By 1921 the Bolshevik party had gained power and control over the former Russian Empire. Lenin and his revolutionaries had taken full advantage of the political instability that was plaguing Russia in the early twentieth century. Out of this disorder they managed to prevail with an altogether new type of government that would last more than the next seventy years. This essay will show how a small, radical political party, who called themselves the Bolsheviks, took hold of the nation and founded the world's first communist state. It will also explain why the various opponents of the Bolsheviks were unable to take control, and what the factors were that were working against their cause.
The early twentieth century was a breeding ground of political disorder in Russia. For centuries, the country had been ruled by an oppressive Tsarist regime. As the western European countries progressed and expanded, Russia was left far behind, and their troubles became more apparent. Out of this backwardness, a class known as the intelligentsia emerged. The intelligentsia were upper-class, well educated Russian citizens who were becoming increasingly concerned with the problems arising in the Tsarist regime. Although all wanted a change in the governmental system, there were many different ideas on how to do this. There were liberals, known as "westernizers", who wanted to turn the peasants into citizens and establish a constitutional monarchy. Populists rejected these notions, and had their own ideas for the progress of Russia. This was based on the idea that Russia was unique in that the peasants, who made up ninety-five per cent of the population, had lived in a communal atmosphere for many centuries. In these communes, they were allotted land based upon their needs, and would not use more land than they could handle. Because of this, the Populists believed that Russia could skip the step of capitalism and propel itself directly into socialism.
