The tsar’s decision to go war in 1914 was initially a popular one supported by a wave of anti-german sentiment // strike activity ceased & extremists were arrested for a lack of patriotism
Duma dissolved itself – didn’t want to burden country with unnecessary politics in war time
St Petersburg became Petrograd (St. was too germanic sounding) & vast army readily assembled
Spirit of victory dampened when initial victories gave way – 1914 – Defeat at Tannenberg; 300,000 dead
- Defeat at masurian lake forced russian army into temp.retreat from east prussia
SOON CLEAR THAT THE WAR WOULD NOT END IN A QUICK VICTORY AS HOPED & REPORTS MILITARY INCOMPETENCE INFLAMED DISCONTENT IN CAPITAL
WARTIME GOVERNMENT AND ORGANISATION
JULY 1914 – est of ‘military zones’ where all civilian authority was suspended & military assumed command
- Opposed by liberal zemstva who regarded govt as insensitive to needs of the people believed citizens had major part in running the war
- g 1914 ban of alcohol (peasants made their own vodka)
Zemstva est ‘Union of Zemstva’ to provide medical facilities forgotten by state
- Congress of Representatives of Industry and Business est from factory and business owners to help coordinate production
ALL-RUSSIAN UNION OF ZEMSTVA AND CITIES (ZEMGOR) – chaired by Prince Lvov & claimed the right to help the Tsar in the war effort
BUT
Never allowed and direct influence and soon turned into a liberal focus for sdictonent
N II blamed it for starting trouble
- August 1915 Kadets, Octobrists, Progressives and even nationalists in the Duma formed ‘progressive bloc’ demanding reform
- Demanded Tsar change ministers and est a ‘government of public confidence’
- Asking for a constitutional monarchy but N was not ready
SEPTEMBER 1915: suspension of Duma sittings and remained closed until jan 17 – unauthorised meetings continued
SEPTEMBER 1915: Nicholas made the decision to appoint himself Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army and Navy and relocate himself to the frontline in Eastern Russia, extremely far from the Capital in St Petersburg. While this move was meant to be a showing of Nicholas’ bravery and heroism, it did not help his cause as Nicholas had already lost the confidence of the Russian General Staff and did not possess the military experience to turn the war around. Instead, his new position had the effect of making the Tsar appear more responsible for the disasters accosted to his troops and the State while distancing himself even more from the developments in Petrograd.
When Nicholas left Petrograd in 1915, Rasputin began to take on a more authoritative role in governing Russia, while the Tsarina who was German, was accused of deliberately sabotaging the war effort. With Nicholas gone, the Tsarina and Rasputin became the figures to look to which was particularly offensive to some who disliked Rasputin for his ‘peasant’ upbringing and had heard of the rumours circulating that Tsarina and Rasputin were engaged in an affair. Nicholas had been told of these rumours but was unwilling to remove Rasputin, which added to the growing dislike of the Tsar. This was heightened by the fact that Nicholas seemed more concerned with the illnesses of his children than ‘young boys and girls running about screaming that they have no bread’ as he wrote in a letter to Alexandra and was convinced that ‘this will all pass and quieten down’.
THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS CREATED BY WAR
MILITARY DEFEATS & INTERNAL PROBLEMS
1914, Russia suffered a lot of military defeats mainly because of the unreadiness of the Russian army
- poor conditions that soldiers fought in, shortages and low morale.
- Although the Russian government managed to mobilise around 15 million between 1914-17, it possessed considerably fewer arms for a militia that size and was, therefore, unable to provide for them.
- The problems of the initial war outbreak grew worse as the war grew on as soldiers went to fight not only without weapons, essential clothing and proper fitting or waterproof footwear.
- In some cases, soldiers had to fight barefoot because of poor redistribution of clothes. It was also not uncommon to find that many soldiers caught diseases from the cold and some dead bodies that lay in the trenches uncollected of whom weapons had to be collected from to fight at all.
- In 1914, there were only two rifles for every three soldiers, and in 1915, it was not unusual for the artillery to only fire 2 or 3 shells a day which is not effective when trying to fight a war.
