the Russian Revolution is a political social and economic movement that broke out in 1917 in the Russian Empire this episode is considered to be one of the greatest events of the contemporary era due to the transcendental consequences derived from it the consequence was the collapse of the Tsar's dynasty heirs of the Roman emperors which meant the abolition of the absolutist and despotic system that prevailed until then the revolution resulted in a communist led government led by vladimir lenin the causes that motivated the russian revolution were the first cause russia was at war with germany it was the first world war what was then called the Great War the constant defeats suffered by the Russian armies in the war and the many casualties led to discredit the Romanov the last Czarist dynasty with nicholas ii as its head of state years before in 1905 our first revolution took place after the russian defeat against japan in the russo-japanese war the second course Russia was suffering an acute economic crisis with shortages of food the population suffering from a terrible famine it was an eminently rural and backward country the social organization of Russia was based on the most absolutes in equality differentiating to well-defined social classes the nobility and the common people almost all peasants there was practically no middle class the third course can be found in the wife of Tsar Nicholas a second Empress Alexandra of German origin was tremendously unpopular and enemy of any reformed favorable to the people a year earlier they had murdered rasputin's doctor and advisor to the Empress these causes together with a very hard winter triggered the revolution we're going to differentiate two phases within the revolution in the year 1917 the February Revolution and the October Revolution which actually took place in March and November since Russia was governed by the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar like the rest of the world the February revolution began with a spontaneous strike by workers in the factories of the capital Petrograd today st. Petersburg the following days witness strikes and demonstrations throughout Petrograd and the and worsened the demonstrations became increasingly larger the army didn't have the means to suppress the revolution and Nicholas a second the last emperor of Russia had to abdicate the first episode of the revolution resulted in over a hundred victims mainly demonstrators the rapid and unexpected fall of the regime gave rise to a wave of enthusiasm and the feeling of liberation in the country a provisional government quickly succeeded to absolute power this government would end up being headed by Alexander Kerensky these first weeks full of hope and generosity were very peaceful both in the cities and in the rural areas there were no reprisals against the former servants of the Tsar freedom of the press and meetings were decreed and political exiles were allowed back in among them the revolutionary Vladimir Lenin who lived in exile things began to move the Soviets who were popular assemblies of workers soldiers and peasants initially allowed the provisional government to govern but insisted on a prerogative to influence the government's and control various militias the mass of workers and peasants was politicized the smallville shubik party led by Lenin that imposed the strategic radicalization became spokesmen for the growing general discontent and became the repository of popular aspirations with his great skills of oratory he began to defend the postulates of Karl Marx to replace capitalism with a new socio-economic socialist system and established the dictatorship of the proletariat a frenzy to talk and put forward ideas became established in society the government of Kerensky was increasingly unpopular unable to make reforms he distanced himself from the population they continued sending troops to fight in the First World War this triggered popular revolts the provisional government opted for repression and began to persecute the opponents Lenin and Leon Trotsky planned the overthrow of the provisional government to install the communist system if the February Revolution was a spontaneous uprising in the october revolution one could speak of a strategic coup organized by Trotsky and Lenin against the provisional government in the October Revolution in Petrograd the Soviet seized the strategic points of the capital and assaulted the Winter Palace by overthrowing the provisional government Lenin announced three measures an immediate peace a decree on land to distribute it among the peasants and the formation of the Soviets of people's commissaries or sovnarkom that would organize elections to elect a constituent assembly' Lenin's Bolshevik Party was defeated in the elections Lenin ordered the dissolution of the Assembly democratically elected as a minority this would lead to a civil war the Bolsheviks created the Cheka an organization of political and military intelligence to crush any kind of dissent their methods of repression weren't limited to mass arrests and executions but also used brutal methods of torture the first concentration camps appeared the Red Terror had begun in 1918 the former Russian Tsar Nicholas the second the czarina Alexandra and her five children who were held in a mansion in the Ural Mountains were massacred by a group of revolutionaries the civil war that confronted the Red Army of Trotsky against the White Army resulted in the victory of the Red Army Leninism and the dictatorship of the proletariat had been established the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was formed in 1922 the country was deeply affected a terrible famine killed over 5 million people a series of reforms were launched the party is run vertically from top to bottom the new state consists of a pyramid of Soviets with a party de facto decides and the Soviets vote what the party has said in 1922 a sick lenin leaves his post a dispute arises over the succession between Trotsky the creator of the Red Army and the most brilliant head of the party and other ringleaders in 1924 Lenin dies Joseph Stalin a man who had been undervalued prevailed against all odds we'll be Lenin's successor Trotsky was expelled from the party and finally assassinated Stalin imposed a totalitarian and bloody government and elevated the Soviet Union to the status of a great political economic scientific and military power in the world the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics would last until 1991 [Music] [Applause] [Music]