When did the February Revolution of 1917 end? Abstract February Revolution. Causes, course of events, consequences

1. February 23 - March 3 (March 8 - 18, new style) 1917 in Russia occurred February Revolution, as a result of which the tsar was overthrown, the monarchy was abolished, democratic transformations began, which developed into a revolutionary process and a civil war.

The driving forces of the February Revolution of 1917 had a dual nature:

- on the one hand, it was of a mass, spontaneous and popular character (“revolutions from below”);

- on the other hand, since 1916 there was a conscious preparation for the overthrow of Nicholas II, who had lost his authority - some of the leading leaders of the "Progressive Bloc" of the State Duma, progressive-minded officers of the Petrograd garrison, entered into the conspiracy.

From December 1916, the implementation of the conspiracy began. Rasputin was killed in Yusupov's house, which immediately deprived the tsar of his inner support. Work was carried out among the officers of the Petrograd garrison to prepare a military coup. In early February 1917, a shortage of bread was created in Petrograd (bread was not brought into the city and was hidden in warehouses, although after the abdication of Nicholas II, the importation of bread began in droves). The Petrograd garrison did not support the tsar at the decisive moment. 2. Events began to develop spontaneously:

- the cessation of the supply of bread to Petrograd caused acute discontent and spontaneous demonstrations;

- On February 23 (March 8, 1917 according to the global calendar), on International Women's Day, a major strike began in Petrograd, which is considered the beginning of a revolution - the Putilov plant stopped working, followed by more than 50 enterprises, more than 100 thousand workers took to the streets with the slogans "Bread!", "Peace!", "Freedom!";

- February 26 - riots began - the defeat of police stations, the secret police, attacks on government officials, Chairman of the State Duma M. Rodzianko sends a telegram to the tsar, who is at headquarters in the city of Mogilev, with a proposal to form a government of national unity;

- February 26, evening - Tsar Nicholas II of Mogilev rejected the proposals of the deputies of the State Duma and ordered the commander of the Petrograd district, General S. Khabalov, to suppress the protests by force and restore order;

- February 27 - a split in the army - the Petrograd garrison refused to follow the orders of its commander S. Khabalov and went over to the side of the protesting workers; the fraternization of the army and the inhabitants of Petrograd begins; there is a destruction of the district court, prisons, police stations; on the same day, the Provisional Committee of the State Duma (leaders: M. Rodzianko, P. Milyukov, G. Lvov, etc.) and the Petrograd Council (chairman - N. Chkheidze, deputies - A. Kerensky and M. Skobelev, G. Khrustalev-Nosar (leader of the Petrosoviet during the revolution of 1905);

- The Petrograd Soviet and the Provisional Committee of the State Duma are equally popular among the people and proclaim themselves supreme body power in the country, which laid the foundation for dual power;

- February 28 - power in Petrograd completely passes into the hands of the Provisional Committee of the State Duma and the Petrograd Council; previously trained officers and units loyal to them, who supported the rebels, take control of the mail, telegraph, telephone, bridges; the commander of the Petrograd district, S. Khabalov, also goes over to the side of the rebels, sends a telegram to the tsar about the impossibility of suppressing the unrest;

- March 1 - Chairman of the State Duma M. Rodzianko arrived in Mogilev to Tsar Nicholas II with a proposal to abdicate in favor of 14-year-old son Alexei;

- March 2 - after daily deliberation, having changed his mind many times, Nicholas II signs the abdication of the throne for himself and for his son Alexei in favor of his brother - Mikhail Romanov. The abdication of Nicholas II was not voluntary and was obtained after the refusal of the army to defend the tsar - and this became the decisive argument;

- on the same day, March 2, the Provisional Committee of the State Duma, together with the Petrograd Soviet, forms the Provisional Government (until the elections to the Constituent Assembly) headed by G. Lvov;

- dual power begins in Russia - the State Duma and the Provisional Government, on the one hand, and the councils of workers', peasants' and soldiers' deputies, which are spontaneously created throughout the country, on the other;

- March 3 - Mikhail Romanov, the uncrowned Tsar Michael II, who enjoys a reputation as a liberal and a certain authority in society, abdicates the throne - before convocation Constituent Assembly(Mikhail's renunciation was also obtained by force - under many hours of pressure from the leaders of the State Duma and the armed sailors who came with them; Mikhail's abdication was formalized without succession);

- on the same day, the Provisional Government publishes its first document - the Declaration of the Provisional Government to the citizens of Russia, which proclaims fundamental rights and freedoms, the abolition of estates, a general political amnesty, the liquidation of the police and gendarmerie, their replacement by the people's militia, and the holding at the end of 1917. general and equal elections to the Constituent Assembly.

