February 1917 Revolution

Question 1

End of Feb

Answer 1

bread rationing with day long queues for food - fights over food turned to riots

Question 2

Thursday 23rd Feb - International women’s day

Answer 2

a march on the streets turned into women and later men going on strike with up to 100,000 people protesting in Petrograd

Question 3

Over next 4 days

Answer 3

demands for bread turned into demand for end of war and Tsar - crowds grow up to 105,000 people - Bolsheviks main group spreading the protests - later over the weekend the Cossacks ( soldiers joined in)

Question 4

Sunday 26 Feb

Answer 4

Duma form provisional committee to take control after it turned to a violent revolution with 1500 dead

Question 5

Tuesday 28th

Answer 5

crowds looting shops and houses with most wanting the Duma to takeover
First meeting of the socialist council took place which represented the workers.

Question 6

March 2nd

Answer 6

Tsar abdicated in favour of brother who refused the position

Question 7

Dual authority - Honey moon period - Provisional government

Answer 7

• was to run until new constituent assembly
• made up of leading figures of the liberal parties, dominated by Milyvkov and also run by Prince Lvov
• was popularly accepted - lack of power as couldn’t send messages etc without the Petrograd Soviets knowing
• actions taken = granting freedom of press and speech and showed no intention of taking Russia out of the war

Question 8

Dual authority - Honey moon period - Petrograd soviet

Answer 8

idea came from the Menshevik party
chairman = Ckteidze
Vice chairman = Kerensky
Made up of workers and soldiers
- Order no 1 stated soldiers would only obey orders from the provisional government if they agreed to them
- controlled everything in Petrograd
- workers given right to strike as they believed there needed to be a bourgeoise revolution

Question 9

Lenin’s arrival back to Petrograd

Answer 9

given sealed railway passage when travelling through Germany
- he called for…
- Worldwide socialist revolution
- end to war
- end of provisional government
- soviet to take power
- land given to peasants
These made up the April Thesis - called the ‘ravings of a mad man’ by the Mensheviks
- Lenin described as a ‘ bright, blinding beacon’
The April thesis turned into slogans such as ‘bread, peace and land’

Question 10

July days

Answer 10

frustration over failure over summer offensive
- 4th July - 20,000 armed sailors from Krondstadt naval base - demanded the soviets take power
The riots were believed to have been started by the Bolsheviks who’s goals to end the war and spread food supplies appealed to the workers
Lenin accused of working with the Germans
As a result Lenin fled, Trotsky and leading Bolsheviks arrested and Bolshevik newspapers closed down

Question 11

Kornilov affair

Answer 11

Kerensky appointed Kornilov as commander of Russian forces - sent troops into Petrograd to establish military control - damaged Kerensky’s reputation and Bolsheviks seen as the saviours and elected in huge numbers - 9th September had complete control if the Petrograd soviet

Question 12

Problems facing Kerensky

Answer 12

• Liberals in provisional Gove moving to the right
• Soldiers were leaving the front line = widespread violence etc.
• Support for Bolsheviks increasing
• Increasing lawlessness
• economic situation in the cities was deteriorating - grain not getting in from the Countryside
• Lenin increasing in influence