Russia Mock Flashcards
What year was the February revolution?
1917
What caused the February revolution?
Bread, fuel and flour storages
Working hours
On the 19th of February, government officials in Petrograd announced rationing would start on the 1st of March
When did the February revolution start?
On 23rd of February, Russia celebrated international woman’s day. Large groups of women marched to demand equal rights but other groups of people joined them.
What happened in the days following international women’s day?
The next day about 150,000 workers took the streets armed with tools and metal bars. Demonstrations spread as the day went on. The army and police were helpless and the demonstrators were encouraged to take further action.
How did the Tsar respond to the February revolution?
On 25th of February, hardly anyone in Petrograd went to work, about 200,000 took the street. The Tsar ordered the general in charge of the troops in Petrograd to ‘put down the disorders by tomorrow’.
How did the army respond to the Tsar’s orders on the February revolution?
On the 26th, troops were ordered to fire at the demonstrations. Some troops refused to fire and changed sides. But the next day they refused to leave Petrograd and called other troops to join them and took guns and ammunition with them to join the people. The Tsar and government were not ready for the uprising. The army brought weapons and organised the people. The police largely stayed loyal to the government. On 27th-28th people stormed into prisons and released political prisoners.
Why did the provisional government fail?
There were high expectations of them:
People were expecting them to make reforms and rule effectively.
People hoped that they would:
Take Russia out of the war
Improve living conditions for workers in towns and cities
Solve storages
Redistribute land and farm properties
It needed help from the Petrograd Soviet to get laws passed and acted on - the Petrograd soviet controlled the people, not the PG.
The PG only controlled Petrograd and other cities and towns in northern Russia
They did not make big decisions because they thought that that should be done by the new government that would have been elected in the November elections.
They made it possible for people to openly criticise what the PG was failing to do.
