ABSTRACT
The Russian Empire was the only European state that officially proclaimed itself to be an autocracy. Under Tsarist rule, the Russian government was a typical example of traditional authoritarianism. The word "intelligentsia" was coined in Russia, where to be an intellectual meant to be an enemy of the system. If Russia had a liberal constitution and responsible government, that would only mean that Russia had become capitalistic. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the economy was predominantly agricultural and the majority of Russians were peasants, but a transformation was about to convulse the country. The appeal for liberalization of the political system was opposed from two sides, the Left and the Right. At the beginning of the revolution, a clear demarcation was evident between the soviets and the party, and several parties and groupings existed within the soviets. The soviets of 1917 had representatives from several revolutionary parties, and the Bolsheviks were in a minority.
