Kristaal+Grant's+Page

// The February Revolution. // // Monday 27th February. //  By Monday the 27th of February 1917 the workers have control over the city of Petrograd. Police stations and government buildings were being burned and destroyed. Police men who were not lucky enough to change into civilian clothing were chased down and were lynched or captured. Huge bonfires were going up in the city burning items such as government records and furniture. Prisons were broken into and over 10,000 political prisoners and ordinary criminals were released onto the streets. It is reported that in the afternoon there was an incident outside Nicholas Station where protestors were met with a barricade of army personal. As the crowds were continually breaking through the soldiers ranks a group of soldiers were ordered to open fire. The men fired but instead of shooting at the people they aimed their weapons up and fired bullets into the sky. This was one of the first signs of soldiers’ defection. That night a company of the Pavlovsky regiment mutinied and killed it colonel, this in turn lead to soldiers slowly being disarmed – officers were becoming to the realisation that they could not be confident about the loyalty of their men. The previous day after receiving a telegram from Rodzianko a member of the duma about the urgency of the situation in Petrograd, the Tsar dismissed the letter and in turn directed his agitation towards the duma ordering it to dissolve immediately. Rodzianko posted another telegraph that day saying “Measures must be taken, immediately, for tomorrow will already be too late. The final hour has struck, when the fate of the country and the dynasty will be decided.” Nicholas II continued to ignore the disturbances occurring in the country’s major city. Politically, the most significant thing to occur in this day was that 12 members of the duma refused to obey the Tsar’s orders of dismissal. Instead, together they established a Provisional Committee.

// Tuesday 28th February. //  Tuesday the 28th of February continued the previous day’s upheaval. The police force had all but disintegrated. The riots and protests on streets were now considered to be extreme violence. The armed forces that had not yet fractured from the government were on top of roof tops with machine guns. The thousands of soldiers that had rebelled were taking their weaponry and firing against those who they would have once fought be side. Shulgin a conservative Duma leader observed ‘these days passed as a nightmare- no beginning, no ending, no middle, all jumbled together.’ Even with the majority of his army defecting Nicholas II chose not to act. It was his indecisive manner in regards to how to deal with the situation allowed the protests to gradually get a deadly momentum. Along with the riots and destruction a wave of excitement had taken the population of Petrograd. Masses of people were marching towards the Tauride Palace. The people of Russia were looking for a new leader to take control of the situation. The soldiers who had mutinied against their regiments were looking for new leaders to replace the ones they had rebelled. As power somewhat automatically fell into the hands of the Provisional Committee now calling themselves the Provisional Government they were at Tauride Palace trying to win the support of the people. The Provisional Government announced their key policies for the country on this day. Historian Robert Service described the Provisional Government as making Russia ‘freer than any other country.’ Some of the provisional government’s policies included:-

 v Abolition of all class religious and national restrictions.  v Freedom of speech  v Freedom of the press  v Freedom to strike and assemble unions.  v Election of local councils  v Immediate preparations to vote for a Constituent Assembly. Once this was formed the Provisional Government would dissolve.

As the members of the old Duma were trying to win the people’s approval a rival also housed at the Tauride Palace were doing much of the same. Hundreds of soldiers and workers came to the palace and formed the Petrograd Soviet of Workers and Soldiers’ Deputies. With control over the army, railways communications, employers and employees the soviets were able to derive considerable amounts of influence. Lenin argued that because the soviets represented ordinary Russians they must assume total control. Both political groups were suspicious of each other. The provisional government were afraid that the Soviets might soon grow strong enough to throw them out of office. They were afraid that if the soviets encouraged all workers and soldiers to abandon all discipline and tear away the last shreds of orderly government. The soviets feared that the provisional government, coming from their wealthier background would betray the revolution and make a deal with Nicholas. The soviets thought that they would make Russia go on with the war indefinitely and would forget about the workers right and eights hour shifts. So as both parties feared each other from the start they each worked against each other

// Wednesday 1st March. // Nicholas II finally responds to the situation in Petrograd proactively. Making the decision to return to Petrograd and personally solve the current problems. He also approves the formation of the provisional government and France and Britain recognise it as the official. On his way back to Russia he is captured. Soviets issue Order No.1. It is an order that is to be read by companies, battalions, regiments and sailors. It demands severely limit the power of the Provisional Government. Order No.1 made sure that no military orders from the provisional government were obeyed unless approved by the soviet first.