On the eve of World War I Russian Empire remained the largest country in the world, but significantly behind in the leading countries of Europe and America. The Way of the country to progress constrained autocratic rule and large size - it is relatively developed western and central regions contrasted sharply with the huge expanse of Russia, where the patriarchal system and the old social relations.

Another problem Empire was its multinational composition. If the XIX century. Russian autocracy was still able to keep in check the borderlands of the empire, in the early twentieth century. the desire of nations to self-expression took on a more resolute organized form.

The war is extremely exacerbated all the problems of the empire. The defeats of the Russian army gave the enemy the Baltic States, Poland, western Ukraine and Belarus. The explosion of discontent long war and disruptions in the supply of major cities took place in February and March days of 1917 in Petrograd riots escalated into revolution. The Tsar's government fell. Power passed to the Provisional Government, but in parallel there is another form of revolutionary government - Council of Workers 'and Soldiers' Deputies. The largest of these was the capital Petrograd Soviet.

The crisis in the state has provided energy centrifugal forces. There was a consolidation of national power in Ukraine (Central Council), Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Central Asia, the Cossack districts - Don, Ural, Kuban stood the national authorities, who tried to take over power in the edges.

Meanwhile, the political situation in the country was complicated, tension grew, the political struggle waged an increasingly radical measures. In addition, the long war, which Russia could not go through commitments to the Entente. Irreconcilable extreme left and extreme right groups pushed the country into armed confrontation. The first attempt at forceful seizure of power triggered by the Bolsheviks in July 1917, failed. The same statement was defeated in August, General L. Kornilov, who attempted to establish in Russia a military dictatorship. After the suppression of the right-wing again began to gain strength ultra moves. The Bolsheviks, led by Lenin and Trotsky began to prepare for armed intervention.

The coup, which went down in history as the October Revolution, occurred on October 25 (November 7) 1917 The country established a communist dictatorship. From the first days of the new government began implementing the program provisions of the Bolshevik Party that their leading thesis was the abolition of private property in any form. Since this is contrary to the logic of normal economic life, the new government at every turn met opposition to their activities. In the fight against the Soviets opposition resorted to methods of terror.

To stay in power, the Bolsheviks anything needed to bring Russia out of the war with Germany. Peace talks began in Brest-Litovsk in winter 1917/18 biennium. Germany pushed for secession from the territories of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland on the grounds that the peoples of the aforementioned areas expressed their will in favor of Germany. Lenin to maintain power was agreed to any terms, but the head of the Bolshevik delegation, Leon Trotsky, violated the decision of the Central Committee and tore negotiations. February 18, 1918 German-Austrian troops launched an offensive on all fronts. In the face of imminent disaster, the Bolsheviks signed March 3 imposed on the German side conditions of peace, which recognized the right for Germany to Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and part of Belarus (under German aegis in this region was declared a national state) are guaranteed independence Ukrainian People's Republic. Turkey handed Caucasian districts of Kars, Ardahan and Batum. Under the cover of German and Turkish troops proclaimed the independence of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Meanwhile, across the country rallied and raised to fight anti-Bolshevik forces. Rozhoralasya civil war in which there could be no compromise or half-measure results. The war was waged until the defeat and destruction of the enemy. In May 1918 fearing disarmament rose Czech-corpus, in agreement with the Entente countries across the Far East had to be transported to France. Performance of Czech-shell led to the decisive action of various anti-Bolshevik. Summer in the Volga region, a wave of uprisings organized by the Socialist Party. In autumn 1918, with the defeat of Germany and Austria-Hungary in the First World War and the retreat of their troops from the territory of the former Russian Empire, a large-scale intervention by troops of the Entente. Interventionists seized seaports and strategically important points around the perimeter of. They support based Russian Whites - mostly supporters of restoration "indivisible" under the constitutional monarch.

The actions of the opposition was fragmented and uncoordinated, but as a result of these actions in the autumn 1918 the Bolsheviks managed to retain only the central regions of Moscow and Petrograd. However, these areas were the most economically developed and populated mainly by Russians. Opposition forces also relied on the outlying areas of Russia, who had important cultural and political centers, with a population that belonged to different nationalities and were at different stages of socio-economic development.

In 1919 the east of anti-Bolshevik forces rallied around Admiral Alexander Kolchak. Allied leaders declared it the "supreme ruler of Russia." The attack Kolchak spring of 1919 reached almost to the Volga. But in April, he began to run low, then the Whites were forced to retreat. In November fell Kolchak capital - the city of Omsk.

When the army of Kolchak are retreating to the Urals, from Don Volunteer Army began an offensive White General Anton Denikin. Victorious march on Moscow stalled on the outskirts of Tula in October 1919 with simultaneously in Estonia moved to Petrograd White Army General Yudenich. But the decisive counterattack superior forces of the Red Army rejected the Whites and the Black Sea and the Gulf of Finland. In the spring of 1920 the main anti-Bolshevik forces were defeated and most of the country was controlled by the Soviets.

But the fight is not over. In April 1920 due to territorial concessions to Ukrainian Directorate headed by Simon Petlyura enlisted the support of Poland. In May, the combined Polish-Ukrainian forces fired on the Right Bank and the Bolsheviks took Kyiv. Then followed a counter-offensive of the Red Army and the Polish retreat almost to Warsaw. This success zarodyv in red leaders hope for a victorious march of Western Europe and the beginning of the world revolution. But from the Warsaw Polish Army passed to the offensive and the Bolsheviks were forced to withdraw to Zhytomyr (October 1920).

Meanwhile, in the Crimea remains focused defeated White armies they led Baron Wrangel. In the summer of 1920 began the last campaign against the Bolsheviks. Wrangel's troops approached Katerynoslav and Yuzovka and forces were too unequal. Autumn Wrangell lost all their gains in November red invaded the Crimea - the last resistance of the opposition. Following this, Soviet troops occupied the South Caucasus and dropped the national governments of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Just a few years there were fights in the Far East.

The defeat of the Whites in the Civil War due to the lack of interaction, conflicting views on the future arrangement allies Russia and frankly reactionary monarhistskym color white movement.

Regarding the national movements, during the Russian Revolution were able to win independence for Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. On the other national areas where the established power of the Bolsheviks, there were Soviet republics, firmly attached to the Moscow center.