Until 1917, Russia had been governed by a monarchy, which controlled the land for over 300 years. This was an autocratic government where the Czar was powerful, unchallenged, and never questioned. Until 1905, Russia did not have political parties of elections. Either the czar or the appointed minister handled all matters of the country. The bureaucracy, the Orthodox church, and the police and army ensured the authority of the government. Russia had a hierarchy that went from the nobility down to the poorly paid servants. The Orthodox church preached that the czar had the divine right and an objection to the czar was an objection to God. The police and army allowed the monarchy to maintain power by having spies throughout the country and eliminating those who opposed and plotted against the government. After years of bad rule, the people of Russia spoke out against the government during the Russian Revolution. When Czar Nicholas II put 11 million peasants into World War I, the Russian people became discouraged with their injuries and the loss of life they sustained. The country of Russia was in ruins ready for a revolution. The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a name given to two revolutions that completely change the nation drastically, the February and October Revolutions. The February Revolution was caused by the pressure on the government from World War I, a poorly run monarchy, and food shortages, which resulted in the overthrow of the czar monarchy and the resurrection of a Western-style of rule. The October Revolution was caused by the lack of efficiency of the Provisional Government and a strong opposition toward the Russian government, caused by remaining in World War I and the uprisings of the Bolshevik Party. As a result of the October Revolution, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) was formed and a soviet party gained control of Russia, leading to many years of civil war.
             During World War I, Russia had not been ...