As a result of the victory of the February bourgeois-democratic revolution in February - March 1917 in Russia:

- the monarchy was overthrown;

- the 304-year rule of the Romanov dynasty was actually terminated;

- were proclaimed and for a short time became a reality fundamental rights and human freedom;

- Dual power began - the activities of the Provisional Government and the Soviets;

- Revolutionary transformations began, culminating in the coming to power of the Bolsheviks.

Causes and character of the February Revolution.

The February revolution was caused by the same reasons, had the same character, solved the same tasks and had the same balance of opposing forces as the revolution of 1905-1907. (See paragraph "The First Russian Revolution of 1905 - 1907). After the first revolution, the tasks of overthrowing the autocracy (the question of power), introducing democratic freedoms, solving agrarian, working, national issues. The February Revolution of 1917, like the revolution of 1905-1907, had a bourgeois-democratic character.

Features of the February Revolution.

Unlike the first Russian revolution of 1905-1907, the February Revolution of 1917:

It took place against the backdrop of the devastation caused by the First World War;

Active participation in revolutionary events of soldiers and sailors;

The army almost immediately went over to the side of the revolution.

The formation of a revolutionary situation. The revolution was not prepared in advance and broke out unexpectedly both for the government and for the revolutionary parties. It is noteworthy that V.I. Lenin in 1916 did not believe in her imminent arrival. He said: "We old people may not live to see the decisive battles of this coming revolution." However, by the end of 1916, economic ruin, aggravation of poverty and disasters populace caused social tension, the growth of anti-war sentiment and dissatisfaction with the policy of the autocracy. By early 1917, the country was in a social and political crisis.

The beginning of the revolution. In February 1917, the supply of bread in Petrograd worsened. The country had enough bread, but due to the devastation of the transport, it was not delivered on time. There were queues at the bakeries, which caused discontent among the people. In this situation, any act of the authorities could cause a social explosion. On February 18, the workers of the Putilov factory went on strike. In response, the management fired the strikers. They were supported by the workers of other enterprises. On February 23 (March 8, NS) a general strike began. It was accompanied by rallies with the slogans "Bread!", "Peace!" "Freedom!", "Down with the war!" "Down with autocracy!" February 23, 1917 considered the beginning of the February Revolution.

At first, the government did not attach much importance to these events. On the eve of Nicholas II, having assumed the duties of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, left Petrograd for Headquarters in the city of Mogilev. However, events escalated. On February 24, 214 thousand people were already on strike in Petrograd, and on the 25th - over 300 thousand (80% of the workers). Demonstrations expanded. The Cossacks sent to disperse them began to go over to the side of the demonstrators. Commander of the Petrograd Military District General S.S. Khabalov received an order from the king: “I command you to stop the unrest in the capital tomorrow.” On February 26, Kha-ba-lov ordered to open fire on the demonstrators: 50 people were killed, hundreds were wounded.

The outcome of any revolution depends on which side the army ends up on. The defeat of the revolution of 1905-1907 in many respects it was due to the fact that, on the whole, the army remained faithful to tsarism. In February 1917, there were 180 thousand soldiers in Petrograd, who were being prepared to be sent to the front. There were many recruits from workers mobilized for participating in strikes. They did not want to go to the front, they easily succumbed to revolutionary propaganda. The execution of the demonstrators aroused the indignation of the soldiers of the garni-zone. The soldiers of the Pavlovsky regiment seized the arsenal and handed over the weapons to the workers. On March 1, there were already 170 thousand soldiers on the side of the rebels. The remnants of the garrison, along with Khabalov, surrendered. The transition of the garrison zone to the side of the revolution ensured its victory. Tsarist ministers were arrested, police stations were destroyed and burned down, and political prisoners were released from prisons.

