February 1917 Revolution

February 1917 Revolution

1. Causes

   • Russo-Japanese war
   • living costs rose to 300%
   • workers strikes
   • 23rd - Women's day turned to large protest by textile workers
   • little change from 1905
   • 19th - bread rationing caused riots in Petrograd
   • industralisation created new class

2. Consequences

   • Petrograd soviet
     • appealed to people
     • controlled military
   • provisional government
     • unappealing to people
     • wanted to stay in war
     • made of duma members
   • dual authority over Russia

3. 25th - Cossack troops refused to fire on demonstrators, guards refused

4. 28th - Tsar asked Duma for shared power, they refused

5. government dissolved Duma, who formed provisional government

6. March 1st - workers soviet joined to form Petrograd soviet

7. Tsar boarded train to get back Petrograd

   • stopped by PG
   • asked to abdicate by PG

8. Tsar passed throne to brother who refused

   • ending Romanov dynasty rule

9. Tsar Responsible

   • weak, ill-prepared
   • refused to cooperate with Dumas
   • poor leadership
   • exposed weaknesses in leaving Tsarina in control of Russia during WW1
   • bloody sunday lost popularity
   • industralisation created new class tensions and wealthier middle class
   • repressive regime
   • WW1 impact

10. Provisional Government

    • Summer Offensive
      • PG planned to end war, but soldiers refused
      • PG blamed for continuation of war and starvation
    • July Days
      • soviet power spread, peasants ceased land
      • Lenin called the Bolsheviks to take power
      • PG put down oppposition
      • Lenin and Trotsky fled
    • Lenin
      • 3rd April: arrives in Petrograd
      • 4th April: april theses speech
      • promised peace, bread and land
      • said PG was far from political freedom
      • gained Bolshevik support
    • Kornilov Affair
      • came into petrograd to support PG
      • PG thought he was trying to takeover so arrested him
      • reduced PG support
    • little control over countryside
    • Kadets & Oktoberists
    • faced inflation and loans
    • increased grain price by 100% to encourage peasants to sell their grain