The major outcome of the Russian Civil War, which lasted from 1917 to 1922, was the establishment of the Soviet Union under Bolshevik control. The war erupted following the 1917 October Revolution, where the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, overthrew the Provisional Government. The conflict saw the Red Army (Bolsheviks) pitted against various anti-Bolshevik groups, collectively known as the White Army. The Bolsheviks' victory consolidated their power, leading to the creation of a one-party state that pursued policies of communism. This transformation had profound implications for global politics and set the stage for the Cold War.