February revolution occurred in the fateful for Russia in 1917 and became the first of many coups that step by step led to the establishment of Soviet power and the formation of a new state on the map.
reasons for the February 1917 revolution
protracted war has created many difficulties and plunged the country into a deep crisis.Against the monarchy acted large part of society, even in the Duma formed a liberal opposition to Nicholas II.The country began to pass numerous meetings and speeches by anti-war slogans and the monarchy as.
1. The crisis in the army
in the Russian army at the time had been mobilized more than 15 million people, of whom 13 million were peasants.Hundreds of thousands of victims, killed and mutilated, terrible front-line conditions, embezzlement and incompetence of the army high command shook the discipline and led to mass desertions.By the end of 1916 deserters from the army was more than half a million people.
On the front lines are often observed cases of "brotherhood" of Russian soldiers with the Austrian and German.The officers Lots of efforts to halt this trend, but among ordinary soldiers entered the exchange rate of different things and a friendly chat with the enemy.
In the ranks of the military gradually increasing discontent and mass revolutionary mood.
2. The threat of hunger
One-fifth of the country's industrial capacity has been lost because of the occupation, food was running out.In St. Petersburg, for example, in February 1917, stocks of grain was only one and a half weeks.Deliveries of products and raw materials carried out regularly so that part of the military factories were closed.Providing all the necessary military, too, fell under threat.
3. The crisis of power
Upstairs was all too difficult: during the war had four of the Prime Minister with the full government.Strong personalities that have been able to stop the crisis of power and lead the country behind him, at that moment in the ruling elite was not.
royal family has always tried to be closer to the people, but the phenomenon of Rasputin and the weakness of the board gradually deepened the gulf between the king and his people.
The political situation all point to the proximity of the revolution.There was only a matter of where and how it will happen.
February revolution: the overthrow of the secular monarchy
Beginning in January 1917 during the Russian Empire were mass strikes, which were attended by a total of more than 700 thousand workers.The trigger event in February was the strike of the Putilov factory in St. Petersburg.
February 23 strike is already 128 thousand, the next day the number grew to 200 thousand, and the February 25 strike took a political nature, and it has participated in 300 thousand workers in St. Petersburg alone.Since February Revolution unfolded.
troops and police opened fire on striking workers, first blood was shed.
February 26 in the capital, the king sent troops under the command of General Ivanov, but they refused to suppress the uprising and actually sided with the rebels.
February 27 rebels workers seized more than 40,000 rifles and 30,000 pistols.They took control of the capital and chose the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' Deputies, headed by Chkheidze.
On the same day the king sent to the Duma decree on indefinite break in her work.Duma decree obeyed, but decided not to disperse, and to elect a Provisional Committee of ten people led by Rodzianko.
Soon, the king received a telegram about the victory of the revolution and calls on all the commanders of the fronts to give up power in favor of the rebels.
March 2 was officially announced the establishment of the Provisional Government of Russia, the head of which Nicholas II approved of Prince Lvov.On the same day the king abdicated the throne for himself and his son in favor of his brother, Michael Romanov.But he just wrote renunciation.
Since February revolution the monarchy ceased to exist in Russia.
Then the king as a civilian tried to get authorization from the Provisional Government to leave the family to Murmansk, from there to emigrate to Britain.But the Petrograd Soviet resisted so strongly that Nicholas II and his family, it was decided to arrest and bring to conclusion in Tsarskoye Selo.
former emperor and will not be destined to leave their country.
February Revolution of 1917: the results of
interim government has survived many crises and could last for a total of 8 months.Trying to build a bourgeois-democratic society did not succeed, because the power in the country to claim more powerful and organized force that aims to see only the socialist revolution.
February Revolution revealed that power - the workers and soldiers at the head of the Soviets began to play a decisive role in the country's history.
