Source: File: Workers
and soldiers in front of the Duma. Russia 1917. See an original image at: <https://socialistworker.co.uk/art/44203/February+1917+++when+workers+remade+history>
[Accessed 16 March 2017]
Source: File: Nicholas
II, at Tsarskoye Selo after his
abdication in March 1917. See an original image at: <https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Nikolaus_II._%28Russland%29.jpg>
PD-US [Accessed 16 March 2017]
i
Matters of
internal Russia situations
Had been brooding
for some time -
The assassination
of Rasputin did little
To calm the
matters of Tsarist distrust.
The Romanovs had
been the only
Second dynasty to
rule Russia -
The Tsardom having
lasted for 300
Years; yet the
twentieth century bred
Resentment amid
poorest people.
An underclass of
Russian peasantry
Had been locked
in the past, to still
Use methods
agriculture devoid of
Any modernity -
making many poor.
The people had
not forgotten 1905,
The date Sunday
22 January, when
Unarmed protestors
approached
Winter palace led
by Father Georgy
Gapon, in order
to hand in a petition.
Without the Tsar's
orders, Imperial
Guard had fired
into the crowds to kill
Protestors;
Bloody Sunday effect had
Whipped up thoughts
of revolution.
With rapid
industries into the new
Century, conditions
still remained
Unfair; low wages
for long hours,
Unhealthy overcrowding
in cities -
By poverty came
political awareness.
In attempt to
placate the 1905 revolt,
Tsar Nicholas
acted to create reform
With an elected
parliament State Duma,
Whereby Tsar would
share all his power.
Duma, taken from
the word to 'think' -
The advisory was
the first elected
As result of male
suffrage, to hold
Provincial
members with demands.
Reforms over land
rights in trade
Unions and
political prisoners to be
Released - all
rejected by Tsar - then
Another Duma of
1907 also held
Reformers; Tsar Nicholas
ended this.
ii
Changes processed
refined ideals
For nobility's higher representatives -
The third Duma
lasted for full term
Of five years - the
fourth Duma ran
In a similar way
to carry on policies.
With same Duma in
place as war
Broke, a vote to
support Tsar was
Contested by
Bolshevik presence,
To be arrested
and sent to Siberia.
Mikhail Rodzianko, leader of third
Duma, though
supporting the Tsar,
Criticized his
rule and the presence
Of Monk Rasputin
- in suggesting
That he was in
fact a German spy.
A warning by
Rodzianko advised
Tsar to open his
eyes to Rasputin,
Who had evil
effect on his dynasty,
To undermine
confidence of power.
Yet the monk had
no wish for war,
To warn Nicholas
if they did join
Conflict the
monarch's institutions
Would be at risk
- Rasputin also
Envisioned his own assassination.
If nobles took Rasputin's
life descent
Would fall over
the state in plague;
Tsar's children
dead within two years -
With the Tsar
killed by the people.
By close of 1916
Rasputin was dead,
Murdered by gang
of nobility. While
Seen as mad, Rasputin’s
prophecies
Became true as
war took a toll over
Russia, whose
economy made falter.
With demands of
men to fight across
Front,
agriculture and Russia’s industries
Suffered -
Instead of supplying the cities
With food, transport carried armies.
A result led to
widespread starvation.
Leading the army
as commander
In chief, Tsar
Nicholas built a rod
For his back -
any failure would rest
On Tsar - his
absence added to effects.
iii
The autocratic state
needed the Tsar
To make
government decisions - while
Tsarina, a German
Princess, was left
In charge, with
Rasputin as advisor.
The people’s
frustrations prompted
A turn to
political groups, such as
The Bolsheviks - a
small organisation
Whose exiled
leaders had no power.
From the gloom of
a new year matters
Took hold -1917 the
days that fell within
Julian calendar,
whose out of kilter
Dates differed to
the west’s Gregorian.
Whilst March in other countries,
Russia was still
in February when
Difficulties quickly
emerged; shortage
Of food leading
to price rises finally
Prompted actions
by strikers.
Petrograd; a
great crowd gathered
11 February to
march along streets.
The people shouted frustrations out
And started to
smash shop windows.
The Duma blamed the government
Over inactions - here and there amid
Presence of
people could be seen
Army officers in
equality of protests;
Cossacks started to
patrol the streets.
The day before 10 February Rodzianko,
Had in Tsarskoye
Selo met the Tsar,
Warning of rising
tensions - to deflate
This, the Duma
should be bolstered.
Tsar Nicholas
dismissed the idea -
As each day
unfolded strikers held
To their protests, encouraged by the
Bolsheviks - meanwhile Mensheviks
Prompted an
alternative strike.
Believing in
revolution by bourgeois
Means to reform
in steps, not open
Revolt, an
alternative path to same
Results began to
support the Duma.
iV
By 14 February 58
factories with
90,000 workers
walked out on strike -
Yet the hoped for
walk on the Taurida
Palace failed to
disappoint Mensheviks,
To support the
seat of Imperial Duma.
Meanwhile a call
to overthrow Tsar
Stirred, prompted by
the Bolsheviks -
With Petrograd as centre of issues
Nicholas headed for Mogilev Belarus.
Tsar carried on as
commander in chief
At general
headquarters and Stavka.
18 February also
witnessed incidents,
Carried out at Petrograd’s
Putilov Mill,
Where the workers
demanded wages.
Higher costs of
living needed higher
Wages - the steel
mill workers, when
The owners
refused to meet demands,
Found themselves locked out of work.
22 February, a date when Tsar visited
Troops, the
20,000 workers called
A strike to be
joined by others; 100,000
Workers from
other factories - each
Day leading to
this date escalated.
