Please complete for homework

throughout the week

World War I
Essay
Due by Friday morning, hard-
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1917 Russian Revolution
◦ The economic unrest in Russia soon resulted in a social revolution, THE
starting with a series of protests on Saturday 18th February 1917, FEBRUARY
where 20,000 workers at the Putilov Steel Works were locked out 1917
by their managers after a disagreement over pay REVOLUTIO
◦ Thursday 23rd February 1917, thousands of female textile workers N
shut down their factories
◦ Food shortage, especially the lack of bread, was a key reason for the
strikes
◦ Soon white-collar workers, teachers and others joined the workers
on the street
◦ Eventually, soldiers also joined as they refused to follow orders and
shoot at the crowds
◦ Effective civil authority collapsed and the streets became a theatre
of revolutionary defiance
◦ Amidst the chaos, the government also collapsed and Nicholas II
abdicated the throne on 2nd March 1917
◦ The government of Nicholas II was replaced by the ‘Authority
without
Provisional Government from March 1917 and were Power’

only in power for 8 months

◦ A competing body to the Provisional Government FEBRUARY
emerged: the Petrograd Soviet, who published a series TO
of demands (known as Soviet Order No. 1) that severely OCTOBER
limited the power of the Provisional Government 1917
◦ E.g. “All orders issued by the Military Commission of the State Duma (Provisional
Government) shall be carried out, except those which run counter to the orders and decrees
issued by the Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies.​”

◦ The Soviets had real civic power because they were ‘Power
without
considered the national representatives of the ‘people’ Authority’

(workers, peasants, soldiers)

◦ This coexistence of two competing authorities became
known as ‘Dual power’
July 16–20 FEBRUARY
◦ Workers and soldiers in Petrograd stage a series of armed demonstrations that TO
become known as the July Days (led by Bolshevik leader of the Petrograd
Soviet, Leon Trotsky) OCTOBER
◦ As a result of these actions, Aleksandr Kerensky becomes the head of a new 1917
provisional government
◦ Fearing a possible coup by the Bolsheviks, he accuses Lenin of being a
“German agent,” which results in Lenin’s fleeing the country for Finland
◦ Numerous other Bolsheviks are jailed
September 9
◦ Lavr Georgiyevich Kornilov, the commander in chief of the Russian army,
orders troops to march on Petrograd to forestall what he perceives as a
Bolshevik threat
◦ The move, widely seen as an attempted coup, is put down by Kerensky and his
loyal troops, with help from the Bolsheviks who he released from prison
◦ Kornilov’s failed intervention serves to increase the power and popularity of the
Bolsheviks as more Russians defensively flock to Kornilov’s main target
Georgy Lvov (left) was made Chairman of the Provisional Government after the
abdication of the Tsar. Lvov was in charge from March to July 1917, when he was
replaced by Alexander Kerensky (right).
THE
PROVISIONAL
GOVERNMEN
T
◦ Real name Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov
◦ Leader of the Bolshevik Party
◦ After his return to Petrograd in April VLADIMIR
1917, Lenin’s clear focus and vision LENIN
quickly reunited his Bolshevik Party
◦ He was disgusted that the Soviet had
agreed to support the Prov.
Government
◦ Bolsheviks were the
smallest revolutionary group in Russia
by far  however, membership began
to rise rapidly from April and
they gained the support of most factory
committees and the sailors 
 THE
OCTOBER
REVOLUTIO
N

OR THE BOLSHEVIK
REVOLUTION
◦ Takes place 24th-25th October, during which the Bolsheviks and revolutionary THE
soldiers depose the provisional government and declare that state power has
been passed to the soviets OCTOBER
◦ Kerensky flees Petrograd, the soviets declare the immediate withdrawal of REVOLUTIO
Russia from World War I, and 74 years of Soviet government begins N
 • The events of 1905-1917 became overwhelming
• A series of public protests begin in Petrograd, which last for eight days
• Some soldiers refuse to fire and many even join the revolution
February 1917
SUMMARY
OF 1917
• Tsar Nicholas II abdicates the throne, leaving his brother Grand Duke Mikhail in charge
• Mikhail announces his refusal to accept the throne  this is the end of the Romanov Dynasty
• A Provisional Government is established
From Feb- • Russia’s involvement in WWI continues, leaving people still unsatisfied
October 1917

• Lenin returns to Petrograd after a 20-year exile from Russia and begins to rebuild his power as leader
of the Bolsheviks
• They promise the people “Peace, Land, Bread”
• The Bolsheviks overthrow the Provisional Government
October 1917 • Russia signs the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with Germany and withdraws from the war