The Bolshevik Revolution’s Pioneering Gains for Women

Urooba Jamal The first worker’s state in the world would never have materialized without the steely, militant determination of women. “Bread!” was the first call to order. “Down with the tsar!” the next. Soon, cries of “Down with the war!” drowned the streets. The women workers of Petrograd — then the capital of Russia —…

The October Revolution: Workers Take Power

Richard Becker The Russian Revolution is a vast subject. An exhaustive analysis of it is beyond the scope of this writing. But below, some of the key points will be highlighted. The Russian Revolution took place in the background of World War I, a war between imperialist powers over control of territories and colonies. The…

How the Russian Revolution Inspired and Assisted National Liberation Struggles

Rebeca Toledo When the Russian Revolution triumphed in October 1917, most of the rest of the world was colonized by the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United States. But under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin, the revolution became the inspiration for countless peoples, not only by showing that a workers’ state was…

The Russian Revolution, Africa and the Diaspora

This article is part of Black Perspective’s forum, “Black October,” on the Russian Revolution and the African Diaspora. Hakim Adi From the time of the Great October Revolution in 1917, Africans and those of African heritage around the world gravitated towards the revolutionary events in Russia and Communism, seeing in them a path to their…

The October Revolution

General Overview: In 1917 Russia went through two revolutions: February 24 – 29 and October 24 – 25. The first revolution overthrew the tsarist government and replaced it with a Provisional Government of Duma members (mostly members of the Cadet party), who allowed a Contact Commission of the Petrograd Soviet to advise the government. Protests…

The Early Years of the Russian Revolution

Richard Becker Red Army unit in the Russian Civil War The Russian revolution marked the beginning of a new period in human history. It was the first time that the oppressed were able to come to power – to take power and hold onto power. It truly had a transforming effect on the world. In…

Lenin, World War I and the Social Roots of Opportunism

Brian Becker Over 16 million were killed in World War I, with an additional 20 million wounded. Leninism became fully recognized as an extension of Marxism after the success of the Russian Revolution in 1917. Throughout the world, the mass socialist parties and working class anarchist trends went through major political convulsions. New revolutionary parties,…