The++Russian+Revolution+of+1917

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At the start of 1917 the country was ripe for revolution — growing rapidly, creating expanded social opportunities but also great uncertainty. Poor villagers more and more often migrated between agrarian and industrial work environments, and many relocated entirely, creating a growing urban labor force. A middle class of white-collar employees, businessmen, and professionals (the latter group comprising doctors, lawyers, teachers, journalists, engineers, etc.) was on the rise. Even nobles had to find new ways to subsist in this changing economy, and contemporaries spoke of new classes forming (proletarians and capitalists for example), although these classes were also divided along crisscrossing lines of status. It was becoming harder to speak of clearly-defined social groups or boundaries. Not only were groups fractured in various ways, their defining boundaries were also increasingly blurred by migrating peasants, worker intellectuals, gentry professionals, and the like. There was a general sense that the texture of people's lives was being transformed by a spreading commercial culture which remade the surfaces of material life (buildings, store fronts, advertisements, fashion, clocks and machines) and nurtured new objects of desire. By 1917, the growth of political consciousness, the impact of revolutionary ideas, and the weak and inefficient system of government (which had been debilitated further by its participation in World War I), should have convinced the emperor, Nicholas II, to take the necessary steps towards reform. In January 1917, in fact, Sir George Buchanan, the British Ambassador in Russia, advised the emperor to "break down the barrier that separates you from your people to regain their confidence." In response to his advice, Nicholas effectively disowned Buchanan. Many of the people of Russia resented the autocracy of Tsar Nicholas II and the corrupt and anachronistic elements in his government. He was seen as being out of touch with the needs and aspirations of the Russian people, the vast majority of whom were victims of the wretched socio-economic conditions which prevailed. Socially, Tsarist Russia stood well behind the rest of Europe in its industry and farming, resulting in few opportunities for fair advancement on the part of peasants and industrial workers. Economically, widespread inflation and food shortages in Russia contributed to the revolution. Militarily, inadequate supplies, logistics, and weaponry led to heavy losses that the Russians suffered during World War I; this further strengthened Russia's view of Nicholas II as weak and unfit to rule. Ultimately, these factors, coupled with the development of revolutionary ideas and movements (particularly during the years following the 1905 Bloody Sunday Massacre), led to the Russian Revolution. Many workers acquired a sense of self-respect and confidence, heightening expectations and desires. Living in cities, workers encountered material goods such as they had never seen while in the village. Most important, living in cities, they were exposed to new ideas about the social and political order. The social causes of the Russian Revolution mainly came from centuries of oppression of the lower classes by the Tsarist regime, and Nicholas's failures in World War I. While rural agrarian peasants had been emancipated from serfdom in 1861, they still resented paying redemption payments to the state, and demanded communal tender of the land they worked. The problem was further compounded by the failure of Sergei Witte's land reforms of the early 1900s. Increasing peasant disturbances and sometimes full revolts occurred, with the goal of securing ownership of the land they worked. Russia consisted mainly of poor farming peasants, with 1.5% of the population owning 25% of the land. The rapid industrialization of Russia also resulted in urban overcrowding and poor conditions for urban industrial workers (as mentioned above). Between 1890 and 1910, the population of the capital, Saint Petersburg, swelled from 1,033,600 to 1,905,600, with Moscow experiencing similar growth. This created a new 'proletariat' which, due to being crowded together in the cities, was much more likely to protest and go on strike than the peasantry had been in previous times. In one 1904 survey, it was found that an average of sixteen people shared each apartment in Saint Petersburg, with six people per room. There was also no running water, and piles of human waste were a threat to the health of the workers. The poor conditions only aggravated the situation, with the number of strikes and incidents of public disorder rapidly increasing in the years shortly before World War I. World War I only added to the chaos. Conscription swept up the unwilling in all parts of Russia. The vast demand for factory production of war supplies and workers caused many more labor riots and strikes. Conscription stripped skilled workers from the cities, who had to be replaced with unskilled peasants, and then, when famine began to hit due to the poor railway system, workers abandoned the cities in droves to look for food. Finally, the soldiers themselves, who suffered from a lack of equipment and protection from the elements, began to turn against the Tsar. This was mainly because, as the war progressed, many of the officers who were loyal to the Tsar were killed, and were replaced by discontented conscripts from the major cities, who had little loyalty to the Tsar. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Revolution_of_1917

