Red star over Europe: 1917-1921

The years following the First World War in Europe can be seen as a time of revolution and militancy. The success of Russia's Bolshevik Revolution was expected by many to be followed by the rise of the working classes in the rest of the world. In Europe, between 1918 and 1921, the challenge to the governing classes awoke a revolutionary euphoria that failed to gain a foothold, with Leftist groups disagreeing on a cohesive policy and authoritarian regimes continuing to reign in much of southern Europe.