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Marx writes Communist Manifesto
Marx argues that capitalism creates a class system and divides society based on social status -
The First Major Revolution
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Inflation 1913-1916
Salt was up 483% between 1913 and 1916 -
Locomotive Production and Statistics Part 2
Locomotive production was halved between 1913 and 1916 with only 67 new engines completed in 1916. This, together with constant military interference with the railway network for strategic purpose, contributed to the semi-breakdown of communication and distribution systems that was the main cause of urban food shortages. The military shortages, too, were due less to failure of production than to inefficeint distribution. Fuel shortages were another consistent problem. After the early loss of the -
Production and Statistics Part 3
Polish coalfields, total coal production in Russia never reached the same level as was achieved in the last year of peace, and an increasxing proportion of what fuel there was was channelled towards military uses. Food prices rose dramatically. On average- and the figurew were actually higher for major urban areas such as Petrograd- the price of flour rose by 99% between 1913 and 1916, meat by 232%, butter by 124% and salt by 483%. Money wages rose by 133% over the same period, but this figure -
Productiona and Statistics Part 4
has to be set against a drop in the value of the rouble to only 56% of its pre-war value. -
Inflation 1913-1916
The price of salt rose 483% -
Stats 1914-15
-Russia mobilized a little less than 9% of its forces, compared to Germany and France's 20%
-A total of 15.3 million Russian men had seen service by the end of the hostilities
-It was not unusual in 1915 for Russian artillery to be limited to two or three shells a day, and after mobilization in 1914 the infantry only had two rifles for every three soldiers
-By early 1917, Russia had lost 1.6 million dead, 3.9 million wounded, and 2.4 million take prisioner -
Propaganda and Desertions
Propaganda spread subversive ideas at the front, and the number of military desertions rose. There had been 195,000 desertions between 1914 and February 1917; between March and May 1917, there were over 365,000. Anti-war sentiment grew still stronger. Desertions reached a peak, and the death penalty was reinstated in an effort to control the troops -
The formation of military zones
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The formation of patriotic bodies, such as the Union of Zemstva, and the Congress of Representatives
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The declaration of wr was approved by the Russians
The immediate voting of war credits by the Duma, the plundering of the Germany embassy by patriotic students and the general acceptance of the government ban on the sale of vodka was all proof that the Russians were willing to give it a good shot -
The ZemGor
The existing zemstvo and municipal organization merged to form the All-Russian Union of Zemstva and Cities (ZemGor) -
The Tsar assumes personal command of the armed forces
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War Stats
By the end of 1916, 3.6 million Russians were dead or very seriously wounded, and 2.1 were POW -
Rasputin is assassinated
They tried to poison him but he never died. They shot him, but he lived. Eventually, he drowned. -
The Coldest Winter
The coldest winter ever in Russia was the January before the February Revolution. People at home during the war are becoming very unsettled, and this sets the stage for the February Revolution -
Prices and Wages
Although the government granted an 8 hour workday, the real value of wages fell even more rapidly than before, as prices rose. In January 1917 prices were 300% of 1914 levels. By October they had risen to 755% Food supplies were also unreliable, with frequent shortages. In August the government confirmed the right of factory owners to dismiss workers. It also banned meetings of factory committeees during working hours. Many workers claimed that the Provisional Government was not legitimate and -
Prices and Wages
said that they would only take orders from the Soviet -
Strike
In January, 145,000 workers were on strike. On February 22, 20,000 were locked out of the Putilov metal works after a dispute with their employers. The frustrations of yet more unemployed workers were added to those of the men and women from the 58 Petrograd factories where strikes had broken out. The citizens were suffering from constant food shortages, and rumors that bread would be rationed from March 1 angered the crowds of desperate, starving people on the streets. -
Stalin and Kamenev
After the February Revolution, the first two Bolsheviks back are Stalin and Kamanev -
The first big protest begins
By the first week or so of March, it is all done -
International Women's Day
Reasons why the women are mad: bread rations/ hunger/ food, conscriptions and the drafting of the husbands/sons, men can't send money home. Womn who drove trams stop and block the roads to help with the revolution, the women's protest sparked the others -
The Provisional Government Sets Itself in Place
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Mutiny
By February 27th, (4 days into the protest) there are 80,000 soldiers that had joined teh revolution. Now there are armed protesters. Numbers are rough, but an estimated 1500 died -
Provisional Government sets itself in place
