chartered the revolution's course and successfully explains how the Bolsheviks gained power in Russia. The paper includes MLA style footnotes but does not append a bibliography.

From the Paper
"The pivotal question in the discussion of how the Bolsheviks were successful in gaining power is whether the revolution came from above (the Party leaders) or below (the people). Diane Koenker, in her book From Moscow Workers and the 1917 Revolution, suggests that the revolution indeed came from the people. After the fall of the Tsar, the dominant form of revolutionary activity for the workers was the rally. Koenker claims that the thousands of resolutions that came out of these workers' meetings faithfully reflect the active and articulate participation or ordinary workers in the revolution, and in essence, shaped the direction and actions of the Bolshevik Party and the Revolution. However, this view poses a couple of problems."

Tags:Tsars, workers, party, rally, Cheka, power, repression

From the Paper
"Every student of the Russian Revolution is presented early on with a little word-paradox: that the Mensheviks, though their name means "minority," were the popular majority party in the revolutionary Russia of 1917, while the triumphant Bolsheviks, though their name means "majority," were actually only a minority faction when they came into power.

This paradox in naming is memorable because it effectively symbolizes a broader paradox: the victory of the Bolsheviks in the face of the broader support of the Mensheviks. Just as the Bolsheviks usurped the status of "majority" within the prewar revolutionary Social Democratic movement, so they later seemed to usurp the revolution itself. In the following pages we will examine the factors which led to the success of the Bolsheviks and the ultimate failure of the Mensheviks when the risks and ..."

Abstract
This paper is an in-depth analysis of the causes of the Bolshevik Revolution. The author discusses the harsh economic conditions of the times, the rule of Czar Nicholas, the oppression of the lower class, and the influences of Karl Marx on the intelligentsia who wanted reform. The paper looks at the numerous riots that took place, the effects of World War I, and the crumbling of the Romanov dynasty.

From the Paper
"The causes of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 were many. The revolution was the culmination of a long period of repression and unrest. The Tsar weaknesses in his character and reactionary policies and his failure to understand his people: From the time of Peter I (Peter the Great), the czardom increasingly became an autocratic bureaucracy that imposed its will on the people by force, with wanton disregard for human life and liberty. The last Tsar Nicholas II (1894-1917) was a loyal family man but he had serious defects of character. He was easily influenced by his wife (German), he ignored his ministers and he failed to understand the problems of his people (he was too remote from them). He was a reactionary and an indecisive autocrat. Moreover the Czarist monarchy dramatically demonstrated the weaknesses to which a hereditary system is prone. A male heir to the throne was necessary to assure the continuation of the dynasty. The son of the Czar and Empress, Alexis, was a frail boy who suffered from the crippling hereditary disease of hemophilia."

Tags:nicholas, lenin, petrgrad, rasputin, revolution, germany, czar, tsar, peasant, economics, pogrom, serf, marx, karl, bloody, sunday, riot, st, petersburg, kremlin, cossaks, kerensky

Abstract
This paper discusses how Communist ideology and doctrine is based on the teachings of Marx and Engels who advocated that class was the most important determining factor of a person and his position within society. In particular, the paper looks at how Lenin, the Bolsheviks and Marx all had very similar understandings of what communism was and how it should be achieved and how Lenin and the Bolsheviks did depart from traditional Marxist - communist doctrine occasionally, stating that it was important to depart from Marxist ideology in order to ensure the furthering of the communist proletarian revolution.

From the Paper
"However the crucial point of communist thought was that it was a revolutionary theory and that the way that this revolution was achieved was of immense importance. Revolutionary politics however had to wait for the right circumstances to arise before a revolution could take place which would overthrow the capitalist system. "Revolutionary politics had to wait for the social forces and economic crises needed to sustain them" . These circumstances however, could not be forced and could only be brought about through an evolutionary process of state development. "Marx wanted a dictatorship which would rest on the support of the main body of industrial workers but would be exercised with this support by a closely knit group of leaders acting under a common discipline" , otherwise known as democratic centralism. Furthermore, he insisted that these leaders must not attempt to force the pace of revolution unduly and must never allow themselves to get out of touch with the movements of working class opinion. "

Tags:Marx, Engels, proletarian, revolution

Abstract
This seven-page undergraduate paper explains what Lenin and the Bolsheviks did to the Orthodox Church. They divided the Church to some degree, and seemed to have destroyed it. What they really did was to make it stronger than ever.

Abstract
The first of these two-page essays examines the Bolshevik Revolution, and discusses the key factors that contributed to the success of Lenin and the Bolsheviks. The author concludes that Lenin knew exactly what to do, what to say, and what to conceal. He took advantage of the Russian people's desperate hopes for peace, bread, and an end to tsarist autocracy by promising them all three. The second essay examines the reasons for the fall of communism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. The author discusses the economic, political, and social flaws of communism, and explains why they led to its demise.

Tags:russian, history, essays

Abstract
The paper reveals that the most important effect of the First World War was the Russian state that changed from a tsarist ruled political entity to the Soviet Union. The paper assesses the impact the Bolshevik revolution had on the evolution of Russian history and considers the historical background of this event, the main forces acting inside and outside the country, and the elements that transformed the revolution into a turning point for Russian history and for European and universal history as well. The paper shows how it was a sum of factors which made the idea of revolution appealing to the lower parts of the society and gave rise to the USSR.

From the Paper
"There are certain events in the history of the world that had a defining impact on the way in which events developed and in which the world evolved to what is today or society. One such event was the First World War which marked a turning point in the way in which history and international politics would be later conducted. This event had such an array of effects that determined changes all across the world, but in particular in the countries that had been the leading actors of the conflict. These included Russia, Germany, France, Great Britain, and even the United States."

Tags:Tsar, Lenin, nationalities, Communism, poverty, military