The Russian Revolution

The Russian Revolution was a political movement in Russia that climaxed in 1917 with the overthrow of the Russian Tsar system and led to the establishment of the Soviet Union, which lasted until 1992. This movement was led by Vladimir Lenin based upon the ideas of Karl Marx and marked the beginning of the spread of communism in the twentieth century.

Brief Chronology leading to Revolution of 1917

Dates are correct for the Julian calendar, which was used in Russia until 1918. It was twelve days behind the Gregorian calendar during the 19th Century and a day further behind during the 20th century.

1855 - Start of reign of Tsar Alexander II
1861 - Emancipation of the serfs
1866-74 - The White Terror
1881 - Alexander II assassinated. Alexander III (missing text here)
1883 - First Russian marxist group formed
1894 - Start of reign of Nicholas II
1898 - First Congress of Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP)
1900 - Foundation of Socialist Revolutionary Party (SR)
1903 - Second Congress of Russian Social Democratic Labour Party. Split (missing text)
1904-5 - Russo-Japanese War
1905 - Russian Revolution/Rebellion.

January - Bloody Sunday in St Petersburg.

June - Potemkin uprising at Odessa on the Black Sea

October - general strike, St Petersburg Soviet formed

- Imperial agreement on elections to the State Duma - October Manifesto

1906 - First State Duma. Prime Minister - Petr Stolypin. Agrarian reforms begin
1907 - Second State Duma, February - June
1907 - Third State Duma, until 1912
1911 - Stolypin assassinated
1912 - Fourth State Duma, until 1917. Bolshevik - Menshevik split final
1914 - Germany declares war on Russia
1915 - Serious defeats, Nicholas II declares himself CinC. Progressive Bloc formed
1916 - Gregory Rasputin killed

More detailed but still brief chronology of Revolution of 1917

January

Strikes and unrest in Petrograd

February

The February Revolution

26th -- 50 demonstrators killed in Znamenskaya Square

27th -- Troops refuse to fire on demonstrators, desertions. Prison, court and

Okhrana buidings set on fire. Garrison joins revolutionaries.

Petrograd Soviet formed.

March

1st -- Order No.1 of the Petrograd Soviet

2nd -- Nicholas II abdicates. Provisional Government formed, Prince Lvov PM

April

3rd -- Return of Lenin to Russia. April Theses

20th -- Miliukov's note published. Provisional Government falls

May

5th -- New Provisional Government formed. Kerensky minister of war and navy

June

3rd -- First All-Russian Congress of Soviets in Petrograd. Closed on 24th

16th -- Kerensky orders offensive against Austro-Hungarian forces. Initial success

July

2nd -- Russian offensive ends. Trotsky joins Bolsheviks

4th -- Anti-government demonstrations in Petrograd

6th -- German and Austro-Hungarian counter-attack. Russians retreat in panic, sacking the town of Tarnopol. Arrest of Bolshevik leaders ordered

7th -- Lvov resigns. Kerensky is new PM

22nd -- Trotsky and Lunacharskii arrested

August

26th -- Second coalition government ends

27th -- General Lavr Kornilov failed coup. Kornilov arrested and imprisoned

September

1st -- Russia declared a republic

4th -- Trotsky and others freed. Trotsky becomes head of Petrograd Soviet

25th -- Third coalition government formed

October

10th -- Bolshevik Central Committee meeting approves armed uprising

11th -- Congress of Soviets of the Northern Region, until 13th

20th -- First meeting of the Military Revolutionary Committee of Petrograd

25th -- MRC directs armed workers and soldiers to capture key buidings in Petrograd.

Winter Palace attacked at 9.40pm. Kerensky flees Petrograd

26th -- Second Congress of Soviets. Mensheviks and right SR delegates walk-out in

protest at coup. Decrees on peace and land reform. Soviet government declared -

the Council of People's Commissars; Bolshevik dominated with Lenin as chairman