Unit 4- 1917- Flashcards
by late february, how many were on strike in Petrograd?
240,000
4 broad causes of the february revolution
•nicholas II
•political
•military
•economic
what was the catalyst of the february revolution?
the Tsar took personal command of the army- which did not help the war effort and he was blamed for the defeats
when did the Duma establish the ‘Progressive Bloc’ and what was it?
•by 1915
•the beginnings of calls for a constitutional monarchy
how did Nicholas II cause the february revolution?
• took personal command of the army
• he left the Tsarina in charge. she was incompetent (she let rasputin run the government) and (because she was German) rumours circulated that she was trying to help Germany win
• he didn’t do anything to stop it, didn’t implement anything
what were the political causes of the february revolution?
•opposition parties became more prolific, including socialist activists. On february 27th socialist Duma deputies, mainly Mensheviks and SR’s, took the leads in organising a citywide soviet
•political dissatisfaction spread as soldiers from urban and rural areas fought on the eastern front together
•the state Duma was reassembled but then dissolved again as it was seen to be an instigator of the riots
what were the military causes of the february revolution?
•the army was badly led and poorly equipped. Russia had huge defeats in Tannenberg and Masurian Lakes- the Russians lost 200,000 men
•on the 26th of February the Army abandoned the Tsar- the soldiers mutinied and refused to put down the riots. The government lost control of the country
what did the army do on the 26th of february 1917?
they abandoned the Tsar, the soldiers mutinied and refused to put down the riots. the government lost control.
what were the economic causes of the february revolution?
•towns and factories grew but there was widespread worker poverty and poor living conditions
•the war took 15 million men from the farms and trains had to be used in the war so there was a lack of workers and transportation- which lead to food shortages and rising prices
after the war, what percentage did inflation rise to?
300%
what did the government ban after the war?
vodka
what happened on the 22nd of January 1917?
150,000 workers demonstrated in Petrograd in the anniversary of Bloody Sunday
what happened to international woman’s day?
it turned very political and others joined- an estimated 240,000
what happened on the 28th of february?
nicholas’ train was diverted and he was forced to abdicate
After the abdication of the Tsar, what power system emerged?
a ‘Dual power system’ emerged between the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet
what did the Provisional government consist of?
the remains of the Duma, mostly elites, they were led by Prince Lvov
•centre-right in outlook
•they had all the responsibility to rule but no support
what did the Petrograd Soviet consist of?
a collection of socialist groups dominated by the Mensheviks
•far left in outlook
•had all the support but no responsibility
what were 3 decisions the Provisional Government made that caused them to become unpopular?
•it was clear that they supported the war
• they failed to deal with land distribution so peasants began seizing the land
•they failed to deal with a collapsing economy