April 16, 1917: Vladimir Lenin returns to Russia from exile

Vladimir Lenin was born in Streletskaya, Ulitsa, Simbirsk, Russia in 1870. He was the son of middle-class Russian serfs. He was a very strong-willed, obstinate child. In 1886, his father died, and young Vladimir began lashing out. He enrolled at Kazan University to study law. While at university, his eldest brother was convicted and executed for plotting to assassinate the Tsar. With the combined deaths of his father and brother in such a short time, he grew increasingly isolated and angry. He began to resent the repressive Tsarist regime.

In 1887, Lenin took part in several antigovernment protest. He became interested in Marxist philosophies, devouring Karl Marx’s Capital and Communist Manifesto. By 1893, he had graduated, and became a well-known lawyer in St. Petersburg. He became involved with several prominent Marxist cells in the city. He was an outspoken critic of the government, which forced him into exile in 1900. During his exile, he traveled all over western Europe. In his absence, the Marxist contingent in Russia formed into the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party. By 1905, the party grew into the Bolshevik party. Throughout the 1910’s, Lenin worked to progress the ideas of the newly founded Bolshevik movement. In 1914, his progress was halted with the outbreak of the First World War.

By 1917, the countries of Europe had fought themselves to a bloody stalemate. Germany was fighting a war on two fronts. The fighting on the Eastern front had devastated the Russian economy. Munities and worker uprisings sprung up throughout the empire. Ironically, the war helped propagate Lenin’s Bolshevik ideas. The Germans hatched a plan. In February, the February Revolution broke out and Lenin wanted to join the fray. Strangely enough, the Germans allowed Lenin to leave and cross the border into Russia. It was only found out after the war, that Lenin was allowed to go because the Germans wanted to undermine the Russian government, and end the war in the East. He arrived in Russia on April 16 to a cheering crowd. The next couple of years would see the collapse of the Tsarist regime and the ascension of Lenin and the Bolsheviks to power.