The Russian Revolutions of 1917 were the one in March and the one in November. The one in March is referred to the February Revolution because during that time Russia followed the Julian Calendar, which was 13 days behind th Gregorian calendar, which is used in the west. This revolution began because after 12 years of being ruled by a representative government, the Russians thought that little has changed and they went under the influence of radical intellectuals. Also there was the cost of 2 and 1/2 years of war, military disasters, poor leadership, inefficient bureaucracy, shortages of arms and ammo, rampant inflation, and many sacrrifices in casualties. Tsar Nicholas was out of touch with his people and government and cared more about preserving the autocracy than saving Russia. When Gregory Rasputin, someone who had influence over Tsar and his wife, was killed in December of 1916, Tsar secludied himself and his family in /tsarkoe Selo, leaving no one at army headquarters with no authority to act. He didn't return until March 5, 1917. In Petraograd, workers were dissatisfied so there periodic strikes in war industries and due to ismanagement, inflation, food shortages, and bad transportation caused food riots. March 5, workers, mainly women, went to the streets shouting "Bread", then about 90,000 people started shouting "Down with the war" and then "Down with the Tsar!" The police couldn't control the situation so army units had to patrol and the entire city became an army camp. March 11, soldiers mutinied against guards and joined the demonstrators in the street. March 13, Tsar left to Mogilev for Petrograd to tkae matters into his own hands, but the train was taken to Pskov where the army leadership, including his uncle Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, convinced him that his only option was abdication. March 15, the Duma Temporary Committee dissolve and created a provisional government led by Prince Georgy Lvov, a nonparty-affiliated liberal, as prime minister. However, this government was weakened from the start because it inherited all of Tsar, and its authority came from Duma which the Russian workers and peasants disenfranchised. The power was also weakened by sharing power with the Petrograd Soviet. Despite weariness and disintegration in the army, the government decided to stay in the war because of ally loans

1917 Feb- After several days of demonstrations in Petrograd (formally St Petersburg) the government orders troops to open fire. The next day these troops mutiny. Moscow has joined the Revolution. 1917 May- Milyukov resigns. Members of the Mensheviks and the Socialist Revolutionaries join the government. 1917 June 3 -First All-Russia Congress of Workers and Soldiers Soviets opens. 1917 June 18 -Offensive launched by Russia against Austria Hungary. 1917 July -The July Days. (3rd and 4th) Workers and soldiers in Petrograd demand the Soviet takes power. Sporadic fighting results and the Soviet restores order with troops brought back from the front. A new provisional government is set up with Kerensky at its head (8th). 1917 Sept -The Bolsheviks win control of the Petrograd Soviet. In the countryside peasant seizure of land from the gentry continues and reaches the level of near insurrection in Tambov. 1917 Oct- The Bolsheviks overthrow the Provisional government on the eve of the meeting of 2nd All-Russia Congress of Soviets. 1917 26/27 Oct- Soviet proclamations on land and peace. 1917 2 Nov -Bolsheviks gain Moscow 1917 7th Nov -Ukraine proclaimed independent by the Central Rada. 1917 Nov 12-14 -Elections to the Constituent Assembly. Socialist Revolutionaries the largest party. 1917 Dec (early) -Congress of Socialist Revolutionaries results in victory for the left under Chernov. Likewise Menshevik Congress gives victory to Martov's Menshevik internationalists. 1918 Jan 5th -The Constituent Assembly in which the Bolsheviks are a minority meets for one day before being suppressed. Earlier that day a demonstration is fired on by Bolshevik units and several demonstrators are killed 1918 10-18 Jan- 3rd Soviet Congress. 1918 Feb 18th- The Germans invade Russia which is all but defenceless as virtually the entire army has deserted. 1918 March -The Bolsheviks accept the dictated peace of Brest-Litovsk. The Left SRs denounce the peace and leave the government. 1918 April 12th- Moscow headquarters of the anarchists surrounded and attacked by Bolshevik troops 1918 May 9th --Bolshevik troops open fire on workers protesting at food shortages in the town of Kolpino 1918 May (late)- The Czechoslovak legion mutinies against the Bolshevik government. Using the railways they are able to sweep away Bolshevik control from vast areas of Russia. The Socialist Revolutionaries support the rising. 1918 July -Fifth Soviet Congress. The left SRs assassinate the German ambassador and are in turn crushed by the Bolsheviks. 1918 18th November- Kolchak, stages a coup against the Directory, the multi party government in Siberia, and establishes a counterrevolutionary despotism. 1919 Jan- Mensheviks legalised and allowed to publish Vsegda Vpered in Moscow. Era of relative freedom begins in Bolshevik controlled Russia 1919 25 Feb -The Cheka closes down Vsegda Vpered. This marks a return to despotic rule by Bolsheviks. 1919 -White Armies attack the Bolsheviks from all directions but the Red Army is finally victorious. 1920 25 Apr- Poland invades Russia. 1920 19th Aug -Start of peasant insurrection in Tambov 1920 14 Nov.- Last White army under Wrangel evacuates the Crimea 1921- Peasant unrest sweeps Russia. These risings are suppressed but the New Economic Policy is proclaimed that gives the peasants the right to sell their grain surpluses 1921 1-17 Mar -The old Bolshevik stronghold of Kronstadt rises demanding free election to the Soviets but is suppressed. 1921 May -Tambov insurrection suppressed 1924 - Trotsky is defeated by a triumvirate of Stalin, Kamenev and Zinoviev. Though Stalin stays in the background it is he who is the real power as the other two will shortly discover. --(2005,Febuary 14). Russian revolution in dates. Retrieved November 25, 2008, from Russian Revolution Pages Web site: http://www.barnsdle.demon.co.uk/russ/datesr.html