In 1917 Russia was at the boiling point, ready to overflow at any time because of the countless acts of injustice against the people carried out by the Russian autocracy. In 1891 there was a famine as well as an outbreak of cholera and typhus. Instead of helping the people or even acknowledging that there was a problem in the country the Russian government tried to cover it up. Because of many other similar acts of deceit, the peasants continued to lose trust in their government, and therefore some socialist and populist movements gained support. The restlessness of the Russian public continued to grow, and on Bloody Sunday (January 9, 1905), imperial guards opened fire on 150,000 peaceful demonstrators, killing 200 and wounding 800, outside the tsar's winter palace in St. Petersburg. Soon World War I broke out and the Russian population was faced with overcrowding, insufficient food supply, and mass poverty, and having a poorly organized military that suffered tremendous losses did not help Russia's situation either.
The next big event was the February Revolution in 1917. The riots began because most of the food supplies were being given to the front line and there was not enough to feed the population. The riots started on February 23rd with 100,000 workers who were on strike. The tsar ordered the military to put down the riots but the military refused to march and joined the riots instead, turning the riots into a complte revolution. The Provisionall Government, headed by the Menshevik party took control.
Lenin got to Russia, returning from his exile, on April 3rd. He soon released his "April Theses" which spoke out agaisnt the republican Provisional Government and Parliament.
Some historians think of Lenin as "overzealous and idealistic," and that he tried to force his views on the Bolsheviks and Russia. Even though Lenin may have spoken too early he still was doing it for the people, in order to inspire them with ideas of prosperity and control of their own lives.
Lenin soon became leader of the Bolshevik party and immediately imposed his own ideal on those of the party. However, the Bolsheviks were not yet in power. Their chance came when the Provisional Government attempted to attack Germany. The Bolsheviks, who were completely against the idea of re-entering the war gained tremendous support of the public who also did not wish to rejoin the fighting. Even though this seemed to be Lenin's opportunity he did not take it. He thought that it was not the right time and that there would be too many casualties. Many historians criticize Lenin for being hesitant and not moving when he first had the chance.
The Provisional Government, however, did not react kindly to the idea of a possible revolution. Over 800 prominent members of the Bolshevik party were soon arrested by the Provisional Government. Then, the Provisional Government thought that they had made a mistake and decided to release many of those they had arrested as a gesture of peace and friendship. Soon following this the leader of the Provisional Government resigned and Kerensky took over. Kerensky acted almost like another tsar, living luxuriously and diminishing the freedoms of the common people. In september a Bolshevik, Leon Trotsky was elected chairman of the Petrograd Soviet, and in October Lenin was declared the leader. Lenin wrote up a declaration of the new order and Trotsky declared all members of the Provisional Government under arrest. Lenin got rid of titles and ranks, stating the everyone is equal and there should be no distinction between people by a title.
At first Lenin's government seemed to be exactly what the Russian people needed in order to bounce back from years of tyranny, famine, and disease. But soon after its formation, Lenin's Government started setting up police divisions and secret committees that investigated people who sought to undermine the government. People were arrested and executed without question. Lenin's government had become exactly what he was trying to get rid of. It seems that Lenin did want what was best for the poor and suffering people of Russia and that communism, in its most pure form, could have worked to bring equality and justice to the people. However a government has many parts and pieces that need to all be running smoothly or it won't function. Stray but a few inches off the track and the whole train is derailed. Lenin's dream turned to a nightmare.