2. The February Revolution 1917

Question 1

Why did the tsar abdicate March 1917?

Answer 1

• Short term:
  Feb revolution
  Emergence of Soviets
  Kronstadt naval base mutineers
• Long term:
  The war
  Famine
  Resentment due to Duma
  Political enemies
  Blamed for issues

Question 2

What was the political climate after 1905?

Answer 2

Several major groups desired political reform
Feb 1905: relaxation of laws governing political censorship, publication and assembly
Groups could now meet openly and draft public manifestos
Some in favour of a liberal democracy while others (conservatives) sect Oct manifesto went far enough

Question 3

What were the events of the February revolution 1917?

Answer 3

• Jan: 150,000 workers demonstrated on anniversary of bloody Sunday
• Feb 14: 100,000 from sp factories strike Petrograd
• Feb 22: tsar announces bread rationing from march 1st
• Feb 23: international women’s day, strikes and chaos continued
• Feb 24: massive strikes and demonstrations through capital
• Feb 25: unrest continued + Mensheviks set up a “workers soviet”, Nicholas ordered military to stop riots
• Feb 26: troops fired on crowds → mass mutiny in local army regiments
• Feb 27: 80,000 troops mutiny and engage in looting
• Mar 1: Petrograd soviet said they would recognise a provisional government
• Mar 2: tsar abdicate throne and provisional government formed

Question 4

How popular was the Feb revolution?

Answer 4

Over half of St. Petersburg’s workforce was on strike, and 66,000 soldiers had mutinied to join the protests
Frustration from workers due to food shortages and inflation after the war
Bread strikes and factory strikes

Question 5

Who were the provisional government?

Answer 5

Would run Russia until elections to a constituent assembly could be held
Dominated by kadets (leader: Milyukov), socialist minister kerensky and Prince Lvov
Liberal but split as some wanted constitutional framework and some wanted greater reform
Chosen by a committee of the Duma, not elected by people
Supported by middle class and army

Question 6

Who were the Petrograd Soviet?

Answer 6

Composed of radical socialist intellectuals, Mensheviks and social revolutionaries
Role to protect interests of working classes and soldiers
Soviets set up in different towns across Russia, representatives came together for an executive committee
The Soviet controlled: factories, railways, power supplies, telegraph station and soldiers in Petrograd garrison

Question 7

What was order No. 1?

Answer 7

Each regiment of soldiers was to elect committees sending representatives to the soviet → ‘Soviet of workers and soldiers deputies’
Gave soldiers representation and committees control of all weapons
Soldiers would only obey orders of PG if soviet agreed

Question 8

Why did the Soviet not take power?

Answer 8

1. Leaders did not feel it was the right time for the workers to form the government: first needed a bourgeois revolution
2. Wanted is avoid civil war and counter revolution → needed to keep middle classes and army commanders on their side
3. Leaders (mainly intellectual socialists) were scared and unsure if they could control the masses

Question 9

What happened during the honeymoon of the revolution?

Answer 9

Freedoms given in spring 1917:
- tsarist ministers and officials arrested and imprisioned to stop workers/soldiers from attacking
-secret police disbanded
- first decree of pg granted amnesty for political and religious prisoners
- death penalty abolished with new freedom of speech and press
-Promised to elect constituent assembly