Abstract
The study provides a basic overview of th political developmetn in Russia in 1917 and focuses on both revolutions. It is based on the theory of modernization, meaning the cocncept of two different types of societies - modern and traditional.
The attributes of a traditional society are an obstacle for development and must be therefore "modernized" in the spirit of the modern model - meaning the Western society. Western and Central European societies are considered to be prototypes of modern society.
Insufficient modernization significantly contributed to the fall of Russian monarchy in 1917. The author focused on the conclusions of Anglo-American historiography of the 20th century, primarily on the works of Richard E.
Pipese who work under the thesis that communism was the heir of tsarism.