- By the end of 1916, morale in the army had plummeted, heavy casualties and a deteriorating economic and political situation led to 1.5 million desertions that year.
- In 1916, the recruitment drive meant that though armament manufacture improved in 1916 when production quadrupled, it was at the expense of civilians who had already become impoverished by low prices the Government paid for food and the scarcity of everyday household goods.
THE OPPOSITION TO THE AUTOCRACY AND THE POLITICAL COLLAPSE OF FEBRUARY/MARCH 1917
MONDAY 14 FEBRUARY
100,00 workers from 58 factories go on strike in Petrograd
Bread rations on 1 March leads to round the clock and violent exchanges
Police who try to keep control are attacked
WEDNESDAY 27 FEBRUARY
20,000 workers from Putilov works strike
THURSDAY 23 FEBRUARY INT. WOMEN’S DAY
International Women’s day march swelled by striking workers and militant students. 200,000 demonstrations for bread reform
- 90,000 strike and 50 factories close
FRIDAY 24 FEBRUARY
200,000 on strike/ crowds overrun tsarist statues
Red communist red flags
Wear red rosettes
Shout revolutionary slogans calling for end to tsardom
Sing ‘la marseillaise’
SATURDAY 25 FEBRUARY
250,000 ppl = ½ workforce on strike & Petrograd = virtual standstill
Almost all maj. Factories & shops close
No newspapers
No pub. Transport
Violence escalates as Police Chief Shalfeev is dragged from horse, beaten & shot
A band of civilians killed on Nevsky Prospekt
Some Cossacks refuse to attack a procession of strokers when ordered
SUNDAY 26 FEBRUARY
Duma President Rodzianko sends Tsar a telegram “the capital is in a state of anarchy, the government is paralysed..food and fuel supplies are completely disorganised..there is wild shooting in the stress..it is urgent that someone enjoying the confidence of the country be entrusted with the formation of a new government’
Tsar writes in diary ‘fat-bellied Rodzianko has written some nonsense to which I shall not even bother to reply’ – tells Duma to stop meeting
MONDAY 27 FEBRUARY
Tsar orders Maj.General Khabalov to restore order by military force – 40 demonstrators are killed
Mutiny begins in Volynskii regiment, sergeant shoots his commanding officer dead
66,000 soldiers mutiny & join the protestors – arming them w/40k rifles
Police hq’s attacked & prisons opened
Duma holds meeting & sets up 12 man provisional committee to take over the Gov
Army’s high command which ordered troops to march to capital & restore stability, the order them to halt and give support to Duma committee
Revolutionaries set up the Petrograd soviet = intended to take over Govt and begins to organise food supplies for the city
TUESDAY 28 FEBRUARY
N leaves military hq to head back to Petrograd
Sends telegram to Rodzianko offering to share power w/Duma – replies w/”the measures you propose are too late. The time has gone. There is no return”
PETROGRAD SOVIET
Each regiment (soldiers & navy seals) should elect committees & send reps to the soviet.
