The October Revolution
The October Revolution (Октяврьская Револуция), commonly referred to as Red October or Bolshevik Revolution, was a political overthrow that took place in the larger context of the Russian Revolution of 1917.
This uprising followed and capitalized on the results of the February Revolution of the same year. The Bolsheviks led the revolt, with an army organized thanks to their influence in the Petrograd Soviet. The takeover of government buildings by Red Guard organized forces began on October 24. However, it’s the following day that is traditionally remembered as the official start of the October Revolution.
In the morning of October 25, Vladimir Lenin (Владимир Ленин) launched an assault on the symbol of tsarist power, The Winter Palace (Зимний Дворец). The attack was signaled by a blank shot from the cruiser Aurora. The palace, guarded by Cossaks and cadets, was taken in the early afternoon.
This immediately led to the establishment of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, the world’s first socialist state. A civil war around Russia followed the October events, because the revolution was not universally recognized outside of Petrograd. The internal conflict ended in 1922 with the creation of the Soviet Union (Советский Союз).
