The Inevitability Of The Russian Revolution Of 1917

The Russian Revolution of 1917 has been interpreted by various historiographical positions regarding the causation and overall inevitability of the revolution. While the theory of deepening revolution, theorized by Crane Britton which suggests that the Russian revolution followed a determinist state of events leading towards a new governmental ideology, is a possible explanation for the events in 1917, the historiographical position which best explains the inevitability of the Russian revolution is the modernization theory, popularized by George Kennan. This argues that instead of following a determined order of events leading towards revolution, it was in fact the modernization of Russia directly contradicting the tsarist ideology, which contributed to the inevitability of the revolution. Yet, while the tradition soviet view suggests that this inevitable revolution was part of a process, which would have ultimately led to Bolshevikian rule, the Bolsheviks, in fact, hijacked an evolving democratic revolution led by the Mensheviks, which …show more content…
When one supposes that the inevitable revolution would occur, it can be observed that while the Menshevik party had a majority support in the Russian government during the election of the Duma representatives, it was the Bolsheviks who ultimately seized power after the October revolution. The Bolsheviks altered the nature of the revolution to one of autocracy, not for the masses. Therefore, while the modernization of Russia led to the probable inevitability of the revolution, it was the influence of the Bolsheviks, supported by the non-Bolshevik socialist view, which created the Russian revolution of