Czarist Russia collapsed in March 1917. It was a long time coming as imperial Russia had long resisted liberalizing forces with reactionary zeal and generally ignored the basic needs of the Russian people for centuries. The change was initially met with the approval of the other allies who were dismayed when in 11-1917 another revolution took place that resulted in the Bolsheviks/Communists/Marxists seizing power. A quick withdrawal from the war by the new Soviet government resulted in the Germans being allowed to consolidate their forces into the Western Front where the war was still very much up for grabs. The allies half-heatedly intervened and eventually withdrew when the intervention became a liability for the war weary allies. Rather than shut their mouths and consolidate their power at home {for a modern example see the Taliban} the Bolsheviks aggressively reacted by spouting off about world revolution etc.. This resulted in a counteraction in the US that lead to quite a bit of trampling on civic rights if your political persuasion was very left of center.
Questions:
What is going on the Pacific NW? Why were we such a hotbed of leftist activity like the Seattle General Strike and the Centralia IWW riot. Could it be that the basis of the NW economy at that time lumber, railroads, logging, fishing, and mining created a left of center attitude?
Were the Palmer Raids and other establishment paranoia about leftists really just the manifestation of a reaction against immigrants and their percieved "un-American" ideas?
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