Topic 2 facts Flashcards
what was Trotsky’s response when asked about who led the Feb revolution?
conscious and tempered workers educated in the main by the party of Lenin
events of the Feb revolution
- 14th Feb 100k workers went on strike in Petrograd
- 90k workers and 5 factories closed on intl. womens day on 23rd. City fell into chaos with 240k on the streets. Ordered restored desperately by the police
- 200k workers striked on 24th Feb and crowds overturned tsarist statues, waved red flags etc.
- there was no obvious organisation from any of the radical political parties
- 25th Feb 250k (over half capital’s workforce) went on strike and Petrograd was at a standstill
- Duma president Rodzianko sent a telegram to the tsar on 26th Feb warning him of situations but it was ignored and the star ordered the Duma to dissolve the next day
- 27th Feb soldiers were ordered onto streets and 40 demonstrators killed. Duma set up a 12 man committee to take over govt. but revolutionaries set up a Soviet which also intended to take control
- Feb 28th Nicholas sent a telegram offering to share power with the Duma who declined saying it was too late
what was Soviet order no.1 and when was it passed?
it directed the military to obey the orders of the Soviet and not the PG. Passed on March 1st 1917
when was the tsar abdicated
March 2nd 1917
who were the provisional govt?
set up by members of the Duma and led by Alexander Kerensky. Carried out very few major reforms, preferring to wait for the elected constituent assembly. Lvov (PM) and Kerensky were popular as they talked about ruling with the people
why did the workers come to hate the PG?
the PG was unable to end the shortages of food and fuel in Petrograd because it continued the war which was causing the shortages
why did the soldiers come to hate the PG?
the PG did nothing to stop the war. Desertions increased, death squads were sent to execute deserters.
why id the peasants hate the PG?
they did nothing to solve the land problem. In the countryside, the peasants started taking over the land of the nobles and the PG sent soldiers to retrieve the land by force
why did the PG not have real power?
- the real power was held by the Soviet
- the PG was unelected- it was merely a government of national confidence
what were Lenin’s three key ideas on his return?
peace, bread and land
when did Lenin return to Russia?
April 1917
what was the Milyukov note?
foreign minister Pavel Milyukov sent allied powers a telegram stating that the PG would continue with war with tsarist aims. Telegram was leaked to the Bolsheviks and sparked protests as the PG had previously promised the end of tsarism
why were Milyukov and Guchkov forced to resign?
protests of the decision to continue with war led to popular pressure led by the Petrograd soviet in May
When and what happened in the July Days?
July 4th 1917- armed demonstrations from workers and soldiers against the PG. Riots began at Kronstadt naval base. 20,000 marched to the capital demanding the Soviet take power
when and what was the Kornilov affair?
August 25th 1917- it was an attempted military coup by the Commander-in-chief of the army Lavr Kornilov against the PG. Trotsky said Kerensky wanted to use the revolt of the general to reinforce his own dictatorship
