There were actually two Russian Revolutions. The first was in 1905-06, and the second began in 1917. These revolts marked the end of Russia's Romanov dynasty. The Romanov line ruled Russia as czars from 1613-1917.
The first revolt followed Russia's defeat in its war against Japan (1904-05). There had been growing discontent and some political violence in Russia before 1905. The shocking loss in the war served as a catalyst that helped transform dissatisfaction into open revolt. There were massacres of peaceful protesters and labor strikes. Non-Russian areas of the vast empire revolted, too. Nicholas II, the ruling czar, hesitated. But the growing unrest compelled him to issue the October Manifesto (1905). This created a Duma (legislature) and a constitution. But many protesters were not satisfied, so the government ruthlessly suppressed them. The reforms did not fix the nation's political weaknesses.
The second—and much larger—revolution was in 1917. Russia suffered huge losses in World War I. Once again, military defeat served a catalyst for revolution. Russia's setbacks in this war were even more disastrous than those of 1905. Another reason for the czar's unpopularity was Grigori Rasputin. Rasputin was a lecherous and corrupt monk who had an extremely pernicious impact on the country. Rasputin was assassinated in late 1916 and the country was beset by revolution the following year.
The 1917 Revolution had short-term and long-term impacts. In the short term, the czar and his entire family were brutally murdered. Russia had a destructive civil war until 1920. The entire country was devastated. National groups took advantage of Russia's weakness to declare independence, and new nations were created. These new countries included Finland, the Baltic states, and Poland.
Russia became the Soviet Union and was the first communist country, under the command of Vladimir Lenin and then Joseph Stalin. It would remain communist until 1991. Communists sought to rule the world and conflict with the West, and mutual distrust became the Cold War after World War II.
In the immediate short term, the Russian Revolution deposed Czar Nicholas II. He was eventually arrested and executed along with his entire family, thus ending the reign of the Romanov family in Russia. While Russia continued to stay in World War I briefly under the Kerensky government, it too was toppled due to peasant unrest and Bolshevik agitation. The new government under Vladimir Ulyanov (also known as Lenin) promised to end the war no matter what the cost, thus leading to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in which the Russian Empire gave up a lot of its western lands, including much of Poland and Ukraine, to Germany. This allowed Germany to focus on its French front in 1918 and allowed Lenin to fight a civil war against socialist and monarchist elements in the Soviet Union. The Russian Civil War lasted until 1922 as Red and White armies fought for control of the country.
In the long term, the Russian Revolution launched the Soviet Union, a nation which would be perceived as a threat to the West for seventy years. The ultimate success of the Soviet Union led to Bolshevik uprisings in Germany at the end of World War I, thus partially leading to Germany's exit from World War I and the establishment of the Weimar Republic. The United States also feared Bolshevik agitation and underwent its own purge of suspected "Reds" in the 1920s. The Soviet Union was considered a major abuser of human rights during the twentieth century and its expansion into Eastern Europe after World War II led to the Cold War. While the Soviet Union managed to rapidly modernize the Russian economy by bringing in more machinery and making infrastructure improvements, it ultimately failed due to bureaucratic inefficiency and an arms race with the United States.
The Russian Revolution marked the end of the tsarist Russian Empire and the beginning of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Tsar Nicholas II was replaced by Lenin and the Bolsheviks under a new Marxian socialism order.
Long-term effects
Russia became a communist country after the Revolution, following the principles of Karl Marx. Communist ideals were learned in Russian schools and influenced global politics.
The Revolution formed the basis for the creation of the larger USSR. The Union was dissolved after an estimated 70 years of existence.
The Revolution ushered a period of industrial development that was welcomed by the masses due to the desperate condition the country was in during tsarist rule. However, the new administration remained repressive.
Short-term impacts
Lenin pulled out Russian forces from World War 1.
Lenin managed to end internal fighting briefly before the Civil war broke out due to the inherent challenges among the masses.
https://academic.mu.edu/meissnerd/russian-rev.htm
https://russianrevolutionis.weebly.com/outcomes-effects.html
https://www.britannica.com/event/Russian-Revolution
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