The Czar and the German War

The Czar was overseeing the war campaign against Germany, when the Bolshevik Revolution consumed St. Petersburg. Mutiny begins among the army in Russia.

The Czar was the supreme ruler of the Russian Empire, but he was away at the front overseeing his campaign of war against Germany.

The war was going badly for Russia and the Czar had little time for what he saw as one or two domestic protests. Telegrams arrived insisting that he should take immediate action about the crisis in the capitol. Initially, he was annoyed with the interruption but by evening, he could resist no longer. He responded in the only way he knew.

Confontation had risen to a new level. The slogans on the protest banners now read, "Freedom or Death." By the fourth day, the center of Petrograd had became a battlefield as fresh army units were brought to face the protestors. Under order of the Czar, they were to shoot the demonstrators if they refused to disperse. The army unit opened fire and fifty were killed, but the Czar had failed to end the protests.

Despite those killed, the demonstrations continued.

Back at the barracks the soldiers were becoming angry at what had happened, and when the commanding officer tried to force them back on the street again, they made their feelings known. Sergei Kirpichnikov, one of the soldiers then said, "That it would be better to die with honour than to obey any further orders to shoot at the crowds: ‘Our fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, and brides are begging for bread,’ ‘Are we going to kill them? Did you see the blood on the streets today? I say we shouldn’t take up our positions tomorrow. I myself refuse to go.’ And, together, the soldiers cried out: ‘We shall stay with you!’"

"The commanding officer had lost control. Fearing for his life, he made the error of walking away and worse still, of running.

Mutiny had began and the only possibility of preserving themselves, was by the mutiny spreading.

The soldiers went from barrack to barrack searching support, and soon others were on the streets joining the workers.

While the streets were erupting with violence, 30,000 soldiers and sailors were stationed at the island fortress of Kronstadt. The sailors at Kronstadt were to become a key part of the Russian Revolution.

References

Russian Revolution in Color (DVD)
The Russian Revolution and Civil War, this bloodsoaked time from the battlefields, testimonies, and colorized archives help unfold the dramatic story of the Communist rise and seizure of power in 1917.

Beginnings of the Russian Revolution - St. Petersburg

The causes and beginning of the Bolshevik uprising. Hunger and revolution drove parts of Russian population to terrorism and ultimately overthrow of the Imperial government.

St. Petersburg

In February 1917, the war with Germany was in its third winter and the people of St. Petersburg were hungry. Bread stocks were on the verge of being rationed. Shortages meant some were waiting all night long, and for only part of a loaf and the people of Russia had grown tired of it.

Shortages of Food.

On the 23rd of February, women in the factories came out on the streets to protest the lack of bread.

from Sunlight at Midnight, W. Bruce Lincoln
Soldiers' wives demand increased rations in a demonstration along the Nevskii Prospekt following the celebration of International Women's Day, February 23, 1917. (Photo by K. Bulla. Courtesy of the Central State Archive of Kino-Photo-Phono Documents, St. Petersburg.)
This "International" Women's Day, was a Socialist creation... Karl Marx' terrorist International.

"With 2 million Russian soldiers dead in the war, Russian women again chose the last Sunday in February 1917 to strike for "bread and peace". Political leaders opposed the timing of the strike, but the women went on anyway. The rest is history: Four days later the Czar of Russia was forced to abdicate and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote. That historic Sunday fell on 23 February on the Julian calendar then in use in Russia, but coincided with 8 March on the Gregorian calendar used by people elsewhere."
A brief history of International Women's Day

Anger spread when rumors were spread that the bread was deliberately being hoarded.

Women factory workers took to the street in protest, some hurled snowballs at the factory to get them to come out. When the men emerged and joined in the ruckus, it became a significant strike in the capitol.

Socialist Worker's Strike - St. Petersburg

By afternoon over one hundred thousand workers had joined the strike.

Socialist agitators reacted to the demonstrations. The next morning following meetings in factories, the protestors took to the street again, but armed with hammers ready to fight.

Over the next two days the protest grew larger, louder and increasingly difficult to control.

The official response was to use soldiers to sweep the demonstrators from the street.

On February 25, 1917 there was some significant resulting violence to the strike.

Though many protestors had shot down by police, demonstators still crowded the streets. One demonstration however had been brought to a stand-still by a squadron of Kazaks (or Cossacks), who were brought in to support the police.

The Kazaks, traditionally loyal to the Czar, were one of the most brutal fighting units in Russia and notorious for showing no fear in ruthless crushing of demonstrations.

From henceforth, the people referred to them as "Comrade Kazaks," viewing them as merely peasants and workers in uniform. One of the most fiercesome units of Russia's army had proven itself unreliable.

City authorities were forced to turn elsewhere, to Russia's highest authority, for help.

They called on the Czar to intervene.

The Czar was the supreme ruler of the Russian empire, overseeing his war campaign against Germany...

References

Russian Revolution in Color (DVD)
The Russian Revolution and Civil War, this bloodsoaked time from the battlefields, testimonies, and colorized archives help unfold the dramatic story of the Communist rise and seizure of power in 1917.

Russian Revolution

A history of the Russian Revolution, from the rise of the Bolshevik revolution to the final stand against Lenin's red army.

The Russian Revolution

Nicholas's accession in 1894 coincided with growing conspiratorial revolutionary activity. The first Marxist party was formed in 1898, under the title of Russian Social Democratic Labour Party and in 1903, split into the two opposed factions of Mensheviks and Bolsheviks. The latter wing was more conspiratorial in its methods and practiced terrorism -- and was to seize power by October 1917 under Lenin's leadership, which eventually developed into the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

The Russian Revolution forever changed the world. It was comprised of two separate revolutions and are collectively "The Russian Revolution". Seemingly overnight an entire society was destroyed and replaced by the most radical socialist experiment ever witnessed.

