5. The February Revolution Flashcards
What led to the demonstrations in Petrograd in February 1917?(3)
Unemployment, rising prices and food shortages
What did the soldiers who were sent to crush the protests do?
Openly supported demonstrators instead.
Why was the forced to abdicate?
He could no longer suppress the revolution as he had done in 1905.
What were the political causes of the February revolution?(3)
- defeats in World War One
- ineffective tsarist government
- inability to crush protests
What were the economic causes of the February revolution?(3)
- Effects of WW1
- Food shortages
- Rising food prices
What were the social causes of the February revolution?
- discontent caused by World War One
- Long term inequality in Russian society
- Rising unrest in towns
Who did the duma appoint to rule Russia until elections could be held?
The provisional government
What is a provisional government ?
A temporary government to administer the country until elections can be held.
What problems did the members of the provisional government already have?
The members of the government did not have the experience or the authority to tackle huge problems facing Russia in 1917.
What liberal reforms did the provisional introduce?(3)
- freed political prisoners
- allowed political exiles to return
- recognized freedom of speech and of the press
What issue did the provisional government not tackle?
Redistribution of land among peasants
True or false
The provisional government decided to keep fighting in WW1 against Germany, in spite of the desperate conditions within the Russian army
True
What result did people losing faith in the government have?
Workers and soldiers elected Soviets to govern factories , regiments and entire cities.
What was the most powerful Soviet?
Petrograd Soviet
Many political exiles now returned to Russia, among them many leading ______, such Lenin from _____, Trotsky from _____ and Josef Stalin from _____.
Bolsheviks
Switzerland
America
Siberia
Trotsky switched from the _____ to join the _____, and became the leader of the ______ Soviet.
Mensheviks
Bolsheviks
Petrograd
What two calls did Lenin make which the provisional government failed to tackle?(2)
Called for an end to the war with Germany and for land to be given to peasants immediately.
Which two slogans won wide support for the Bolsheviks?
Peace, Bread, Land
All Power to the Soviets
How did the Bolsheviks try to gain support?
Through their newspaper Pravda and other propaganda attributed to the Russian army.
How did the Bolsheviks build up their strength?
By establishing the red guards an armed group of 20 000 revolutionaries.
As the war continued, more and more soldiers deserted from the army and made their way to _____ to join the ____.
Petrograd
Bolsheviks
What did the provisional government blame the Bolsheviks for? And what did they do as a result?
Causing riots, and arrested their leaders and as a result closed down Pravda.
Where did Lenin flee to after Pravda closed?
Finland
What did the peasants in the countryside do out of anger that no land reforms were taking place?
Killed landlords and seized the land.
What happened to peasants who revolted?
Government sent troops to punish their actions but this only increases violence.
Why did soldiers return to their villages?
Hoping to get a share of the land.
