ols he vik s ), ▁the ▁" Wh ites " ▁( counter - re volution aries ), ▁the ▁independence ▁movements , ▁and ▁other ▁social ist ▁fa ctions ▁opposed ▁to ▁the ▁B ols he vik s . ▁It ▁continued ▁for ▁several ▁years , ▁during ▁which ▁the ▁B ols he vik s ▁defeated ▁both ▁the ▁Wh ites ▁and ▁all ▁rival ▁social ists . ▁Victor ious , ▁they ▁reconst it uted ▁themselves ▁as ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁Party . ▁They ▁also ▁established ▁Soviet ▁power ▁in ▁the ▁newly ▁independent ▁republic s ▁of ▁Armen ia , ▁A zer ba ij an , ▁Bel arus , ▁Georgia ▁and ▁Ukraine . ▁They ▁brought ▁these ▁juris dict ions ▁into ▁un ification ▁under ▁the ▁Union ▁of ▁Soviet ▁Social ist ▁Republic s ▁( U SS R ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 2 . ▁While ▁many ▁notable ▁historical ▁events ▁occurred ▁in ▁Moscow ▁and ▁Pet ro grad , ▁there ▁were ▁also ▁major ▁changes ▁in ▁cities ▁throughout ▁the ▁state , ▁and ▁among ▁national ▁minor ities ▁throughout ▁the ▁emp ire ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁rural ▁areas , ▁where ▁pe as ants ▁took ▁over ▁and ▁red ist ributed ▁land . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁The ▁Russian ▁Revolution ▁of ▁ 1 9 0 5 ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁major ▁factor ▁contrib uting ▁to ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁the ▁Revolution s ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 7 . ▁The ▁events ▁of ▁Blo ody ▁Sunday ▁triggered ▁nation wide ▁protest s ▁and ▁soldier ▁mut in ies . ▁A ▁council ▁of ▁workers ▁called ▁the ▁St . ▁Petersburg ▁Soviet ▁was ▁created ▁in ▁this ▁cha os .