The first revolution began with the revolt of March 8-12, 1917 (* February 23-27 in the Julian, or old style Calendar which was then used in Russia), which succeeded overthrow of the Czarist monarchy. Frequently it is called the February or March Revolution. The second revolution which consisted of armed insurrection was on November 6-7 (October 24-25), organized by the Bolshevik Party. It effected tremendous change in all economic, political and social structure in Russia and often referred to as the Bolshevik Revolution or October Revolution.

Bolsheviks destroying Imperial Symbols from Public Life.

The Bolsheviks exercised terror as a means for their rise to power.

Ideally, poverty was to be eliminated along with crime, privelege and class division.

A new era of Socialism made the promise of peace, prosperity and equality for all people of the world. But the socialist experiment failed. Millions were killed and within a generation one third the world's population were living under Communism. The story reveals how idealistic dreams can turn into an unimaginable nightmare.

The Marxist Lenin speaking to his disciples, preaching the terrorism which empowered him to overthrew the nation of Russia.

• Beginnings of the Russian Revolution - St. Petersburg
  Women factory workers stage a protest on Women's Day, agitating other factory workers to protest with them. What results is a mass protest of 100,000 Bolsheviks.


• The Czar and the German War, The Czar was overseeing the war campaign against Germany, when the Bolshevik Revolution consumed St. Petersburg. Mutiny begins among the army in Russia.


• The Soldiers of Kronstadt and Russian Revolution. The island fortress of Kronstadt, and the sailors who played a key part in the Russian Revolution.


• The Czar and Russian Revolution, With the deepening crisis, Czar Nicolas II is stopped on his journey back from the German front. Revolutionaries closed the line ahead and he is trapped on the imperial train. The Czar's front commanders insist he abdocate, and the people of Russia remove all Czarist symbols from public life.


• Temporary Provisional Government, The temporary provisional government that replaced the Czar's regime, and differing plans of exiled revolutionaries who were returning home to Russia.


• Provisional Government and the Soviets, The demand for tougher government is needed and the provisional government makes a deal with the Soviets for protection, but on the way to fight, the Soviets are persuaded with words, not bullets. Kerensky makes a deal with the Soviets for protection, but the plan backfires, leaving his position weakened on all sides.


• Lenin and the Bolsheviks, With the weakening of the Provisional Government, Lenin returns to Russia from his hide-out in Finland, taking control of the Bolsheviks with intent on seizing power. The provisional government is ovethrown and the Bolsheviks seize power.


• Lenin Seizes Power, Lenin seizes power, and the new rule is brought in with one of history's greatest hangovers as the imperial wine cellar is raided. Lenin tightens the reigns of power behind the scenes. When Democracy is attempted with an assembly of delegates the Bolsheviks and Lenin disrupt the gathering. Lenin seizes power by force, then creates the Checka, forerunner of the KGB.


• Lenin's Regime, Sailors of Kronstadt and Russian Dissent, The sailors of Kronstadt begin to feel they have been duped, seeing excesses and abuse of power by the newly empowered Lenin regime. An attempt on Lenin's life by Fanya Kaplan, and the Czech army revolts.


• Murder of the Royal Family, The rebel army moved west and in their path was the city of Yekaterinburg, where the royal family had been under house arrest for four months. Bolsheviks murder the royal family to prevent them from falling into enemy hands and used as leverage. After 300 Years the Romanov Dynasty was ended.


• White Army and the Red Army of the Communists, The white army grew from rebels who defected from fighting Russian enemies, and attracted anti-Bolsheviks to its ranks. The white army takes Kazan and the Bolshevik Red Army claims its first victory, but not without a hard-fought battle.


• The Red Army, Trotsky and the soldiers of Kronstadt pursue the retreating rebel forces. America, Japan and the British send in support of 200,000 to support the White Army in its battle against the Lenin and the Bolshevik Regime's Red Army.


• Allied Forces Support the White Army in the War against the Reds, America, Britain and Japan send support for the White Army to fight the Bolshevik Red Army. The Civil War claims millions of lives, but the Allies feel it is a war they cannot win and pull out, leaving Russia in the hand of the Bolsheviks.


• Peasants of Russian - The Russian Revolution, The unfortunate death toll and affliction the Russian peasants suffered due to the Russian Civil War.


• Soviet Democracy, Conditions begin to deteriorate between the Soldiers of Kronstadt and the Bolshevik elite.

 

* January 31, 1918, the Gregorian calendar was adopted by the Soviet government.

References

Russian Revolution in Color (DVD)
The Russian Revolution and Civil War, this bloodsoaked time from the battlefields, testimonies, and colorized archives help unfold the dramatic story of the Communist rise and seizure of power in 1917.

Funk and Wagnalls Encyclopedia, The Russian Revolution, © 1950

Russia : A Concise History (Paperback)
by Ronald Hingley
Amazon Review: For all of you that have been fascinated with Russian history and literature, this book helps understand that beautiful and relentless spirit of russian people. Though it's a concise history, the book contains detailed descriptions of figures such as Peter the Great, Ivan the Great, Ivan the Terrible and Stalin. From the dawn of Russian civilization, in what it's now Ukraine, to the collapse of the U.S.S.R, the book will help you understand the mysery, triumphs, and character of what some many have referred to as the giant with feet of clay (Russia).