Creation of new authorities. Petrograd Soviet of Workers' Deputies (February 27, 1917). The Petrograd Soviet consisted of 250 members. Chairman - Menshevik N.S. Chkheidze, deputies - Menshevik M.I. Skobelev and Trudovik A.F. Kerensky(1881-1970). The Petrosoviet was dominated by the Mensheviks and Socialist-Revolutionaries, at that time the most numerous left-wing parties. They put forward the slogan civil peace”, the consolidation of all classes, political freedoms. By decision of the Petrograd Soviet, the royal finances were seized.

« Order No. 1» was published by the Petrosoviet on March 1, 1917. Electoral Sol-Danish committees weapons were placed at their disposal. The titles of officers and saluting them were abolished. Although this order was intended only for the Petrograd garrison, it soon spread to the fronts. "Order No. 1" was destructive, undermined the principle of unity of command in the army, led to its collapse and mass desertion.

Creation of the Provisional Government. The leaders of the bourgeois parties in the State Duma created on February 27 "Provisional Committee of the State Duma" under the leadership of the Chairman of the IV Duma M. V. Rod-zyanko. March 2, 1917. The Petrograd Soviet and the Provisional Committee of the State Duma formed Provisional Government composed of:

Chairman - Prince G. E. Lvov(1861-1925), non-party liberal, close to the Cadets and Octobrists:

Minister of Foreign Affairs - Cadet P. N. Milyukov(1859-1943);

Military and Naval Minister - Octobrist A. I. Guchkov(1862-1936);

Minister of Communications - a tech-style magnate from the Ivanovo region, a member of the Progressive Party A. I. Konovalov(1875-1948);

Minister of Agriculture - A. I. Shingarev (1869-1918);

Minister of Finance - sugar breeder M. I. Te-reschenko(1886-1956);

Minister of Education - liberal populist A. A. Manuilov;

King's abdication. Nicholas II was at Headquarters in the city of Mogilev and did not understand the danger of the situation. On February 27, having received news of the beginning of the revolution from the chairman of the Fourth Duma, M.V. The tsar placed responsibility for the unrest in the capital on the Duma and ordered its dissolution. Later, he ordered to send punitive troops to the capital under the command of General N. I. Ivanova, appointed commander of the Petrograd garrison instead of Khabalov. However, information about the victory of the revolution in Petrograd and about the transition of troops to its side forced General Ivanov to refrain from punitive actions.

On February 28, the tsar and his retinue went to Petrograd, but the tsar's train could not get through to the capital and turned to Pskov, where the headquarters of the commander of the Northern Front, General N.V. Ryuzsky. After negotiations with Rodzianko and the commanders of the fronts, Nicholas II decided to abdicate in favor of his 13-year-old son Alexei, under the regency of his brother Mikhail. On March 2, representatives of the Provisional Committee of the Duma arrived in Pskov A.I. Guchkov and V.V. Shulgin. They convinced the king to "transfer the burden of government to other hands." Nicholas II signed a manifesto on abdication in favor of his brother Michael. The tsar made an entry in his diary: "There is treason and cowardice and deceit all around!"

Subsequently, Nicholas was with his family under house arrest in the Tsarskoye Selo Palace. In the summer of 1917, by decision of the Provisional Government, the Romanovs were sent into exile in Tobolsk. In the spring of 1918, they were moved by the Bolsheviks to Yekaterinburg, where they were shot in July 1918, along with their entourage.

Guchkov and Shulgin returned to Petrograd with a manifesto on the abdication of Nicholas. The toast in honor of the new Emperor Mikhail, proclaimed by Guchkov, aroused indignation among the workers. They threatened Guchkov with execution. On March 3, members of the Provisional Government met with Mikhail Romanov. After heated discussions, the majority voted for Mi-hail's abdication. He agreed and signed the abdication. The autocracy has fallen. It has come dual power.

The essence of duality. During the transitional period - from the moment the victory of the revolution to the adoption of the constitution and the formation of new authorities - the Provisional Revolutionary Government usually operates, whose duty is to break the old apparatus of power, to consolidate the gains of the revolution by decrees and convocation Constituent Assembly, which determines the form of the future state structure of the country and adopts the constitution. However, a feature of the February Revolution of 1917 was that there was an unparalleled history dual power represented by the socialist Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies (" strength without power”), on the one hand, and the liberal Provisional Government (“ power without power"), with another.

