InNo+mengxinw2013+10.21.10


 * AWESOME PART **

The timeline shows the events that happened in the Revolution of March 1917, where the Tsar was overthrown, and the end to autocracy.
 * Timeline and events that led to the fall of Russian autocracy**


 * Political Handout from the anti-Lenins
 * This is a handout to people in 1917 who were supporting Lenin. This is from oppositions of Lenin, urging people not to go on strike.**


 * NOTES ON PART 2 **


 * Russia at War **
 * · Went to war in August 1914 **
 * · News that the country was at war very popular **
 * · Patriotic demonstrations in support of Tsar all over Russia **
 * · Hatred of Germany spread, Nicholas renamed St Petersburg to Petrograd because it sounded too much like a German name **


 * Early Defeats **
 * · 2 Russian armies attacked Germany at end of August 1914 **
 * · should have won great victory against single German army facing them, however Russian armies were badly led and badly equipped **
 * · nearly 1 million men were without rifles; many didn’t even have boots **
 * · two battles at TANNENBERG and MASURIAN LAKES, both Russian armies were wiped out **
 * · 250,000 Russians killed, wounded or taken prisoner only after six weeks of start of war **
 * · By end, lost over one million men **


 * Collapse of Economy **
 * · War continued in 1915, Russian economy began to collapse **
 * · Lack of workers, 15.5 million young men taken into armies to fight, halving number needed to work in factories and fields **
 * · 1915, nearly 600 factories closed because not enough workers **
 * · many farms weeds grew in empty fields where corn had grown **
 * · Russia depends on railway for food and raw materials, but not enough trains to keep armies as well as towns people supplied with food and materials **
 * · Thousands of tons of food rotted in railway sidings in countryside while Russians in towns went hungry because there weren’t enough trains to transport them **
 * · Coal supplies to factories and power stations stopped **
 * · Power failed, more factories had to close **
 * · Russian money lost its value while food prices went up **
 * · On fighting fronts, defeat followed defeat, by end of 1915, 300,000 Russians had been killed and 3 million were wounded or locked up in prison camps **


 * Dark forces destroying the throne **
 * · In august 1915, Nicholas decided to take personal command of his armies **
 * · Left Petrograd and went to army headquarters, 500 km away **
 * · Fatal mistake, left Alexandra in charge of government in Petrograd, who is completely under influence of Rasputin **
 * · Next 16 month, Alexandra was able to do what she liked **
 * · Used her power to sack ministers who she disliked, and replaced them with men whom she and Rasputin liked **
 * · In 16 months had four different PMs, 5 ministers of the Interior, 4 ministers of Agriculture, 3 ministers of War, 2 Ministers of Foreign Affairs **
 * · Ministers come and go at such sped, work for government halted **
 * · Food, fuel, ammunition in short supply, but is almost unobtainable now **
 * · Russian armies won some important victories, death toll of Russian soldiers continued to rocket until went over 1 million **
 * · Ugly rumors about Alexandra and Rasputin everywhere **
 * · Ppl use her to explain Russia’s defeats; Alexandra, who’s a German, and Rasputin were German agents working to destroy Russia **
 * · Closest supporters of Tsar in despair, one spoke out in Duma saying there were “DARK FORCES DESTROYING THE THRONE” **
 * · 3 nobles loyal to Tsar decided to murder Rasputin to destroy those dark forces **
 * · news of Rasputin’s death made public rejoice, however, didn’t help Russia, **
 * · new year, began with blizzards and temps so low, more than a thousand railway engines froze and burst their boilers **
 * · no grains, coal, wood, oil; people huddled freezing in homes, conditions became right for revolution **


 * Revolution **
 * · Conditions grew rapidly worse in March 1917, led to full-scale revolution which overthrew Tsar **
 * · 7 March, 20,000 tough, angry steel workers locked out of their factory, now out on streets in a mood for trouble; other factory workers went on strike **
 * · 8 March, 50 factories closed down, 90,000 workers on strike; International Women’s day, thousands of socialist women on streets demonstrating; everyone wants bread **
 * · 9 March, 200,000 workers on strike, **
 * · 10 March, 250,000 workers on strike; no public transport or newspaper; food shortages continued; Cossacks refused to attack a procession of strikers when ordered to **
 * · 11 March, President of Duma sent telegram to Tsar, saying situation is serious, wild shooting on streets, and urgent that someone enjoying confidence of country be entrusted with formation of new government; Tsar ordered Duma to stop meeting **
 * · 12 March, mutiny began in army, soldier shot commanding officer, left barracks, and marched into centre of Petrograd; Dumas met and set up 12 man committee called PROVISIONAL COMMITTEE to take over government, while revolutionaries et up SOVIET, or council of workers and soldiers in Petrograd; intended to take over government and immediately began to organize food supply for city **
 * · 13 March, Nicholas sent telegram to Duma, stating he would share power with Duma; Duma refused, said it was too late **
 * · 14 March, leading army generals informed Nicholas that none of the army supported him; Nicholas wanted to return to Petrograd from army headquarters, and take control of situation, but train was stopped by revolutionaries **
 * · 15 March, 250 km away from Petrograd, revolutionaries halted his train; agreed to abdicate and give throne to Alexis, but realized he’s too ill, so gave crown to his brother, Grand Duke Michael **
 * · Grand Duke Michael feared he would be just as unpopular as Nicholas, and abdicated within 24 hours; Russia now a republic **


