Chapter 2 - The Feb/March Revolution

Question 1

What triggered the revolution?

Answer 1

Bread shortages (more specifically the announcement that bread would be rationed from March 1st)

Question 2

What was the revolution rooted in?

Answer 2

Long years of suffering and frustration under an autocracy that was unable to adapt to change but absolutely unwilling to give up power

Question 3

What happened on the 23rd of February?

Answer 3

Striking workers joined the traditional International Women’s Day march
Students and workers from the bread queues joined the march
The city fell into chaos and order not restored until evening

Question 4

When did the Tsar start to lose control of the military and why/how?

Answer 4

27th of February
Ordered the Commander of the Petrograd Military District to restore order by military force and about 40 demonstrators were killed
A mutiny began in one regiment in response to this and soldiers joined the protesters, arming them with rifles

Question 5

What was the Provisional Committee, when was it set up and who were they supported by?

Answer 5

A group of 12 members of the Duma who planned to take over the government after the Tsar’s abdication
Set up on the 27th of Feb
Supported by the army’s High Command

Question 6

When was the Petrograd Soviet set up and what did it do?

Answer 6

Set up of the 27th of February by revolutionaries who intended to take over the government
Began to organise food supplies for the city

Question 7

When did Nicholas begin to return to Petrograd and what did he do?

Answer 7

On the 28th of February, sent a telegram offering to share power with the Duma

Question 8

Where was Lenin during the revolution?

Answer 8

Switzerland

Question 9

Where was Stalin during the revolution?

Answer 9

Siberia

Question 10

What happened during and after the revolution?

Answer 10

Local socialist groups helped to set up soviets (councils)
Most important was the Petrograd Soviet

Question 11

Who did the Petrograd Soviet represent?

Answer 11

Workers and soldiers

Question 12

How many members did the Petrograd Soviet have by the 10th March?

Answer 12

3000

Question 13

When did the PS produce ‘Order No.1’ and what was it?

Answer 13

On 1st March, a charter of soldier’s rights

Question 14

What did ‘Order No.1’ state?

Answer 14

• all military units were to elect a deputy to the PS and agree to be under the control of the PS
• the Military Commission of the Duma was only to be obeyed if its orders agreed with the PS’s orders

Question 15

What did ‘Order No.1’ aim to do?

Answer 15

Improve the rights and respect given to soldiers
e.g by giving them full citizen’s rights when off duty

Question 16

When did Nicholas agree to abdicate?

Answer 16

2nd March

Question 17

Where did the PS and PG meet?

Answer 17

PS: left wing of the Tauride Palace
PG: right wing of the Tauride Palace

Question 18

The executive committee of the PS

Answer 18

Made up of socialist intellectuals (mainlys Mensheviks and SRs)
Members were elected

Question 19

How did people view the PS?

Answer 19

Generally considered by workers, soldiers and peasants to be a more democratic, less elitist organisation than the PG

Question 20

Who was the PG comprised of?

Answer 20

Headed by Prince Lvov, an aristocrat and zemstvo leader
Made up of former supporters of the constitutional monarchy

Question 21

Who supported the PG?

Answer 21

The old tsarist civil service, army officers and the police

Question 22

Who was the only member of both the PG and the PS and what did he do?

Answer 22

Alexander Kerensky, he was a member of the SRs and the State Duma

He helped negotiate the ‘Dual Authority’, the uneasy alliance between the PS and PG

Question 23

What were the areas of conflict between the PS and PG?

Answer 23

1. Order No.1
2. Elections to the Constituent Assembly
3. Discipline in the army and order in the countryside
4. WWI
5. Their methods

Question 24

How was Order No.1 an area of conflict?

Answer 24

It said that soldiers and workers should obey the PG but only where the PS agreed with the PG’s decisions. Essentially gave the PS total power over the army and workforce

Question 25

How were elections to the Constituent Assembly an area of conflict?

Answer 25

The PG was committed to holding elections to the CA but any elections held in 1917 would clearly be won by SRs, which liberals of PG were desperate to avoid so the elections were repeatedly delayed

Question 26

How was discipline in the army and order in the countryside an area of conflict?

Answer 26

The PG wanted improved discipline to stop more desertations and to restore order in the countryside. The PS encouraged soldiers, workers and peasants to defy authority and assert their rights

Question 27

How was WWI an area of conflict?

Answer 27

The PG wanted an all out effort to win the war, the PS wanted to end Russian involvement ASAP (as long as it didn’t mean giving up territory to the Germans)

Question 28

How was methodolgy an area of conflict?

Answer 28

The PS was essentially reactive, it saw its role as being to protect the workers’, soldiers’ and peasants’ rights

This was an obstacle to the PG being able to get anything done and the PS didn’t offer alternative leadership of its own