The meaning of the February Revolution of 1917:

There was an overthrow of the self-power;

Russia received maximum political freedoms.

The revolution won, but it did not solve all the problems. Cruel trials awaited the country ahead.

The February Revolution of 1917 in Russia is still called the Bourgeois-Democratic Revolution.
It is the second revolution in a row (the first took place in 1905, the third in October 1917). The February Revolution began a great turmoil in Russia, during which not only the Romanov dynasty fell and the Empire ceased to be a monarchy, but also the entire bourgeois-capitalist system, as a result of which Russia completely the elite has changed. February was a popular revolution.

February Revolution February 23 - March 3, 1917 (old style)

Causes of the February Revolution

The unfortunate participation of Russia in the First World War, accompanied by defeats on the fronts, the disorganization of life in the rear
The inability of Emperor Nicholas II to rule Russia, which was expressed in the unsuccessful appointments of ministers and military leaders
Corruption at all levels of government
Economic difficulties
Ideological decomposition of the masses, who ceased to believe in the king, and the church, and local leaders
Dissatisfaction with the policy of the tsar by representatives of the big bourgeoisie and even his closest relatives

“... For several days now we have been living on a volcano ... There was no bread in Petrograd, - the transport was very disordered due to unusual snows, frosts and, most importantly, of course, because of the tension of the war ... There were street riots ... But it was, of course, not in bread... That was the last straw... The point was that in all this big city it was impossible to find several hundred people who would sympathize with the authorities ... And not even that ... The fact is that the authorities did not sympathize with themselves ... There was, in essence, not a single minister who would believe in himself and that he does ... The class of former rulers was disappearing .. "
(Vas. Shulgin "Days")

The course of the February Revolution

February 21 - Bread riots in Petrograd. Crowds smashed bakery shops
February 23 - the beginning of the general strike of the workers of Petrograd. Mass demonstrations with the slogans "Down with the war!", "Down with the autocracy!", "Bread!"
February 24 - More than 200 thousand workers of 214 enterprises went on strike, students
February 25 - Already 305 thousand people were on strike, 421 factories were standing. Employees and artisans joined the workers. The troops refused to disperse the protesters
February 26 - Continued riots. Decomposition in the troops. The inability of the police to restore calm. Nicholas II
postponed the start of meetings of the State Duma from February 26 to April 1, which was perceived as its dissolution
February 27 - armed uprising. The reserve battalions of Volynsky, Lithuanian, Preobrazhensky refused to obey the commanders and joined the people. In the afternoon, the Semyonovsky regiment, the Izmailovsky regiment, and the reserve armored division revolted. The Kronverk Arsenal, the Arsenal, the Main Post Office, the telegraph office, railway stations, and bridges were occupied. The State Duma appointed a Provisional Committee "to restore order in St. Petersburg and to communicate with institutions and persons."
On February 28, at night, the Provisional Committee announced that it was taking power into its own hands.
On February 28, the 180th Infantry Regiment, the Finnish Regiment, sailors of the 2nd Baltic Naval Crew and the cruiser Aurora revolted. The insurgent people occupied all the stations of Petrograd
March 1 - Kronstadt and Moscow revolted, the tsar's close associates offered him either the introduction of loyal army units into Petrograd, or the creation of the so-called "responsible ministries" - a government subordinate to the Duma, which meant turning the Emperor into an "English queen".
March 2, night - Nicholas II signed a manifesto on the granting of a responsible ministry, but it was too late. The public demanded renunciation.

