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The October Revolution: The Most Significant Event Of The 20th Century?

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Rickson:
The revolution occurred in what was then the third largest country in the world, with a population of more than 165 million, occupying an area three times as large as the United States and bigger than China and India combined. It brought Lenin and the Bolsheviks to power, derailing the possibility that Russia would become a liberal democracy on the Western model. Into 1918 and on into the 1920s, it stimulated revolutionary unrest throughout Europe and not only Europe.
Futhermore is resulted in, perhaps, the most brutal, ultra-repressive dictatorship the world has ever seen under Stalin. Then there is other of shooting factors. The threat of a revival of “Red October”. In 1933 this contributed to the rise to power of Hitler, who had promised to destroy the Soviet Union and Bolshevism once and for all. Aswell as purging the Slavic people and creating 'Lebensraum' for the German people in the east. Thus the path that led to World War II was set. After the victory of the allies, Stalin’s Soviet System expanded into Central and Eastern Europe and of course this led to the Cold War between the East and West. A period of massive historical significance in itself.

Imo, The October Revolution has shaped not only Europeon history but world history aswell. Do you agree with this assesment?

Captured Joe:
Hmmm, interesting. But one can say that there wouldn't be a revolution without WWI, which would make Gravillo Princip's assasination of Franz Ferdinant The Most Significant Event Of The 20th Century...

Ule:
erm no not really.

yes it made commumism a viable state goverment, and yes it helped scare people shitless for 60odd years (cold war). but was it significiant? no, russia in 1917 wasnt the biggest world player, it was a big country but after the revoluntion, no really cared about russian till WW2-cold war. going from imperial to communist didnt change russian culture all that much (in a sense) nor did it effect the rest of world, at the time.

WW1 and WW2 were by far more significant events in human history for the 2oth century, countries/empires collapsed, entire new countires were created, others gained more land, others lost some, yet more had thier borders completely redrawn. not to mentin the millions of deaths and the dozens of countries they effected, plus the technologies they both birthed, both for mass killing, medicaly and for civilian life.

wheres as the 1917 revolution effected 1 country.

ps: im tired and sore, so thats the best your getting out of me for now

xenoargh:
Compared to the explosion of the first atomic bomb, the first rollout of Mosaic, the mass-production of penicillin, the Model T, the Pill... no, not that significant.  The 20th Century was dominated, subtly or not, mainly by technological devices changing the way everybody connected to the global economy could and did live and the very nature of realpolitik.

In many ways, the October Revolution was just a continuation of the events of 1812; another weak and corrupt monarchy imploded as people got sick and tired of the lack of progress vs. nations with better systems.  It could have ended in a lot of different ways, and very nearly did. 

But compared to the massive land-grab Stalin made at the end of WWII, ushering in the Cold War, it was just a very unpleasant blip on the radar.  Remember, Stalin's purges weren't well-known outside the U.S.S.R. at the time and for quite a while, credulous idiots in the West passed on a lot of their blarney about how "democratic" they were being as they "reformed" Russia.

Compared to the huge changes in public health as medicine finally became effective and how that has profoundly effected people's relationships with each other and with the aging process, the Pill's effects on central human issues of sexuality and mating habits, etc... I'd honestly have to say that most people under 30 couldn't even tell you what the October Revolution was about, and if they heard about it, most of them would shrug with disinterest, whereas most people in the First and Second World have heard about penicillin and birth control, even if they cannot get ready access to it.

Archonsod:

--- Quote from: xenoargh on March 21, 2012, 08:42:23 PM ---In many ways, the October Revolution was just a continuation of the events of 1812; another weak and corrupt monarchy imploded as people got sick and tired of the lack of progress vs. nations with better systems.  It could have ended in a lot of different ways, and very nearly did. 

--- End quote ---
Well, it was a result of Marxism, which in many ways was one of the largest influences on the 20th century.

Most significant event though would be the development of the microprocessor. It's hard to think of another invention which has had such a radical effect on human civilisation. In fact, it's probably the most significant invention since the printing press.

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