 * Two New Governments **
 * · 12-man committee that Duma set up called PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT, meaning they would govern Russia for short time until elections could be held; then resign **
 * · Provisional Government = official government **
 * · PETROGRAD SOVIET OF WORKERS’ AND SOLDIERS’ DEPUTIES = unofficial government **
 * · Council elected by working people, aimed to protect working people and soldiers **
 * · Other Soviets set up in towns all over Russia; took lead from Petrograd Soviet **
 * · Whatever Petrograd Soviet decided was imitated by other soviets, gave them great power **
 * · 1st action of Petrograd Soviet was issue an order to armed forces known as ORDER NO.1 **
 * · stated that soldiers and sailors must set up committees to take control of all arms, ammunition and equipment; off-duty soldiers not to salute their officers and had to address them as Mister Colonel, or Mister, General, instead of Your Excellency **
 * · Order No.1 obeyed in all parts of army and navy, showing Petrograd Soviet controlled armed forces **
 * · Many deputies in Soviet were revolutionaries, especially SRs and Mensheviks, some Bolsheviks **
 * · Wanted all land to be given to peasants and factories to be given to workers, but didn’t want to push their demands too far; willing to co-operate with Provisional Government to wait for changes they wanted **


 * Lenin and April Theses **
 * · At time of March Revolution, leader of Bolsheviks, Lenin was in exile in Switzerland **
 * · Disagreed with revolutionaries who co-operated with Provisional Government; wanted to get back to Russia to organize a second revolution **
 * · Lenin was 2000 km away and land between Switzerland and Russia held by Germany and Austria, Russia’s enemies in Great War **
 * · Germans happy to help Lenin get back home; knew he would make trouble for Provisional Government, therefore, help Germany in war, provided Lenin with food, money and special train which he crossed Germany safely **
 * · Reached Petrograd in April 1917, soon after arrival, made speech to Bolsheviks saying there must be end to war with Germany; land must be given to peasants, banks nationalized, Bolsheviks should change their name to Communists, and No support must be given to Provisional Government **
 * · Lenin believed Soviets should get together to form new government, all power to Soviets; idea later became known as April Theses **
 * · April These = big surprise for Bolsheviks **
 * · Lenin was telling them to start a second revolution, and many thought that the time was not yet right **
 * · Their doubts proved correct when Russian armies made major attack on Austria, and failed, turned into a retreat **
 * · Soldiers deserted from armies in large numbers, many went to Petrograd where joined up with Bolsheviks to demand an end to Provisional Government **
 * · >100,000 soldiers and Bolsheviks roamed streets shouting “All Power to the Soviets” while demanding that Bolsheviks should seize power **
 * · after 3 days, the JULY DAYS, Minister of War, Alexander Kerensky sent loyal troops into Petrograd; broke up mobs, killing and wounding 400 of them **
 * · Kerensky claimed that Bolsheviks had been paid by Germans to make trouble and Lenin was a German agent **
 * · Lenin fled into Finland when Kerensky issued orders for his arrest, and leading Bolsheviks were arrested and put in prison **