"The Chief of Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief," General Alekseev, requested by telegram all the commanders-in-chief of the fronts. These telegrams asked the commanders-in-chief for their opinion on the desirability under the circumstances of the abdication of the emperor from the throne in favor of his son. By one in the afternoon on March 2, all the answers of the commanders-in-chief were received and concentrated in the hands of General Ruzsky. These answers were:
1) From Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich - Commander-in-Chief of the Caucasian Front.
2) From General Sakharov - the actual commander-in-chief of the Romanian front (the actual commander-in-chief was the king of Romania, and Sakharov was his chief of staff).
3) From General Brusilov - Commander-in-Chief of the Southwestern Front.
4) From General Evert - Commander-in-Chief of the Western Front.
5) From Ruzsky himself - the commander-in-chief of the Northern Front. All five commanders-in-chief of the fronts and General Alekseev (gen. Alekseev was the chief of staff under the Sovereign) spoke in favor of the abdication of the Sovereign Emperor from the throne. (Vas. Shulgin "Days")

On March 2, at about 3 p.m., Tsar Nicholas II decided to abdicate in favor of his heir, Tsarevich Alexei, under the regency of the younger sibling Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich. During the day, the king decided to abdicate also for the heir.
March 4 - The Manifesto on the abdication of Nicholas II and the Manifesto on the abdication of Mikhail Alexandrovich were published in the newspapers.

“The man rushed to us - Darlings! - He shouted and grabbed my hand - Did you hear? There is no king! Only Russia remained.
He kissed everyone warmly and rushed to run on, sobbing and muttering something ... It was already one in the morning when Efremov usually slept soundly.
Suddenly, at this inopportune hour, there was a booming and short strike of the cathedral bell. Then the second blow, the third.
The blows became more frequent, a tight ringing was already floating over the town, and soon the bells of all the surrounding churches joined it.
Lights were lit in all the houses. The streets were filled with people. Doors in many houses stood wide open. strangers crying, hugging each other. From the side of the station, a solemn and jubilant cry of steam locomotives flew (K. Paustovsky "Restless Youth")

Results of the February Revolution of 1917

The death penalty has been abolished
Granted political freedoms
Abolished "Pale of Settlement"
Beginning of the trade union movement
Amnesty for political prisoners
Russia became the most democratic country peace
The economic crisis has not been stopped
Participation in the war continued
Permanent government crisis
The collapse of the empire along national lines began
The peasant question remained unresolved
Russia demanded a decisive government and it came in the form of the Bolsheviks.

The February Revolution took place in the fateful year for Russia in 1917 and became the first of many coup d'état which step by step led to the establishment of the power of the Soviets and the formation of a new state on the map.

Causes of the February Revolution of 1917

The protracted war gave rise to many difficulties and plunged the country into a severe crisis. opposed the monarchy most of society, in the Duma even formed a liberal opposition against Nicholas II. Numerous meetings and speeches under anti-monarchist and anti-war slogans began to take place in the country.

1. Crisis in the army

AT Russian army at that time, more than 15 million people had been mobilized, of which 13 million were peasants. Hundreds of thousands of victims, killed and crippled, terrible front-line conditions, embezzlement and mediocrity of the high command of the army undermined discipline and led to mass desertion. By the end of 1916, more than one and a half million people were deserters from the army.

On the front line, there were often cases of "fraternization" Russian soldiers with Austrian and German. The officers made many efforts to stop this trend, but among ordinary soldiers it became normal to exchange different things and make friends with the enemy.

Discontent and mass revolutionary moods gradually grew in the ranks of the military.

2. Threat of starvation

A fifth of the country's industrial potential was lost due to the occupation, food was running out. In St. Petersburg, for example, in February 1917, only a week and a half of grain remained. Deliveries of products and raw materials were carried out so irregularly that some of the military factories were closed. Providing the army with everything necessary was also at risk.

3. Power crisis

Upstairs, too, everything was difficult: during the years of the war, four prime ministers were replaced with full Strong personalities who could stop the crisis of power and lead the country along, at that time in ruling elite did not have.

The royal family always strove to be closer to the people, but the phenomenon of Rasputinism and the weakness of government gradually deepened the gulf between the tsar and his people.

In the political situation, everything pointed to the proximity of the revolution. The only question left was where and how it would happen.

February Revolution: the overthrow of the centuries-old monarchical system

Beginning in January 1917 throughout Russian Empire massive strikes took place, in which a total of more than 700 thousand workers took part. The trigger for the February events was a strike in St. Petersburg.

On February 23, 128,000 were already on strike, the next day their number grew to 200,000, and the strike took on a political character, and already 300,000 workers took part in it in St. Petersburg alone. This is how the February Revolution unfolded.

