Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution (the final stage also known as October Revolution) was a political movement in Russia that climaxed in 1917 with the overthrow of the provisional government that had replaced the Russian Tsar system and led to the establishment of the Soviet Union, which lasted until 1991. This movement was led by Vladimir Lenin based upon the ideas of Karl Marx and marked the beginning of the spread of communism in the twentieth century.
On November 7, 1917, Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin led his leftist revolutionaries in a nearly bloodless coup d'état against the ineffective Kerensky Provisional Government (Russia was still using the Julian Calendar at the time, so period references show an October 25 date).
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Brief Chronology leading to Revolution of 1917
Dates are correct for the Julian calendar, which was used in Russia until 1918. It was twelve days behind the Gregorian calendar during the 19th century and a day further behind during the 20th century.
- 1855 - Start of reign of Tsar Alexander II
- 1861 - Emancipation of the serfs
- 1866-74 - The White Terror
- 1881 - Alexander II assassinated; start of reign of Alexander III
- 1883 - First Russian Marxist group formed
- 1894 - Start of reign of Nicholas II
- 1898 - First Congress of Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP)
- 1900 - Foundation of Socialist Revolutionary Party (SR)
- 1903 - Second Congress of Russian Social Democratic Labour Party. Split (missing text)
- 1904-5 - Russo-Japanese War
- 1905 -
Russian Revolution/Rebellion.
- June - Potemkin uprising at Odessa on the Black Sea
- October - general strike, St Petersburg Soviet
formed
- - Imperial agreement on elections to the State Duma - October Manifesto
- 1906 - First State Duma. Prime Minister - Petr Stolypin. Agrarian reforms begin
- 1907 - Second State Duma, February - June
- 1907 - Third State Duma, until 1912
- 1911 - Stolypin assassinated
- 1912 - Fourth State Duma, until 1917. Bolshevik - Menshevik split final
- 1914 - Germany declares war on Russia
- 1915 - Serious defeats, Nicholas II declares himself CinC. Progressive Bloc formed
- 1916 - Gregory Rasputin killed
More detailed but still brief chronology of Revolution of 1917
January
- Strikes and unrest in Petrograd
- The February Revolution
- 26th -- 50 demonstrators killed in Znamenskaya Square
- 27th -- Troops refuse to fire on demonstrators, desertions.
Prison, court and
- Okhrana buildings set on fire. Garrison joins revolutionaries.
- Petrograd
Soviet formed.
- 1st -- Order No.1 of the Petrograd Soviet
- 2nd -- Nicholas II abdicates. Provisional Government formed,
Prince Lvov PM
- 3rd -- Return of Lenin to Russia. He publishes his April Theses.
- 20th -- Miliukov's note published. Provisional Government
falls
- 5th -- New Provisional Government formed. Kerensky
minister of war and navy
- 3rd -- First All-Russian Congress of Soviets in Petrograd. Closed on 24th
- 16th -- Kerensky orders offensive against Austro-Hungarian
forces. Initial success
- 2nd -- Russian offensive ends. Trotsky joins Bolsheviks
- 4th -- Anti-government demonstrations in Petrograd
- 6th -- German and Austro-Hungarian counter-attack. Russians retreat in panic, sacking the town of Tarnopol. Arrest of Bolshevik leaders ordered
- 7th -- Lvov resigns. Kerensky is new PM
- 22nd -- Trotsky and Lunacharskii arrested
- 26th -- Second coalition government ends
- 27th -- General Lavr Kornilov
failed coup. Kornilov arrested and imprisoned
- 1st -- Russia declared a republic
- 4th -- Trotsky and others freed. Trotsky becomes head of Petrograd Soviet
- 25th -- Third coalition government formed
- 10th -- Bolshevik Central Committee meeting approves armed uprising
- 11th -- Congress of Soviets of the Northern Region, until 13th
- 20th -- First meeting of the Military Revolutionary Committee of Petrograd
- 25th -- MRC directs armed workers and soldiers to capture key buidings in Petrograd. Winter Palace attacked at 9.40pm. Kerensky flees Petrograd
- 26th -- Second Congress of Soviets. Mensheviks and right
SR delegates walk-out in protest at coup. Decrees on peace
and land reform. Soviet government declared - the Council
of People's Commissars; Bolshevik dominated with Lenin as
chairman
Bibliography
- A People's Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891-1924, by Orlando Figes: ISBN 014024364X (trade paperback) ISBN 0670859168 (hardcover)