Russian Revolution 1917

Where can I find information about the Russian Revolution in 1917?

Senior Secondary

(Years 11-13)

Colour photo of Lenin Square, Novosibirsk, Russia. The monument has a statue of Lenin on a pedestal with a worker, a soldier, and a peasant to the left.

Image: Lenin Square, Novosibirsk by L-BBE on Wikimedia Commons.

Entry last updated: 4/10/23

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 (Gale In Context)

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 use the EPIC resources, you need a password from your school librarian. Or chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians between 1 and 6pm Monday to Friday to help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.

Britannica School Secondary

This database from EPIC is an online version of Encyclopaedia Britannica. It covers history, geography, social sciences, technology and science topics.

  • Enter the keywords 'Russian Revolution 1917' in the search box.

  • Select Russian Revolution (Russian history 1917) to read about the February Revolution, the role of the army in the revolution, and the Bolshevik Revolution.

  • Or read October Revolution about the last phase of the revolution.

  • Remember to explore the Images & Videos and the Related tabs at the top of each page.

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.

Spartacus Educational

This website is the work of John Simkin who started this website in 1997. It has many tabs at the top of the home page to guide you to different periods in world history.

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

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.

  • Enter the keywords 'Russian Revolution' in the search box.

  • Go to the link Russian Revolution.

  • Contents at the top of the page is a guideline on how the topic has been divided up.

  • Look down the page and select the areas you need to research.

Tips: Website addresses (URLs) can hint at how reliable the site is. Look for URLs that include .gov or .edu. These are quality sites from overseas government or education organisations.

British Library

This national library of the United Kingdom is known as a major research library. It has a range of information in print and digital.

Tips: Some websites have .au, .nz, .uk or other codes in their url. This can tell you which country this website comes from eg .au is from Australia or .nz is from New Zealand. You can check the About Us link on the website for more information.

Videos

The following websites have videos that talk about the Russian Revolution.

Crash Course

This is an educational show for high school and university level students. Each video includes sources for where the information came from.

YouTube

This is an American website that allows individuals and organisations to upload and share videos.

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 are many books on the Russian Revolution. Check out your local public or school library to see what they have.

Here are some titles to help you with your search:

SCIS no: 1881759

Topics covered

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