Troops and police opened fire on the striking workers, and the first blood was shed.

On February 26, the tsar sent troops to the capital under the command of General Ivanov, but they refused to suppress the uprising and actually sided with the rebels.

On February 27, the insurgent workers seized more than 40,000 rifles and 30,000 revolvers. They took control of the capital and elected the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' Deputies, headed by Chkheidze.

On the same day, the tsar sent an order to the Duma on an indefinite break in its work. The Duma obeyed the decree, but decided not to disperse, but to elect a Provisional Committee of ten people headed by Rodzianko.

Soon the tsar received telegrams about the victory of the revolution and calls from the commanders of all fronts to cede power in favor of the rebels.

On March 2, the establishment of the Provisional Government of Russia was officially announced, and Nicholas II appointed Prince Lvov as its head. And on the same day the king abdicated for himself and for his son in favor of his brother, but he wrote the abdication in the same way.

So the February Revolution ended the existence of the monarchy for

After that, the tsar, as a civilian, tried to obtain permission from the Provisional Government to leave with his family for Murmansk in order to emigrate from there to Great Britain. But the Petrograd Soviet resisted so decisively that it was decided to arrest Nicholas II and his family and take them to Tsarskoye Selo for imprisonment.

The former emperor will never be destined to leave his country.

February Revolution of 1917: results

The interim government survived many crises and was able to last only 8 months. An attempt to build a bourgeois-democratic society was not successful, since a more powerful and organized force claimed power in the country, which saw only the socialist revolution as its goal.

The February revolution revealed this force - the workers and soldiers, led by the Soviets, began to play a decisive role in the history of the country.

Pavel Milyukov
leader of the cadet party

Alexander Protopopov, who at that time held the post of Minister of Internal Affairs, as is clear from the memoirs of his contemporaries, and from the transcripts of his interrogations in the commission of inquiry, was a man of mental abilities clearly insufficient for such a position. And according to some reports, he did suffer from a psychiatric illness.

Georges Maurice Paleologus quoted Foreign Minister Nikolai Pokrovsky in his diary: “I would attach only secondary importance to these riots if my dear colleague had even a glimmer of reason. But what to expect from a man who has lost all sense for many weeks now reality and who confers nightly with the shadow of Rasputin? That night he again spent two hours summoning the ghost of the old man.

A mediocre, if not insane minister, Protopopov made considerable efforts to provoke a procession of workers to the Duma on February 14 (27) and shoot this procession with machine guns. However, the leader of the Kadet Party, Pavel Milyukov, addressed the workers in the press with open letter, in which he urged them not to be led by Protopopov's provocations, and the procession did not take place. But this was only a delay of the explosion.

Literally a day before the storm broke out, on February 22 (March 7), Emperor Nicholas II left Tsarskoye Selo for Headquarters in Mogilev, as Milyukov wrote, "keeping between himself and the capital only a telegraph and even less reliable railway connection."

The more than 150,000-strong Petrograd garrison at that time consisted for the most part of reservists and conscripts of the second wave, mostly peasants.

Finally, these days it has sharply warmed by almost 20 degrees, as if nature itself was pushing people to take to the streets.

The conditions for a "perfect storm" have developed in the city.

On February 23 (March 8), International Women's Day, thousands of workers took to the streets of Petrograd. They shouted "Bread!" and "Down with hunger!". About 90,000 workers from fifty enterprises took part in the strike that day. Without fuel, factories stopped one after another. The next day there were almost 200 thousand workers on strike, and a day later, according to various sources, from 240 to 300 thousand, that is, up to 80% of the total number of workers in the city. Classes at the university also stopped, and students joined the protesters.

Residents of working-class districts, in particular the Vyborg side, were drawn to the city center. At rallies, for example, on Znamenskaya Square (now called Vosstaniya Square), red flags were raised and political slogans were shouted out: "Down with the autocracy!" and "Down with the war!", and also sang revolutionary songs.

The Petrograd authorities tried to avoid the use of force, as they saw that the soldiers and Cossacks were not in the mood to disperse the crowds of protesters. "I strongly did not want to resort to shooting," General Khabalov recalled during interrogation at the commission of inquiry.