Following the October Revolution of 1917, the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, moved rapidly to consolidate power and dismantle the structures of the Russian Empire .
: When Lenin died in 1924, most of the institutions and practices that would define the later Stalinist era were already established. Russia Under The Bolshevik Regime
: The regime nationalized private banks and heavy industries, shifting the economy toward a socialist model. Following the October Revolution of 1917, the Bolsheviks,
: This popular slogan helped the Bolsheviks gain early support from weary soldiers, hungry urban workers, and land-less peasants. : This popular slogan helped the Bolsheviks gain
The text below provides an overview of Russia during the Bolshevik era, often framed by the historical analysis found in Richard Pipes' seminal work of the same name.
By 1921, the failure of War Communism led to the New Economic Policy (NEP) , a temporary retreat toward a market economy to stabilize the country.
