the february revolution 1917

Question 1

in january 1917 what was it the anniversary of and what did people do?

Answer 1

anniversary of bloody sunday so a demonstration was formed by 150,000 petrograd workers.

Question 2

what was the cause of the february revolution?

Answer 2

shortage of bread

Question 3

what happened on monday 14th february?

Answer 3

100,000 workers from 58 different factories on strike in petrograd.
news that bread rationed from 1st march brought long bread queues
police attacked as struggled to keep order

Question 4

what happened on wednesday 22nd february?

Answer 4

200,000 workers locked out of putilov steel works

Other factories went on strike in support

Question 5

what happened on thursday 23rd february (international womens day)?

Answer 5

90,000 workers went on strike
50 factories closed
Striking workers joined womens march
Militant students and women from bread queues joined the lines
240,000 on the streets

Question 6

what happened on friday 24th february?

Answer 6

200,000 workers on strike
Crowds overturned tsarist statues, waved red flags,wore red rosttes, shouted revolutionary slogans
No onvious organisation from any political parties

Question 7

what happened on saturday 25th february?

Answer 7

250,000 on strike
Petrograd was a virual standstill
Almost all major factories and shops were closed
No newspapers and no public transport
Band of civilians killed by soldiers
Cossacks refused to attack strikers

Question 8

what happened on sunday 26th february?

Answer 8

Rodzianko sent telegram to tsar warning him of serious situation in petrograd
Nicholas ignored the warning and ordered the duma to dissolve the next day.

Question 9

what happened on monday 27th february?

Answer 9

Tsar ordered general to restore order by military force.
40 demonstraters killed
Mutiny began in volynskii regiment
66,000 soldiers mutinies and joined protestors , arming them with 40,000 rifles
Police headquarters attacked and prisons opened
Duma held a meeting and set up 12 man provisional committee to take over government
Armys high command supporte duma committee
Revolutionaries set up a soviet which intended to take over government
Soviet began to organise food supplies for city

Question 10

what happened on tuesday 28th february?

Answer 10

Nicholas started making way back to petrograd

Nicholas sent telegram to rodzianko offering to share power with duma but it was too late

Question 11

what did these disturbances in petrograd seem?

Answer 11

spontaneous and leaderless

Question 12

where were the bolshevik and SR leaders during the feb revolution?

Answer 12

Social Democrats Lenin and Martov were in zurich
Trotsky was in new york
Chernov of SR was in paris

Question 13

what did historian james white find?

Answer 13

a liberal group including milykov, guchkov, konovalov, tereshchenko were already planning a coup to topple the tsar and were considerably alarmed by the turn of events in feb which they feared might get out of hand.

suggets there were small bands of revolutionary activists at work in feb although whether they instigated the troubles or just tried to influence progression of events isnt clear.

Question 14

how did soviet historians interpret the events of february 1917?

Answer 14

the result of the inevitable class struggle between bourgeoisie-proletarian forces on one side and traditional aristocratic forces on the urban workers in St.Petersburg.

since they couldnt point to direct bolshevik leadership, they preferred to accept the idea of a spontaneous rising driven by the oppressed working class.

Question 15

what does the emergence of soviets in petrograd and other cities suggest?

Answer 15

there was some sort of organisation by socialist leaders and the Petrograd soviet

Question 16

what did the petrograd soviet agree on under pressure from soldiers?

Answer 16

each regiment should elect committees and send representatives to the soviet

Question 17

when was the ‘Order No.1’ a charter of soldiers’ rights produced?

Answer 17

1st march

Question 18

what did the Order No.1 promise? (at least 2)

Answer 18

All units to elect a deputy to the Soviet
Agree to political control of PS
Duma to be obeyed only if it agreed with Soviets orders
All weapons controlled by elected soldiers committees
All soldiers to enjoy full citizen’s rights when off duty
No honorific titles to be used for officers

Question 19

by 10th march, how many members did the petrograd soviet have?

Answer 19

3000

Question 20

who was most of the petrograd soviets work done by?

Answer 20

executive committee

Question 21

who dominated the petrograd soviets executive committee?

Answer 21

socialist intellectuals including aleksandr kerensky

Question 22

who was nicholas II’s train diverted by and where did it stop?

Answer 22

diverted by rebellious railway workers and he stopped at Pskov

Question 23

who was the tsar under pressure by to reign?

Answer 23

general alexeev

Question 24

what agreement on the 1st march reassured alexeev?

Answer 24

that petrograd soviet would recognise a provisonal government formed by members of duma

Question 25

when did the duma committee reach pskov and what was agreed?

Answer 25

2nd march and his abdication was agreed but mikhail refused the offer of the throne

Question 26

what happened to the tsar and his family after his abdication?

Answer 26

placed under house arrest