The ‘order No.1) – charter of soldiers’ rights was produced & promised
All units to elect a deputy to the soviet & agree to political control of Petrograd Soviet
Military Commission of the Duma to be obeyed only; if agreed w/soviet’s order
All weapons to be controlled by elected soldiers’ committees – not officers
Akk soldiers to enjoy full citizens right when off duty e.g no req to salute/stand to attention
No honorific titles to be used for officers – only Mr General, Mr Colonel etc
Officers are not to address soldiers in the ‘ty’ form like ‘tu’ in french (used to address children, pets & serfs’
NII never returned to petrograd -n train was diverted by rebellious railway workers & forced to stoop as Pskov, 200 miles south of destination
Was put under pressure by General alekseev toregin
Had been told on March 1 that Petrograd Soviet would accept a provisional Govt. formed by members of the Duma & suggested that the Tsar resigned for son Alexei to come through & younger bro Mikhail to act as regent
MARCH 2 – NII agreed to demands but named younger brother Mikhail as new Tsar (Alexei’s poor health) – Mikhail was not consulted
Added that mikhail should lead the country ‘in complete union w/the reps of the people in the legislative bodies on principles to be est. by them & to take an inviolable oath to this effect’
By the time members of Duma committee reached Pskov on March 2, terms of abdication had already been agreed, although in the event Mikhail refused the offer of the throne
Tsar &family were placed under house arrest as well as most of Council of Minister. = the end of the Romanov dynasty
THE DEVELOPMENT OF RUSSIA UNDER THE DUAL POWER OF 1917
The Provisional Government
The Provisional Government (PG) met in the Tauride Palace (Where the Duma used to meet). It was lead by Prince L’vov as Prime Minister; “all we did was exchange a Tsar with a Prince”. The PG consisted of:
Prince L’vov (No party) – PM
Milyukov (Kadets) – Foreign Affairs
Guchkov (Octobrist) – War and Navy
Kerensky (Trudovik) – Justice
Supposed to be temporary & elections soon as possible for a new constituent assembly that would draw up a new Russian constitution by old tsarist civil service, army officers & police
The Petrograd Soviet
The Petrograd Soviet (PS) was formed from Industrial workers, Soldiers and Sailors. They issued ‘Order Number 1’ on March 1st 1917 to protect the rights and freedoms of the workers and armed forces. Soldiers and Sailors only had to obey orders if the PS agreed with the decisions of the PG/State Duma. Alexander Kerensky was a member of both the PG and PS and served as a link between the two, leading to him being popular and well-liked by both executive bodies. The PS controlled the railways, the Army and Navy, the power supplies, factories and the Petrograd telegraph station.
During the initial ‘honeymoon period’ in which the PG and PS worked together after the revolution of February 1917, many Tsarist ministers were arrested and imprisoned, the Police were told to ‘disband themselves’ as well as the Okhrana, the PG introduced total political and religious amnesty as well as abolishing capital punishment and establishing freedom of speech and the free press. The PG also promised elections for a constituent assembly as well as much needed land reform and redistribution. Regarding the war, the PG adopted a policy of Revolutionary Defencism which meant continuing the war on the defence in order not to lose any more land.
Dual authorities issued decrees allowing: -civil liberty (for civilians and soldiers) –abolition for political, military and religious prisoners –abolition of capital punishment and exile –appointment of independent judges –self government for army –disbanding of secret police and censorship –imprisonment of tsarist officials.
- Allowed freedom of religion & press
- Abolished death penalty
- Replaced tsarist police force w/people’s militia
Workers’ strikes and military detentions continued
Peasant disturbances affected 34 districts in March 17 ——> 325 July
Anti-war demonstrations in Petrograd forcing Milyukov & Guchkov to resign following announcement of ‘just peace’ in APRIL 17
- Replaced by socialists from the soviet
- CHERNOV – Minister of Agriculture
- KERENSKY – Minister of War
JULY 1917 – Lvov replaced by kerensky as chairman
- Changes alarmed upper class (govt had failed to maintain order, property/win the war)
‘JULY DAYS’ -street riots, exacerbated fears
KORNILOV AFFAIR
- Kornilov ordered troops to march on petrograd – intending to crush the soviet & est a military dictatorship
- Coup failed when Kerensky who at first had support of Kornilov, panicked & released imprisoned Bolshevik leaders and armed them to halt Kornilov’s advances
SUMMER 17: little support left for PG
- Food supplies chaotic in towns
- 8 hour day did not do much to alleviate pressure – real wages fell in 17 as prices rose
- JAN 17 – prices 300% of 1914 levels ——-> OCT 755%
- Right of factory owners to dismiss workers who went on strike confirmed
- Meetings of factory committees during work hours forbidden
- Continuation of war and govt failure to redist land lost it support in country side
- Electoral commission est in May to arrange elections for Nov, suspicion that the ‘bourgeois’ govt was deliberately delaying a move to greater democracy to order to preserve its own power was rife
- BOLSHEVIKS benefitted most from this theory
- Govt claimed it was issue to be left until after russia had democratic assembly
Peasants took matters into their own hands & seized land anyway