Russian Revolution 1917
Where can I find information about the Russian Revolution in 1917?
(Years 11-13)
Image: Museum of Communism - Prague-4 by Mark Surman on Flickr.
Entry last updated: 27/05/22
Introduction
The Russian Revolution which lasted from 1917 to 1923 marked the end of the Romanov dynasty or Russian Imperial Rule. The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin seized power from Czar Nicholas II to form the Soviet Union. This was the beginning of Communism in Russia.
General websites
Here are some selected websites that cover the facts, causes, significant days, names of people involved etc in the Russian Revolution. You will find here a range of information in different formats.
World History in Context is a part of the EPIC databases especially put together for New Zealand schools. This database is very useful for secondary students. It has a wide range of full text articles, images, videos and primary sources etc on the Russian Revolution.
- You can do a keyword search or use the Browse Topics tab to look for information on the Russian Revolution.
Tips: To get to the EPIC resources you will need a password from your school librarian first. Or you can chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians between 1 and 6 pm Monday to Friday and they will help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.
Tips: Search words, or keywords, are the most important words in our question. We can always change our keywords or add more if we need to.
This website is the work of John Simkin who started this website in 1997. You will notice it has many tabs at the top of the home page to guide you to different periods in world history.
- Click on the tab Russia.
- You will find links to pages containing information about the people involved in this revolution such as The Role of Lenin, Stalin's Dictatorship and Russian Revolutionaries .
- The link on Russian Revolution will take you to events and issues in Russia from 1914 to 1925.
Tips: Some websites have advertisements (or ads) which ask us to buy something or tell us to ‘click here’. It’s best to ignore these ads and focus on the information we’re looking for.
Fordham University is a recognised university in New York. There are some very useful digital resources that are free and open to be accessed on their website.
- Type in search words 'Russian Revolution' in the search box.
- Click on the link Russian Revolution.
- Contents at the top of the page is a guideline on how the topic has been divided up.
- Scroll down the page and select the areas you need to research.
Tips: A website’s address (URL) can give you a hint about how reliable it is. Look for addresses in the results that include .gov or .edu in the URL. These are quality sites from overseas government or educational organisations.
This national library of the United Kingdom is known as a major research library. It has a range of information in print and digital.
- Use search words 'Russian revolution' in the search box.
- Under Material type in the left hand column select Web Pages.
- Click the link Russian Revolution from the page of results.
- You will find access to articles such as Propaganda in the Russian Revolution and Timeline of the Russian Revolution.
- We recommend you explore the other pages from the page of results.
This is an American website that allows individuals and organisations to upload and share videos.
- Use the search box to type in the keywords 'Russian Revolution' or 'Romanovs'.
- We recommend Epic History: The Russian Revolution for a quick understanding of the revolution.
- The video Mystery of the Romanovs by National Geographic is worth watching to understand how the Tsar and his family were betrayed.
Tips: YouTube allows people to comment on videos so you might come across different opinions. What’s important is to take what is positive and constructive from these comments.
Tips: You will find a huge selection of videos on YouTube. We recommend you view videos from reliable sources like National Geographic, History Channel, BBC etc.
Books
There have been many books written on the Russian Revolution - check out your local public or school library to see what they have.
Some recommended titles are:
Animal farm by George Orwell.
The Russian Revolution by Sheila Fitzpatrick.
Blood red, snow white by Marcus Sedgwick
SCIS no: 1881759
