Orlando Figes is a very famous author. In fact, he comes from a family of authors, but each have their own particular style and interests. For Orlando, the interest is strongly in the Russian Revolution. Since the Cold War, people have almost been taught to dislike Russia, and this has led to few people knowing and understanding the history of this fascinating country. This is something that Orlando Figes has aimed to address by writing stories from different perspectives based on the happenings of the 1917 revolution. To give people a greater understanding, he has come up with a number of facts about it as well.
Russian Revolution Facts
- The Russian Revolution is actually a series of events. They all took place in 1917 Russia, when a Tsar still ruled the country. After the Tsar was deposed (and killed), Russia became the Soviet Union.
- What few people know is that there were several key dates during the Russian Revolution. While 1917 stands out, it actually started in 1905. The Revolution also didn’t end until 1918. At the start of the revolution, the Russian people stood up against Nicholas II. By the end, however, it was the Bolsheviks.
- There is not a singular cause for the Russian Revolution. Some of it is linked to World War I, but there is a lot more to it than that. In fact, what people believe the cause to be usually depends on the perspective they take. For instance, there was a lot of political instability in the country. Furthermore, there was socioeconomic inequality. Many Russians joined the army during World War I, and this resulted in the rest of the country being almost abandoned, leaving it in truly dire straits. There were almost no agricultural workers left and there were shortages in everything, food included. People started to go hungry and they had no opportunities to improve this, as there simply was no work and therefore no income to be made. Meanwhile, the Tsar seemed to no longer care about the welfare of the people of Russia. Those who weren’t on the front, therefore, went on strike. They put down their tools are refused to do anything else. It has been said that the Tsar’s worst decision was for Russia to join World War I, as this is what threw his country into complete disarray. While war was needed, the Russian people were needed more.
Eventually, the people revolted. Things turned very bloody and some wonder whether Russia has truly ever recovered. Lenin came back from banishment and ruled the country. Some say he was the country’s savior, others see him as a dictator. He was replaced by Stalin, who certainly was a dictator and executed many people in Russia. Looking at Russia today, with Vladimir Putin at its helm, and some wonder whether the revolution has ever truly ended, and whether Russia will ever be a democracy where its people are free to be the best they can be.