23 February 1917 - being 8 March
In European
Gregorian Calendar -
Marked
international Women's day,
An event that
took place since 1909.
Commemorating moves for women’s
Rights, begun by
American Socialist
Party - the date
had fallen in unrest
Across Russia - morning in Petrograd
Saw Russian women
begin to march.
Their banners read 'Bread and Peace,'
A procession of
head-scarved women.
With dour faces all held seriousness
Of united Petrograd
textile workers.
Food supplies were
under control
Of ruthless
Kulaks - the rural land
Lords for years had by tax and tolls
Controlled working peasants people -
With war the
kulaks bought lands.
V
While Russian men
went to war -
The kulaks bought
their land - effects
Saw the value of
grain prices rise
Three times
higher than wages.
A spark had hit
the tinderbox, to see
Women walk out of
factories to raise
Protests - men
began to join them -
Petrograd became
a massed rally,
A day yet to be
known as revolution.
'Bread and Peace'
'End Shortages,' 'End
War,' 'End Czarism'
- Tsar Nicolas had
Been left unaware
of these progressive
Events in absence from the capital city.
One day’s unrest turned
into more, as
People gathered
in continued strikes -
When Tsar Nicholas
returned situations
Were all too
apparent; demonstrations
And strikers
seemed to rule the city.
In self-realisation, as Tsar to be centre
Of unrest, Nicholas
went into hiding -
24, 25, 26, 27
February saw tornado
Of fervor; Russia
was falling on knees.
Millions of men from
Russian lands had
Joined the army, food
costs spiraled as
Transportation
suffered - a bitter cold
Winter fuelled
the start of riots - people
Stated to smash
shops to take bread.
Unified chanting
on streets called down
The Tsar and
minister Protopopov, while
Red banners started
to be raised - the
Interior minister
sent urgent word to Tsar.
Misled, Nicholas believed
people's rising
Remained controlled;
orders were given
Taking firm steps
to quell unrest, while
Resignation of government
were to be
Considered - by
27th the Duma dissolved.
Protopopov was
held as brief dictator -
He had ignored
warnings of an ill-trained
Imperial guard, who then mutinied to join
The people - all
control became unstable.
Vi
From rooftops
police aimed and shot
Into the crowds, to
further stir angry
Reactions - many troops began to side
With the people -
a situation had gone
Too far, the Tsar
was asked to resign.
General Sergei
Khabalov, on date
27 February took
loyal attempts to put
Tsar’s orders into
effect; great banners
Displayed orders to clear the streets.
Yet more people gathered, to result
With firing into
the crowds - some
200 people fell
dead - to disperse rest
Of the crowds the
imperial Volinsky
Shot in the air,
as Pavlovsky rebelled.
The lifeguards
shot the officer instead.
Regiments of Preobrazhensky
guards,
Ismailovsky and
Semenovsky, joined
Volinsky guards
to abandon all duty.
Arsenal stores
were raided while
Buildings of government,
police,
Courts and
military were burned
Down - a fortress
came under control
Of the people as
army joined them.
A provisional
government formed
From remnants of
Duma amid disorder
And lack of loyal
troops; a renewed
Demand came for the Tsar's abdication.
Demand came for the Tsar's abdication.
To avoid possible
civil war and open
Way for German
invasion, Tsar Nicholas
Abdicated - to carry
on Romanov line his
Son Alexei - yet Doctors
advised the boy
Would not live
with his family in exile.
So Nicholas drew
a manifesto to state
How his brother, grand
Duke Michael,
Was to become
Tsar - yet he refused;
Unless the
people voted for monarch.
The February Revolution ended 2 March,
To leave Russia in precarious situation -
To leave Russia in precarious situation -
Nicholas without refinery, sat on a sawn
Tree stump throne - 3 unsmiling guards
Watch. Uniformed, wearing a single medal,
An unthroned Tsar faced a photographer.
Tree stump throne - 3 unsmiling guards
Watch. Uniformed, wearing a single medal,
An unthroned Tsar faced a photographer.
by Jamie Mann.
Source: File: New
Historian. February Revolution – History Changed in Less than a Fortnight.
Available at: <http://www.newhistorian.com/6000-2/6000/> [Accessed 16
March 2017]
Source: File:
Spartacus Educational: The Duma. Available at:
<http://spartacus-educational.com/RUSduma.htm> [Accessed 16 March 2017]
Source: File:
Spartacus Educational: Mikhail Rodzianko. Available at:
<http://spartacus-educational.com/RUSrodzianko.htm> [Accessed 16 March
2017]
Source: File: The
impact of the First World War on Russia. Available at: <http://www.schoolshistory.org.uk/gcse/russia/3_impactoffirstworldwaronrussia.htm#.WOPMy7GZMo8>
[Accessed 16 March 2017]
Source: File: Timeline
of the Russian Revolution (1917). Available at: <https://www.marxists.org/history/ussr/events/timeline/1917.htm>
[Accessed 16 March 2017]
Source: File: The
Putilov Strike of 1917. Available at:
<https://www.revolvy.com/topic/The%20Putilov%20Strike%20of%201917&uid=1575>
[Accessed 16 March 2017]
Source: File:
International Women's Day. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Women%27s_Day#cite_note-mmf1-8>
[Accessed 16 March 2017]
Source: File: 8th
of March - International woman’s day: in search of the lost memory. Available
at:
<https://web.archive.org/web/20110313064904/http://www.mmf2010.info/our-action/le-8-mars-2013-journee-internationale-des-femmes-a-la-recherche-de-la-memoire-perdue>
[Accessed 16 March 2017]
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Russia
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