February 1917 revolution
course
causes
outcome
attitudes
WWI
Nicholas made himself Commander in Chief in 1915 - he was poor at this role and just made himself more personally responsible for things that went wrong
inflation - worsened the already poor economic situation and brought economy to breaking point - increased discontent, strikes over unemployment, non-millitary factories closed, food shortages
Nicholas left Alexandra in charge - she was under the influence of Rasputin (supposedly), who people disliked and distrusted, so this raised suspiscion
soldiers experience in the war - lacked necessities eg. food, warm clothing, not enough weapons - many soldiers were sent out without suffiecient weaponary (but the people now did have weapons - able to rebel), large defeats eg. Battle of Tannenburg 1914, 300,000 dead or injured and Battle of Masurian Lakes
short term catalysts
Putilov steel workers strike Feb 22nd
bread rations in Petrograd announced Feb 14th - very harsh - led to strikes
international women's day strike Feb 23rd
long term discontent
happened in the winter
abdication of the Tsar
Bloody Sunday 1905 - strike where unarmed deomstrators were fired upon - showed the Tsar's incompetence and lack of compassion towards the people
social discontent - number of strikes workers on strike per year increased from 750,000 in 1912 to 1,450,000 in 1914 - discontent was already growing
economic situation - grain shortages, backwards economy - majority of workers were peasant farmers, industrialisation was slow
urbanisation - population of cities grew but number of industrial jobs didn't - unemployment and poor living and working conditions
Lenin is very excited - he did not expect a socialist revolution suring his lifetime and now that one has happened he is eager to exploit it for Bolsheviks to gain control
250,000 people on strike at the height of the revolution - more than half the city's workforce - shows it was a popular revolution
establishment of Provisional Government
establishment of Petrograd Soviet
workings of Dual Authority
Tsar abdicated on March 2nd - his train was diverted by rebels and he was forced to abdicate
propsed that Alexsei should take over as Tsar with Mikhail, Nicholas's brother, acting as reagent, but Mikhail refused
Romanov family placed under house arrested - dynasty came to an end
led by Prince Lvov
members included elite influentials as well as liberals, moderate socialists and Kadets
meant to be temporary - elections should be held for new Constituent assembly to draw up a new consitiution for Russia
made up of Mensheviks, socialist revolutionaries and a few Bolsheviks
believed the provisional government to be made up of people still associated with Tsardom - wanted democratic authority
led by Trotsky
Kerensky was a member of the PG and the PS so was able to aid negotiations to get Dual Authority to work
Order No. 1 - charter of soldiers' rights
all units to elect a deputy to the Soviet and agree to political control of Petrograd soviet
soldiers should obey the provisional government if it agreed with the Soviet's orders
provisional government was technically more powerful but Petrograd Soviet had more influence over workers and peasants
essentially two organisations with opposing ideals which led to many disagreements
PG wanted to continue war as they thought one last "push" would help them win, but PS wanted to end the war immediately
PG wanted to punish army deserters but Soviets encouraged peasants to defy authority and assert their rights
put things off eg. land redistribution until the constituent assembly elections but put off the elections as they knew the SRs would win the votes of the peasants and Bolsheviks would win the votes of the workers
Tsar's attitude to the Duma
mutiny in Velinsky regiment
PG made big important decisions eg. about the war, PS made day-to-day decisions, eg. about rations
soldiers mutinied - Volynskii regiment - 66,000 soldiers joined the protesters, refusing to shoot on them anymore after being ordered