▁as ▁Len in ▁were ▁done ▁in ▁icon ographic ▁methods , ▁equ ating ▁them ▁similarly ▁to ▁religious ▁figures , ▁though ▁religion ▁itself ▁was ▁b anned ▁in ▁the ▁USS R ▁and ▁groups ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Russian ▁Orth odox ▁Church ▁were ▁per sec uted . ▁ ▁The ▁revolution ▁and ▁the ▁world ▁ ▁The ▁revolution ▁ultimately ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁future ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁as ▁an ▁ide ocracy ; ▁however , ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁such ▁a ▁state ▁came ▁as ▁an ▁ide ological ▁par ado x , ▁as ▁Marx ' s ▁ide als ▁of ▁how ▁a ▁social ist ▁state ▁ought ▁to ▁be ▁created ▁were ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁formation ▁being ▁natural ▁and ▁not ▁artificial ly ▁inc ited ▁( i . e . ▁by ▁means ▁of ▁revolution ). ▁Leon ▁T rot sky ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁goal ▁of ▁social ism ▁in ▁Russia ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁realized ▁without ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁revolution . ▁A ▁revolution ary ▁wave ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁Russian ▁Revolution ▁last ed ▁until ▁ 1 9 2 3 , ▁but ▁despite ▁initial ▁hopes ▁for ▁success ▁in ▁the ▁German ▁Revolution ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 8 – 1 9 , ▁the ▁short - l ived ▁Hung arian ▁Soviet ▁Republic , ▁and ▁others ▁like ▁it , ▁no ▁other ▁Marx ist ▁movement ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁succeeded ▁in ▁keeping ▁power ▁in ▁its ▁hands . ▁ ▁This ▁issue ▁is ▁subject ▁to ▁conflic ting ▁views ▁on ▁commun ist ▁history ▁by ▁various ▁Marx ist ▁groups ▁and ▁parties . ▁Joseph ▁St alin ▁later ▁rejected ▁this ▁idea , ▁stating ▁that ▁social ism ▁was ▁possible ▁in ▁one