The February Revolution
Matters came to a head in Petrograd in the winter of 1917 when starvation and desperation produced a workers' revolution. What began as a series of bread riots, turned into a revolution.
1917 saw a very cold winter in Petrograd. The transport system broke down, this meant that factories were unable to transport fuel and flour, resulting in worker's being laid off, factories closing and a bread shortages throughout the city.
1917 saw a very cold winter in Petrograd. The transport system broke down, this meant that factories were unable to transport fuel and flour, resulting in worker's being laid off, factories closing and a bread shortages throughout the city.
Timeline of Events: Jan - Feb 1917
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Nicholas II's Abdication
- 1 March: The Duma and the Soviet agreed to support the creation of a Provisional government
- 2 March: The Soviet expanded to include representatives of the soldiers' soviets and the Provisional Government was established with Prince Lvov (a Kadet) as prime minister. Army generals who had lost faith in the Tsar gave support to the new Provisional Government and halted troops marching on the capital to restore order. Encouraged by his ministers and generals, the Tsar abdicated in favour of his brother, Grand Duke Mikhail (he believed his son Alexis was too weak with his haemophilia to inherit the throne).
- 3 March: Mikhail rejected the throne, leaving the Provisional Government and Petrograd Soviet in charge. The Tsar and his family were placed under house arrest, together with most of the Council of Ministers.
Over the next month, the revolution spread across Russia and local dumas (public committees) replaced the Tsarist government and police officials, while workers and soldiers created soviets to run their factories and battalions.
NICHOLAS II'S KEY MISTAKES AUGUST 1915 TO FEBRUARY 1917
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