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The February Revolution 1917. AS Revision. The sequence of events. War declared in August 1914 After a disastrous first year, Tsar assumes direct command of war effort in August 1915 Also in August 1915, Tsar dissolves Duma (in which the moderate majority had formed a ‘ Progressive Bloc ’.
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The February Revolution 1917 AS Revision
The sequence of events • War declared in August 1914 • After a disastrous first year, Tsar assumes direct command of war effort in August 1915 • Also in August 1915, Tsar dissolves Duma (in which the moderate majority had formed a ‘Progressive Bloc’.
The sequence of events • War effort continues to go badly, at huge cost • November 1916, Miliukov attacks the running of the war in the Duma – asks is this ‘stupidity or treason’? • With the Tsar concentrating on the war, domestic government was in the hands of Tsarina and Rasputin
The sequence of events • Ministers were regularly sacked (4 prime ministers, three defence ministers, six ministers of the interior) causing instability and discontent • Rasputin murdered in court coup in 1916 • June 1916 – failure of Brusilov’s offensive
The sequence of events • 27 Feb – International Women’s Day. Women’s march coincided with a bread riot and a strike at the Putilov arms works. • Unrest spread across the capital • Tsar was away from the capital at his war HQ – orders Duma dissolved, which it refuses to do.
The sequence of events • 27 Feb – Petrograd garrison goes over to the crowds; Petrograd Soviet established; Duma’s Temporary Committee established. • 1 March – Provisional Government formed (Lvov as head) • 2 March – Tsar abdicates, en route to Petrograd from military HQ. He was urged to do so by his own generals, and his brother refused to take over monarchy. • Revolution spreads to countryside
Why was there a revolution? Long-term causes: • Tsar’s personality and style of rule – committed to absolutism; indecisive; poor judge of character; limited ability to understand situation • The regime’s nature – repressive, corrupt, inefficient (Lena Goldfields, conduct of war, Bloody Sunday)
Why was there a revolution? –Long-term causes • Aspirations of middle class to govern (zemstvos, voluntary agencies during the famine) • Urban workers – angry at poor conditions • Peasants – poverty, land hunger.
Why was there a revolution? Short-term causes: • The war • Defeats and causalties led to disaffection • Tsar’s personal command – directly responsible for war effort • Economic effects – dire across the board (food and fuel shortages, infrastructure breakdown, inflated prices)
Why was there a revolution? –Short-term causes • Failure of Brusilov Offensive might have been last straw • Impact of Rasputin and Tsarina • Duma criticises Tsar • Generals turn against him
Why was there a revolution? - Historiography • Bolshevik view identifies worker agitation, led by Bolshevik leaders, as the key. • Revolution was inevitable as a result of conditions in Russia • Revolution was caused by the war • Revolution was unplanned, began accidentally, and gathered momentum as it went
Why was there a revolution? • The revolution was a function of the people’s discontent, who initiated and sustained it without external support.
What about Lenin? • In Switzerland at the time • Clearly did not expect revolution – a month before had said ‘we older ones will not live to see the revolution in our lifetime.’ • Played no role in the February events. • BUT Bolsheviks were on the new soviet