 * Kornilov Revolt **
 * · Kerensky became Prime Minister of Provisional Government, immediately faced with challenge from Commander-in-Chief of armies, General Kornilov **
 * · Kornilov believed Russia needed a strong man that himself should be in charge; planned to get rid of Petrograd Soviet, arrest revolutionaries, and take control of Provisional Government so that he could fight Germany without interference **
 * · Kornilov rebel troops =some of the best in Russia, Savage Division from the Caucasus mountains and Cossacks **
 * · Sent them to Petrograd with orders to get rid of Provisional Government **
 * · Kerensky had few loyal troops to defend him, seemed as if Kornilov’s revolt wuld succeed **
 * · Kerensky allowed Bolsheviks to set up a defense force called RED GUARDS to help him defend Petrograd **
 * · 25,000 Bolsheviks armed with rifles and machines guns were on on streets within a few days **
 * · Kornilov’s troops refused to fight against fellow workers and Kornilov was soon arrested **
 * · Bolsheviks came out of Kornilov revolt as heros, saving the Provisional Government; proved they were not German agents; also came out of it as an armed and disciplined fighting force **
 * · Strengthened their position when they got majority in elections for Petrograd Soviet in September **
 * · Same happened in elections for Soviets in Moscow and other big cities **
 * · Bolsheviks were more powerful than they had ever been before, began to consider carrying out a second revolution, chances of success looked good **


 * Bolshevik Revolution of November 1917 **
 * · During September and October, Kerensky and Provisional Government gradually lost authority **
 * · Peasants in countryside rebelled, soldiers refused to fight the Germans, Bolsheviks workers in cities got ready for second revolution **


 * State of Russia in September 1917 **
 * · Summer of 1917, peasants began to take control of land which they grew food on **
 * · Waited since March for Provisional Governemnt to give them land, but failed to do so **
 * · More than 2000 farms peasants killed landlords and divided land up among themselves **
 * · Seized land of Church and Tsar **
 * · Kerensky tried to stop them from grabbing land by sending soldiers on “punishment expeditions” into countryside **
 * · Expeditions went out whipping peasants and burning their homes **
 * · Kerensky could not find enough loyal troops to do this dirty work for him, so in most areas violence between landlords and peasants continued **
 * · Violence delayed harvest which led to food shortages; Russia already desperately short of food, possible famine in winter **
 * · Armies discipline was breaking down, Petrograd Soviet’s Order No.1 already led many soldiers disobey orders given by their officers **
 * · Thousands of soldiers deserting from army every week, mostly go back to villages to make sure they got their fair share of land **
 * · Front lines Bolsheviks encouraged soldiers to lay down their weapons and give up fighting **
 * · Drunkenness, chaos and violence everywhere in army; many amused themselves by rolling live hand grenades into their officers’ quarters **


 * November Revolution **
 * · October 1917, Lenin returned to Petrograd from hiding place in Finland; Bolsheviks meeting said they should begin revolution immediately **
 * · Bolshevik leaders agreed to stage an armed uprising against Provisional Government; Leon Trotsky, Bolshevik chairman of Petrograd Soviet drew up plans and set up headquarters in SMOLNY INSTITUTE, a disused school **
 * · Trotsky didn’t have to make his plans in secret because nothing Kerensky and PG could do to stop him **
 * · Army supported Bolsheviks; guards of Peter and Paul Fortress gave all rifles in fortress to Bolsheviks **
 * · Night of November 6, Red Guards well armed with rifles from Peter and Paul Fortress, ready for action **
 * · Began to take control of all the most important locations in Petrograd **
 * · Began by taking control of 6 bridges across the river Neva; seized government buildings, power station, and railway station **
 * · Provisional Government had headquarters in WINTER PALACE; guarded on by army cadet and Women’s Battalion of army **
 * · Evening of 7 November, cruiser, AURORA, Bolsheviks sailors had captured, saile dup river Neva; fired blank shells at Winter Palace **
 * · Guns in Peter and Paul Fortress opened fire on Palace **
 * · Red Guards stormed Winter Palace **
 * · Cadets and Women’s Battalion gave in without a fight; ministers of PG surrendered; taken under arrest **
 * · Bolsheviks controlled Petrograd **
 * · Next day, Lenin announced he was setting up a new government; Bolsheviks come to power after a single day of rebellion where 18 people had been arrested and 2 people had been killed **


 * Summary: ****
 * Russia’s economy was collapsing, while it is still at war with Germany. This led to the Revolution of March 1917, where people began by striking, but eventually, overthrew the Tsar. Overthrow of the Tsar meant that there were new government set up, the Provisional Government, set up by the Duma, and the Petrograd Soviet, consisting Mensheviks, SRs and some Bolsheviks. Lenin came back to the Bolsheviks, and eventually, they started the Bolshevik Revolution of November 1917, where they took control of Petrograd.**


 * Questions: ****
 * 1. Why did Nicholas leave the government in Petrograd with Alexandra? **
 * 2. Why was this a bad idea? **
 * 3. What were the two new governments after the fall of the Tsar? **
 * 4. Where was the headquarter of the Bolsheviks? **
 * 5. Why did Lenin escape to Finland after he returned from Switzerland **