Lenin's short reign of one of the largest countries in the world was followed by Stalin's which lasted many decades. Although the reign of Stalin and Lenin showed some similarities, their rise to power was very different and their objectives, philosophies and methods to obtain power as well as the state's situation and external factors varied vastly.

The country of Russia had been reigned by the tsarist regime for a long time until it was replaced by the Provisional Government which brought some reforms to the country. After the tsarist regime had been forced to declare war on Germany and Austria in 1914 following their declaration of war on Serbia, World War I began and brought many changes to both rural and urban areas in Russia. Since the tsarist regime could not cope with the problems resulting from the war, the Provisional Government came into...