Russia's entry into World War I led to discontent, strikes, and demonstrations that were repressed, fueling anger towards the government and strengthening the opposition.
The Revolution of 1917 began after a demonstration on 23rd February in Petrograd. The revolutionary slogan was ‘Peace, bread and land’. A general strike broke out, and there were mutinies among the soldiers, who refused to fire at the crowds. On 27th February, the Provisional Government was formed under the moderate socialist Kerensky, who wished to establish a liberal political system. Nicholas II abdicated on 15th March.
Workers, soldiers, and peasants formed soviets with their own armed militias (the Red Guard), falling under Bolshevik control led by Lenin. The Bolsheviks demanded withdrawal from the war, better working conditions, and land redistribution, garnering strong support.