Cloze Exercise

The February/March Revolution

March 1917: riots → soldiers joined → Duma forced Tsar to abdicate.

Causes

1. Weakness & Problems of the Tsar

• Backward, agricultural economy → peasant revolts

• Growth of ‘labourism’ among a working class w/ no rights

• Aristocracy demoralised by abolition of serfdom

• Church alienated by Tsar’s reforms

• Weak, oppressive govt (Okhrana, Cossacks) overwhelmed by Russia’s size → 1905 rev

• Nicholas II indecisive, stubborn, unwilling to handle govt details

2. WWI

• Army poorly led & equipped → defeats at & Masurian Lakes (200k dead) → lost army’s support

• 15m men taken from farms, trains used for war → food shortages, price rises → unrest in Petrograd

• system collapsed → shortages in cities

• 1915 scandals → national anger

• Govt spending ↑ 650% → abandoned Gold Standard → → public discontent

• Winter 1916–17 severe → famine in cities

3. Tsar’s Mistakes

• Sept 1915: Tsar took of army → blamed for defeats

• Left Tsarina in charge → incompetent, let run govt

• Tsarina German → rumours of helping Germany

• Feb 1917: govt in chaos

4. Army Abandoned Tsar

• 8 March: riots in Petrograd over food & war

• 12 March: soldiers mutinied, refused to stop riots → govt lost control

5. Duma Abandoned Tsar

• 15 March: Duma told Nicholas to abdicate

Events of the Revolution

7 March: Steelworkers strike

8 March: International Women’s Day → demos/ riots

9-10 March: More demos/strikes → Tsarina called in army

11 March: Troops fired on crowds/ Duma urged action → Tsar ordered dissolution, ignored

12 March: Petrograd soldiers , joined riots/ Soldiers & workers set up (2.5k deputies)

13 March: Duma set up Provisional Govt (led by )/ Tsar left for Petrograd, ordered army to restore control

14 March: Tsar’s train halted (∵ rebels controlled line) / Taken to Army HQ in Pskov → Gen. advised abdication

: Two Duma deputies ordered Tsar to abdicate/ Tsar signed: "If it is necessary for the good of Russia, then I am ready for it"

March 1917: riots → soldiers joined → Duma forced Tsar to abdicate.

Causes

1. Weakness & Problems of the Tsar

• Backward, agricultural economy → peasant revolts

• Growth of ‘labourism’ among a working class w/ no rights

• Aristocracy demoralised by abolition of serfdom

• Church alienated by Tsar’s reforms

• Weak, oppressive govt (Okhrana, Cossacks) overwhelmed by Russia’s size → 1905 rev

• Nicholas II indecisive, stubborn, unwilling to handle govt details

2. WWI

• Army poorly led & equipped → defeats at TANNENBERG & Masurian Lakes (200k dead) → lost army’s support

• 15m men taken from farms, trains used for war → food shortages, price rises → unrest in Petrograd

• RAILWAY system collapsed → shortages in cities

• 1915 MUNITIONS scandals → national anger

• Govt spending ↑ 650% → abandoned Gold Standard → INFLATION → public discontent

• Winter 1916–17 severe → famine in cities

3. Tsar’s Mistakes

• Sept 1915: Tsar took PERSONAL COMMAND of army → blamed for defeats

• Left Tsarina in charge → incompetent, let RASPUTIN run govt

• Tsarina German → rumours of helping Germany

• Feb 1917: govt in chaos

4. Army Abandoned Tsar

• 8 March: riots in Petrograd over food & war

• 12 March: soldiers mutinied, refused to stop riots → govt lost control

5. Duma Abandoned Tsar

• 15 March: Duma told Nicholas to abdicate

Events of the Revolution

7 March: Steelworkers strike

8 March: International Women’s Day → demos/ BREAD riots

9-10 March: More demos/strikes → Tsarina called in army

11 March: Troops fired on crowds/ Duma urged action → Tsar ordered dissolution, ignored

12 March: Petrograd soldiers MUTINIED, joined riots/ Soldiers & workers set up PETROGRAD SOVIET (2.5k deputies)

13 March: Duma set up Provisional Govt (led by KERENSKY)/ Tsar left for Petrograd, ordered army to restore control

14 March: Tsar’s train halted (∵ rebels controlled line) / Taken to Army HQ in Pskov → Gen. ALEXEEV advised abdication

15 MARCH: Two Duma deputies ordered Tsar to abdicate/ Tsar signed: "If it is necessary for the good of Russia, then I am ready for it"