Effects of the 1917 February Revolution

Ended the power of the Tsar

ended autocratic monarchy
Russia became a republic

Brought power to liberals : upper class & upper class

shared power; parliamentary government

Allowed freedom of speech & press

freed political prisoners

Challenged by Soviets
 Petrograd Soviet

Provisional Govt had

to work together with
Soviets

Soviets
Committees made up of workers, soldiers,
Social Revolutionaries, Mensheviks &
Bolsheviks.
They had control over the cities.
What did people expect from the Provisional
government ?

•Land
Peasants •free from power of landlord

Wanted war to end

war caused too many problems
•Better working conditions
Workers in •better living conditions
cities
•end food shortage
 Why Provisional Govt failed

WHY?
•Govt needed support
No land reforms of upper class
•not ready to make reforms

WHY? Loses too much

Continued war
hoped to regain losses

Discontentment against Govt

•no change in living conditions
•Food still in shortage
•more desertion in army
 Bolsheviks seized opportunity

•Extended influence into Soviets

•protested against Prov. Govt

•Bread, Peace, Land

•spread Communist ideals

July Days 1917

Vladimir Lenin

•Born 1870, trained in law

•Lenin sent to exile by Tsar
Nicholas in 1897
•In Switzerland in February 1917
•sent back secretly to Russia by
Germans
Leningrad 1966. Finland railway
station and engine number 293.
With this engine V.I. Lenin
returned illegally to St Petersburg
from Finland in October 7th 1917.
This was start of the October
Socialist revolution.
Monument to Lenin at the Finland railway station.
Leningrad 1966. Monument to V.I. Lenin and the
Hut where he used to hide before the revolution.
Aurora fired the shot to signal the
start of the Revolution
Red Guards stormed the Winter Palace home of the
Provisional Government

Pictures taken in 1966

Red Army in Winter Palace
Oct 1917
 Lenin’s leadership

•Able to win support of people & instigate

people against the Provisional Govt

promised end to war & redistribute land

promised power to the working class

•gave hope for a better Russia

•planned revolution against Provisional Govt

•attack on Winter Palace
 Causes of the October Revolution 1917

Weak Provisional
Government Role of Bolsheviks
Lenin’s leadership
Failure of the
Provisional Govt to •wanted a revolution
win support •use slogan to win
•no land reforms support
•did not end war •made used of
Soviets
Provisional Govt did •planned revolution
not have complete & carried out
control revolution
depended on Soviets in
cities
 Immediate effects of October 1917
Bolshevik Revolution

Brought down the Provisional Govt.

Bolsheviks gained control of cities

Allowed elections for parliamentary govt

majority votes for Social Revolutionaries

Lenin closed Duma - end of parliamentary govt

Communist dictatorship in Russia
 Compare February & October Revolution

February Revolution October Revolution

Unplanned breakdown Planned by Bolsheviks

in control by Tsar

Ended rule of Tsar Ended power of upper

Russia became a class & rich working
republic middle class & class in power
rich in power

Brought in parliamentary Brought in Communist

rule (The Duma) dictatorship
Number of seats in the Duma
Socialist Revolutionaries 370
Bolsheviks 175
Left wing Socialist 40
Revolutionaris
Constitutional Democrats 17
Mensheviks 16
Noradniks 2
Others (representing 87
nationalities)
Total number of seats 707