[YorkshireSeason]

Those Bolshevik soldiers and their leaders the proceeded to make the situation a lot worse than Tsar, and exported their incompetency to many other countries, with the last major eruption of Bolshevik violence happening in the 1970s in Cambodian by the Khmer Rouge (the Khmer branch of the Bolshevik/Leninist party).

The world would probably have been a much better place without the Bolshevik, despite, and in full view of the many imperfections of the Tsarist rule.

[lostlogin]

> Those Bolshevik soldiers and their leaders the proceeded to make the situation a lot worse than Tsar

Lenin was exported to Russia by Germany with the specific aim of causing a revolution. To mangle Churchill’s quote, Lenin was sent in as “plague bacillus”. Obviously he acted with a lot of local support, but German intervention wanted and helped fund the revolution to end the war on their Eastern Front.

In hindsight it wasn’t a very good strategy for Germany.

[pjc50]

Everyone remembers the October revolution, but few remember the November revolution: Germany collapsed from the Kiel mutiny onwards, and turned from a monarchy into a socialist anti-war state in 1918.

There was a lot of it about. Churchill sent tanks into Glasgow in 1919; during this period Ireland also fought for its independence (and subsequent civil war).

The old authoritarianism was doomed but it absolutely wasn't going to go without bloodshed. Some of it still lies latent to the present day like a dormant virus.

[YorkshireSeason]

Everyone remembers the October revolution, but few remember the February Revolution [1], the first of two revolutions which took place in Russia in 1917. It was the February revolution that lead to the abdication of Czar Nicholas II. For various reasons no decisive new leadership emerged, until the Bolsheviks took over in October.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_Revolution

[YorkshireSeason]

   wasn’t a very good strategy for Germany

In what sense?

It did end the war in the East, and delayed the war for dominance in the East (which was seen as inevitable -- as it by the US left today, pace the mainstream press' demonisation of the Trump/Putin connection) by two decades. Even today Germany is wealthier than Russia despite having no natural resources.

The biggest victims of the Bolsheviks were the Russian people (and inhabitants of neighbouring states).

[1] https://history.stackexchange.com/questions/14608/did-the-ge...

[cm2187]

But the rise of communism and resulting violence in Germany greatly contributed to the rise of the nazis in the 20s and 30s.

I think comparing Germany to Russia today is missing the point. Europe self-destroyed through two world wars during the XX century. At the end of the XIX and for about 300 years before it pretty much dominated the world. Now it is a club of mid-size countries that have lost most of their international influence and military might.

The rising demography of developing countries being probably the second biggest factor.

[amaccuish]

Yes Russia was a extremely well developed nation with good education, healthcare etc until those pesky bolsheviks came along and ruined everything...

[YorkshireSeason]

What kind of argument is this supposed to be?

Russia was at an average level of development in 1918. European parts of Russia (St Petersburg) where relatively modern, and while much of the rest of the country was rural and backwards

* there is no reason whatsoever to assume that it wouldn't have been developed with other forms of government in Russia, whether under a Tsar, or -- even better -- a modern western democracy.

* Bolsheviks retarded the development of Russia. All comparable western nations developed faster, practically all 'Soviet' technology was basically invented in the west. The Soviets had nothing to offer but violence.

For example (from [1]): "Russia's population growth rate from 1850 to 1910 was the fastest of all the major powers except for the United States."

Let me emphasise: I'm not saying that the Tsarist regime was particularly good, just a lot better than the Bolsheviks. If Russia had stayed Tsarist, or -- even better -- become a normal western democracy, it would have been much better than the Bolshevik rule.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Russia_(1855%E2%80%...

[jkabrg]

Which "comparable western nations" are you referring to?

[jahaja]

> If Russia had stayed Tsarist, or -- even better -- become a normal western democracy, it would have been much better than the Bolshevik rule.

There's a lot of "if onlys" that could be said about the period between 1905 and Stalin's takeover. To stay Tsarist seems a peculiar focus.

[golergka]

Yes, it actually was, in many different areas, one of the most developed countries in Europe in 1914.