5. The February Revolution

Question 1

What led to the demonstrations in Petrograd in February 1917?(3)

Answer 1

Unemployment, rising prices and food shortages

Question 2

What did the soldiers who were sent to crush the protests do?

Answer 2

Openly supported demonstrators instead.

Question 3

Why was the forced to abdicate?

Answer 3

He could no longer suppress the revolution as he had done in 1905.

Question 4

What were the political causes of the February revolution?(3)

Answer 4

• defeats in World War One
• ineffective tsarist government
• inability to crush protests

Question 5

What were the economic causes of the February revolution?(3)

Answer 5

• Effects of WW1
• Food shortages
• Rising food prices

Question 6

What were the social causes of the February revolution?

Answer 6

• discontent caused by World War One
• Long term inequality in Russian society
• Rising unrest in towns

Question 7

Who did the duma appoint to rule Russia until elections could be held?

Answer 7

The provisional government

Question 8

What is a provisional government ?

Answer 8

A temporary government to administer the country until elections can be held.

Question 9

What problems did the members of the provisional government already have?

Answer 9

The members of the government did not have the experience or the authority to tackle huge problems facing Russia in 1917.

Question 10

What liberal reforms did the provisional introduce?(3)

Answer 10

• freed political prisoners
• allowed political exiles to return
• recognized freedom of speech and of the press

Question 11

What issue did the provisional government not tackle?

Answer 11

Redistribution of land among peasants

Question 12

True or false
The provisional government decided to keep fighting in WW1 against Germany, in spite of the desperate conditions within the Russian army

Answer 12

True

Question 13

What result did people losing faith in the government have?

Answer 13

Workers and soldiers elected Soviets to govern factories , regiments and entire cities.

Question 14

What was the most powerful Soviet?

Answer 14

Petrograd Soviet

Question 15

Many political exiles now returned to Russia, among them many leading ______, such Lenin from _____, Trotsky from _____ and Josef Stalin from _____.

Answer 15

Bolsheviks
Switzerland
America
Siberia

Question 16

Trotsky switched from the _____ to join the _____, and became the leader of the ______ Soviet.

Answer 16

Mensheviks
Bolsheviks
Petrograd

Question 17

What two calls did Lenin make which the provisional government failed to tackle?(2)

Answer 17

Called for an end to the war with Germany and for land to be given to peasants immediately.

Question 18

Which two slogans won wide support for the Bolsheviks?

Answer 18

Peace, Bread, Land

All Power to the Soviets

Question 19

How did the Bolsheviks try to gain support?

Answer 19

Through their newspaper Pravda and other propaganda attributed to the Russian army.

Question 20

How did the Bolsheviks build up their strength?

Answer 20

By establishing the red guards an armed group of 20 000 revolutionaries.

Question 21

As the war continued, more and more soldiers deserted from the army and made their way to _____ to join the ____.

Answer 21

Petrograd

Bolsheviks

Question 22

What did the provisional government blame the Bolsheviks for? And what did they do as a result?

Answer 22

Causing riots, and arrested their leaders and as a result closed down Pravda.

Question 23

Where did Lenin flee to after Pravda closed?

Answer 23

Finland

Question 24

What did the peasants in the countryside do out of anger that no land reforms were taking place?

Answer 24

Killed landlords and seized the land.

Question 25

What happened to peasants who revolted?

Answer 25

Government sent troops to punish their actions but this only increases violence.

Question 26

Why did soldiers return to their villages?

Answer 26

Hoping to get a share of the land.