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Dimitri Has Gone For A Soldier
By February 27th about 80,000 soldiers had joined the revolution -
Order No. 1
By late February, the Soviet passes Order No1, stating that soldiers only have to obey orders approved by the Soviet -
The Provisional Committee of the Duma appointed a range of ministers in order to create a new Provisional Government
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Grand-Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich rejects the offer of the tsardom
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Lenin Returns
Lenin arrives in Russia on a train from Switzerland -
Armed Demonstrations in Petrograd
Russians are angry with Milyukov's note saying they'll stay in the war, so riots break out -
April These
Lenin writes his April These while in exile in Switzerland. It will be published in a Bolshevik newspaper and delievered two separate times -
Bolshevik propaganda starts showing up
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Just Peace
In April, Milyukov announced that the government would continue fighting until a "just peace" had been won. This led to a massive anti-war demonstration in Petrograd, which forced the resignations of Milyukov and Guchkov -
Milyukov's Note
Milyukov sent a note to the Allies in the war promising continued support in the war until victory -
Promises
The Provisional Government promised hat the power of the state would in future be based on the consent of the Russian people, rather on violence and coercion (force). -
Electoral Comission
An electoral commission was eventually set up in May, to arrange elections for November. -
Trotsky
Trotsky starts heading back to Russia from exile in March, but gets held up and doesn't come back until May -
The first resolution of the Soviet
At the Congress of Soviets, their first resolution statement recognizes neither provisional government nor soviets shoul have absolute power -
June Offensive
Kerensky's major offense to push the Germans back, and fails miserably -
First ever all Russian Congress of Soviets
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The Meeting
By June 1917, when the first All-Russian Congress of oviets met in Petrograd, 350 towns, villages and military bases throughout Russia were in a position to send representatives -
Kerensky becomes the head of the Provisional Government
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July Uprisings
Demonstations and renewed violence comes up because of the failed June Offensive and because we now see the Bolsheviks making an effort to share their message with the Provisional Government. SOme demonstrations are as large as half a million people, and they all go to where the Congress of Soviets is meeting and call for them to assume power from the Provisional Government. The growing power and influence of the Bolsheviks is seen -
Replacement
The replacement of Prince Lvov as chairman, by Kerensky, in July 1917, further heightened the right-wingers' fear of a left -wing takeover -
Kornilov
Kerensky appoints General Lavr Kornilov as commander in chief of the army -
Kerensky Exposes the Bolsheviks
Lenin runs off to hide in exile when Kerensky exposes the financial support given to them by the Germans -
The Bolshevik Party Rebuilds Itself
We see that even though Lenin is gone right now in August the Bolshevik party is rebuilding strength -
Kornilov and the coup
At the end of August, Kornilov ordered six regiments of troops from the mighty Caucasian Native Division to march on Petrograd- presumably intending to crush the Soviet and establish a military disctatorship. -
The Bolshevik Party becomes the majority in the Petrograd Soviet and the Moscow Soviet
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The Bolsheviks are the majority in the Petrograd and Moscow Soviet
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Lenin is back in Petrograd and calling for a vote in favor of an armed uprising
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Lenin is back in Petrograd
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Trotsky's military revolutionary committee is the fighting force of the Bolsheviks
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All Hell Breaks Loose
The coup that Kerensky tried to oppress is the coup he ends up starting. He tries to arrest the coup, shut down their paper, and telegraph lines. Key positions all over the city are being taken by the Red Guards. They take control of banks and post offices, and were met with no resistance all on the night of the 24th -
Attack on the Winter Palace
On the 25th, the Bolshevik forces go to the Winter Palace, firing blanks and forcing the teenage and women guards surrender. Kerensky flees and remains in exile until his death, where he teaches at Sanford -
We are in Civil War in Russia
By spring of 1918, Russia is in a civil war -
Jason Yanowitz wrote The Makhno Myth
Wrote that "February was the product of...concentrated effort by revolutionary socialist cadres [small bands of activitsts] from a number of groups. They planned for it. They agitted for it. They were accountable to each other. They tried to generalize and extend every action of the workers. And they saw the combativeness and confidence of the Petrograd working class increase." -
Kerensky Becomes Head of the Provisional Government
Kerensky also brings forward evidence tat the Bolsheviks were getting money from the Germans