-
Period: to
Russian April 2- July 1, 1917
-
Lenin returns to Petrograd
The German government helped Lenin and his comrades return to Russia from their exile in Switzerland. He arrived during an all Russian conference of Bolshevik Party workers. -
Lenin's 'April Theses'
He gave an address to the delegates that was a 'complete rejection of the co-operation between the Soviet and the Provisional Government that was even advocated by a number of Bolsheviks. His called for an immediate end to the war, total withdrawal of support from the government, socialisation of the economy, and the transfer of all state power to the Soviets. -
The Prime War Aim
Russian Revolution- Part 1The Provisional Government accepted the prime war aim of 'the establishment of a stable peace on the basis of sel-determination of nations'. -
Milyukov's note to the Allied Powers
Milyukov promised to see the war to a 'victorious conclusion.' He ambiguously pledged to support the Provisional Government on a policy of annexing foriegn territory and imposing indemnities on defeated nations. -
Milyukov resigns
Milyukov is forced to resign for his support of the war. He agreed with the Provisional Government that the war 'should be pursued to a victorious conclusion.' He was too far out of touch with the popular opinion. The Soviet did not support immediate peace either, but they rejected the 'policy of annexaions' and refused 'to serve as an instrument of conquest and violence in the hands of kings, landowners, and bankers. -
The land question
In the month of June, the government received nearly 700 complaints about illegal attacks upon landed property in June. The government recognised the peasants' right to the great landed estates, but they could not partition the land without an uprising among the soldiers in the front lines as their land would be takena and distributed. -
Continued attacks on landed property.
Over 1,100 more attacks on landed property after the June attacks. -
Strengthening the Bolshevik position
Russian Revolution-Part 2In July, the Petrograd rising led to attacks on the Bolsheviks and a government attempt to arrest leaders such as Lenin and Kamenev. Support for the Bolsheviks grew for many reasons. Some negative reasons were the collapse of the military offensive, the reaction of Petrograd workers to the Kornilov Affair, and suspicion that Keresky might be willing to abandon Petrograd to the advancing Germans. Also, the Bolsheviks promised to tackle the questions of land and of peace. -
The Galician Offensive
Kerensky planned and lead an unsuccessful offensive on the Austrian front in Galicia (a.k.a the June/Galician Offensive) that aimed at proving the government's worth to both allies and Russians. It demonstrated the degree to which the Russian army had desintegraded and the extent of the Provisional Government's failure to respond adequately to popular revolutionary sentiment. The offensive ended in the retreat of the demoralised and under-equipped forces over a large area.
