In the spring of 1917, the Bolshevik Party was an important, though not dominant player in Russian politics. With a narrow political base in cities and leaders who had long lived in exile, their prospects for carrying out Marx’ dream of a proletarian revolution seemed dim. And yet, six months later, their actions would shake the world, launching the world’s first Communist society and arguably laying the political foundations of 20th century Europe. How did they accomplish such a dramatic feat? In this episode we explore the breakdown of Russian democracy, while highlighting the ways Lenin and his fellow conspirators consolidated power and seized control of the world’s largest country. This is the story of the October revolution.

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