If you read the New York Times articles of 1917, 1918, 1919, they talk about how the Bolshevik government would be collapsing any day now...eventually it happened seventy years later - because leaders of the communist party decided to.<p>When the leaders of Russia&#x27;s communist party decided to reorganize their government in 1991, what governments in continental Europe from 1917 still existed in the same form, uninterrupted?  Not Germany, not France, not Italy.  Not Spain, not Portugal, not Holland.  The only country I can think of is Switzerland, although perhaps one or more slip my mind.  Some &quot;failure&quot; - when you&#x27;ve outlived everyone else and are done away with by the leaders of the party that was in charge seventy years before decides to throw in the towel.  While in the meantime surviving numerous major wars, and, under Stalin, having enormous economic growth, at a time when the rest of the world was stagnating economically.<p>Russia was a backwards country in 1917.  Lenin said Russia would not be a leader among countries, but the opportunity availed itself and so socialists would hold out in Russia while the rest of the world went on with its processes.  This was followed by invasion by every country (including the US in places like Arkhangelsk), then 25 years later being invaded by a coalition of most of continental Europe, followed by a Cold War against a military alliance of all the world&#x27;s industrialized nations.  What magic pixie dust would the Russians have to combat all this?  It&#x27;s a miracle they made it to 1991, in the process launching the first satellites, man in space etc., before deciding themselves to close up shop in 1991.<p>It&#x27;s a strange triumphalism - exaggerate a threat beyond all proportions, then crow how you defeated it.  1917 US (and allies) against 1917 Russia is like an NFL team against a Pee-wee league.  This is the case for triumphalism?  It&#x27;s a miracle the Russians did as well as they did - they even beat Nazi Germany.  It shows there must have been something to what they were doing.