▁October ▁Revolution ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁a ▁B ols he vik - led ▁armed ▁ins urre ction ▁by ▁workers ▁and ▁soldiers ▁in ▁Pet ro grad ▁that ▁successfully ▁over th rew ▁the ▁Pro vis ional ▁Government , ▁transfer ring ▁all ▁its ▁authority ▁to ▁the ▁S ovi ets . ▁They ▁soon ▁re located ▁the ▁national ▁capital ▁to ▁Moscow . ▁The ▁B ols he vik s ▁had ▁secured ▁a ▁strong ▁base ▁of ▁support ▁within ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁and , ▁as ▁the ▁supre me ▁gover ning ▁party , ▁established ▁a ▁federal ▁government ▁dedicated ▁to ▁re organ izing ▁the ▁former ▁emp ire ▁into ▁the ▁world ' s ▁first ▁social ist ▁state , ▁to ▁practice ▁Soviet ▁dem ocracy ▁on ▁a ▁national ▁and ▁international ▁scale . ▁Their ▁promise ▁to ▁end ▁Russia ' s ▁participation ▁in ▁the ▁First ▁World ▁War ▁was ▁ful filled ▁when ▁the ▁B ols he vik ▁leaders ▁signed ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Br est - L it ov sk ▁with ▁Germany ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 1 8 . ▁To ▁further ▁secure ▁the ▁new ▁state , ▁the ▁B ols he vik s ▁established ▁the ▁Che ka , ▁a ▁secret ▁police ▁that ▁function ed ▁as ▁a ▁revolution ary ▁security ▁service ▁to ▁we ed ▁out , ▁execute , ▁or ▁pun ish ▁those ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁" en em ies ▁of ▁the ▁people " ▁in ▁campaign s ▁cons ci ously ▁mode led ▁on ▁those ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁Revolution . ▁ ▁So on ▁after , ▁civil ▁war ▁er upt ed ▁among ▁the ▁" R eds " ▁( B