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What is the history of the Russian Revolution?
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The Russian Revolution of 1917 was one of the most significant events in the history of the world. It marked the end of the Tsarist autocracy and the birth of the first socialist state. It began with a series of protests in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg), quickly turning into a popular uprising that forced Tsar Nicholas II to abdicate in March 1917. The provisional government that followed absolved the Tsar and soon overthrew it in a coup led by Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin. In October 1917, a new government, the Council of People's Commissars, was founded with Lenin as its head. This government nationalized large industries, declared land reform, and introduced other sweeping economic and social changes. Despite its accomplishments, the Revolution was plagued with civil war, famine, and economic hardship. In 1922, the Soviet Union was established and its influence was felt around the world. The effects of the Russian Revolution are still evident today.