1917 revolutions + developments

The February/March revolution of 1917, Developments between the revolutions, and the October/November 1917 revolution

14th February

• 100,000 workers from 58 different factories went on Strike in Petrograd.

• They said bread would be rationed, led to long queues and violence.

• Police were attacked.

Wednesday 22nd February-

• 20,000 workers locked out of Putilov steel factory by management after pay talks collapsed.

• Workers in other factories went on strike in support.

Thursday 23rd February-

• Workers joined the women's march.

• Students and people in the bread queue also joined.

• 240,000 were out on the street, the city was in chaos.

• No one died and the police returned control.

Friday 24th February

• 200,000 people were on strike and overturned tsarist statues.

• They sang La Marseillaise and people wore red rosettes.

• Not organised by any political party.

Saturday 25th February-

• 250,000 (over half the city's workforce) went on strike.

• Petrograd was at a stand-still.

• Cossacks (Ukrainan Russians) refused to attack protestors and Shalfeev (leader of mounted police fore) was brutally murdered

Sunday 26th February-

• Rodziamko, Duma President, sent the tsar a warning telegram about danger in city.

• The tsar ignored him and dissolved the duma the next day.

Monday 27th

• The tsar ordered control to be restored by military force- 40 demonstrators were killed, 66,000 soldiers mutinied in the Volynskii regiment, protestors were armed with 40,000 rifles.

• The Duma tried to set up a 12 man committee to keep control.

• The army's high command told them not to continue their march on city and to support the Duma committee.

• Revolutionaries also set up a Soviet which they wanted to take over government.

Tuesday 28th February

• The tsar left his military headquarters and started to make his way back to Petrograd.

• He sent a telegram to Rodziamko offering to share power with the Duma.

• Rodziamko said that it was too late and declined the offer. 

Leadership during February revolution-

• All the Bolshevik leaders were in prison or exile.

• Local socialist groups set up councils (soviets).

• Petrograd soviet = most important, 3000 members by march 10th.

• introduced order 1

Order 1-

• All military units had to elect a deputy to the Petrograd Soviets.

• The Military only had to follow the Duma if the Soviets agreed.

March 2nd-

The tsar abdicated.

Dual authority created-

Made of the Provisional Government + the Petrograd Soviets

The PG

• Headed by Prince Lvov, aristocrat and Zemstvo leader.

• Made of formed supporters of constitutional monarchy-mainly composed of Kadets and their leader, Milyukov, and a socialist minister, Kerensky.

• Planned to be temporary until a Constitutional assembly could be elected.

• Supported by the old tsarist civil service, army officers/ police.

• The government replaced regional governors with Commissars, but often held less power than local worker groups.

• The first decree allowed for amnesty for political and religious prisoners, freedom of speech, and the press.

• The government abolished the death penalty and arranged for elections to elect the Constituent Assembly.

The Petrograd Soviets-

• Made of socialist intellectuals- Mensheviks and SRs.

• Executive committee members were elected- unlike PG.

• Seen by workers, soldiers and peasants to be more democratic and less elitist compared to PG.

Kerensky-

Member of the SR party and State Duma, only member of both PG and PS. Helped negotiate dual authority.

Dual authority issues-

There were many disagreements:

• Soviets encouraged workers/ soldiers to defy authority, PG wanted harsher discipline.

• PG wanted to win the war, PS wanted to end Russia’s involvement- as long as no land went to Germany.

• PG wanted a constitutional assembly but knew the SRs would win, wanted to avoid this.

• Soviet' ‘protected’ workers/ soldiers- obstacle to PG.

Key developments

• Lenin’s return (April)

• April theses

• July days

• Kornilov coup

Lenin’s return-

Lenin's Return from exile in Switzerland on April 3rd.
• Lenin restored order to the Bolshevik party after exile.
• The party was on the brink of suppression and disbandment.
• Without Lenin's return, the provisional government might have survived until the Constituent Assembly Elections.
• Lenin revived the Bolsheviks' desire for a second revolution and a communist system.
• People saw Lenin as a revolutionary saviour for change in Russia

April theses-

• 'Peace, bread, land' and ‘all power to the soviets’.

• April Theses: Bolshevik Policy and Ideals

• Second manifesto detailing Bolsheviks' post-February Revolution policies.

• Refusal to support PG.

• Demands ending war and giving power to Soviets.

• Went around Marxist stage theory- thought middle class was too weak for revolution, that the Soviets were a ready-made soviet government and permanent revolution.

July days-

• Started at Kronstadt naval base.

• Bolsheviks did not directly sanction demonstrations, including Lenin.

• Party was blamed, newspapers shut down, and leaders arrested (Trotsky).

• PG, supported by Mensheviks and SRs, sent troops to put down demonstrations.

• Kerensky became new PM of PG , promising workers "work, bread, land".

Kornilov coup-

• Brusilov's Russian advance defeated. Leads to an increase in desertions in June 1917.

• Kerensky reinstated death penalty and appointed Kornilov as commander-in-chief.

• Bolsheviks boycotted Moscow State conference and organized strike.

• Right wing and moderates favoured Kornilov over socialist takeover.

• Factory owners granted strike rights, benefiting government.

• Kornilov marched on Petrograd for military dictatorship in August 1917.

• Kerensky halted coup by releasing imprisoned Bolsheviks, and giving peasants weapons.

• Backfire led to Bolshevik takeover.

Bolshevik membership

Membership of Bolsheviks increased from 23,000 to 200,000.

Reasons for increased popularity of Bolsheviks

• PG failed to fix food shortages (B promised to end food shortages).

• War still continued- Russia’s offensive in June failed (B promised to end immediately).

• PG pushed back land redistribution to the peasants until Constituent assembly.

• Kornilov coup- revolution under threat from right (B said this would happen).

• B seen as saviours- had 200,000 Red Guards.

• B played on PG fears of a right-wing revolution- led to the creation of Military revolutionary committee.

• Kerensky weakened by Kornilov coup.

Lenin and the Central committee of the Bolshevik party.

1. From mid-September Lenin demand B get ready for revolution.

2. Kamenev and Zinoviev disagreed- R not economically ready. Wanted to wait until after CA.

3. Trotsky argued that revolution could be avoided if B became leader party at CA.

4. Lenin returned and convinced the central committee that "an armed uprising” was necessary. (10th October).

5. K and Z refused to support. T led the organisation.

6. T sent Commissars to get loyalty from Petrograd garrisons.

7. 16th October- T and Dzerzhinsky- had established MRC.

MRC-

200,000 Red Guard, 60,000 Baltic sailors and 150,000 soldiers before October revolution.

First decree of PG-

• The first decree allowed for amnesty for political and religious prisoners, freedom of speech, and the press.

• The government abolished the death penalty and arranged for elections to elect the Constituent Assembly.

Impact of Monday 27th- military force being used-

40 demonstrators were killed

66,000 soldiers mutinied in the Volynskii regiment

Protestors were armed with 40,000 rifles.