The October revolution happened on 25th October 1917. It was the revolution when the Bolshevik revolutionaries successfully overthrew the Tzars which led to the USSR being formed. At the start of the revolution, a lot of meetings was held by the Bolshevicks led by Vladimir Lenin corresponding to the meeting Old Major had with the animals in the beginning of the novel. The revolution was represented by the "Battle of the Cowsheds" in Animal farm. The animals turned the victory into taking over the farm and establishing "Animalism" in the farm, similar to how the Bolshevik revolutions turned it to the USSR. The battle was inspired the Old Major, which was representing Vladimir Lenin and Karl Marx. Lenin was the one that led the October revolution, while Karl Marx was the one that inspired the Bolshevik revolutionaries and Lenin, causing them to overthrow the Tzars. George Orwell represented the October revolution this way because both of the revolutions/battles caused the new government/leader to be put in place. The battle and meetings against Farmer Jones was all based on exactly what happened in the Russian revolution. "The Animal Farm and the Russian October Revolution" 2012