February revolution. Progress of the February Revolution

February Revolution V summary will help you gather your thoughts before the exam and remember what you remember about the topic and what you don't. This historical event was significant for the history of Russia. It opened the door to further revolutionary upheavals, which will not end soon. Without mastering this topic, it is pointless to try to understand further events.

It is worth saying that the events of February 1917 have a very great importance and for modern Russia. This year, 2017, marks the centenary of those events. I think that the country faces the same problems as Tsarist Russia faced then: monstrous low level the lives of the population, the disregard of the authorities towards their people, who feed these authorities; lack of will and desire at the top to change something in positive side. But there were no televisions then... What do you think about this - write in the comments.

Causes of the February Revolution

The inability of the authorities to solve a number of crises that the state faced during the First World War:

• Transport crisis: due to the extremely short distance railways, there was a shortage of transport.
• Food crisis: the country had extremely low yields, plus peasant land shortage and inefficiency noble estates led to a disastrous food situation. Famine has become severe in the country.
• Gun crisis: three s more than a year The army experienced a severe shortage of ammunition. Only by the end of 1916 Russian industry began to work on the scale necessary for the country.
• Unresolution in Russia of the worker and peasant question. The share of the proletariat and skilled working class has increased significantly compared to the first years of the reign of Nicholas II. Was not issue resolved neither about child labor nor about labor insurance. The salary was extremely low. If we talk about peasants, land shortage remained. Plus in war time Extortions from the population increased monstrously, and all horses and people were mobilized. The people did not understand why they were fighting and did not share the patriotism that the leaders experienced in the first years of the war.
• Crisis at the top: in 1916 alone, several high-ranking ministers were replaced, which gave rise to the prominent right-wing V.M. Purishkevich should call this phenomenon “ministerial leapfrog.” This expression has become popular.

Mistrust of the common people, and even members State Duma, increased even more due to his presence at the court of Grigory Rasputin. ABOUT royal family shameful rumors circulated. Only on December 30, 1916, Rasputin was killed.

The authorities tried to solve all these crises, but to no avail. The Special Meetings convened were not successful. Since 1915, Nicholas II took command of the troops, despite the fact that he himself held the rank of colonel.

In addition, at least since January 1917, a conspiracy against the tsar was brewing among the highest generals of the army (General M.V. Alekseev, V.I. Gurko, etc.) and the Fourth State Duma (cadet A.I. Guchkov, etc. ). The Tsar himself knew and suspected of the impending coup. And he even ordered in mid-February 1917 to strengthen the Petrograd garrison by true parts from the front. He had to give this order three times, because General Gurko was in no hurry to carry it out. As a result, this order was never carried out. Thus, this example already shows sabotage of the emperor’s orders by the highest generals.

Course of events

The course of events of the February revolution was characterized by the following points:

• The beginning of spontaneous popular unrest in Petrograd and a number of other cities, presumably due to an acute shortage of food on International Women's Day (according to the old style - February 23).
• Switching to the side of the rebel army. It consisted of the same workers and peasants who keenly understood the need for change.
• The slogans “Down with the Tsar” and “Down with the Autocracy” immediately arose, which predetermined the fall of the monarchy.
• Parallel authorities began to emerge: Councils of Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Deputies, based on the experience of the First Russian Revolution.
• On February 28, the Provisional Committee of the State Duma announced the transfer of power into its own hands as a result of the termination of the Golitsyn government.
• On March 1, this committee received recognition from England and France. On March 2, representatives of the committee went to the tsar, who abdicated in favor of his brother Mikhail Alexandrovich, and he abdicated on March 3 in favor of the Provisional Government.

Results of the revolution

• The monarchy in Russia fell. Russia became a parliamentary republic.
• Power passed to the bourgeois Provisional Government and the Soviets, many believe that dual power began. But in reality there was no dual power. There are a lot of nuances here, which I revealed in my video course “History. Preparation for the Unified State Exam for 100 points.”
• Many see this revolution as the first step .

Best regards, Andrey Puchkov

Speculation flourished. The government's attempts to overcome the crisis were in vain. Russia's defeats on the fronts of the First World War were caused by significant blow to public consciousness . The population is tired of the protracted war. Worker strikes and peasant unrest grew. At the front, fraternization with the enemy and desertion became more frequent. Intensified national movements. By the winter of 1916 - 1917, all segments of the Russian population realized the inability of the tsarist government to overcome the political and economic crisis. Thus, in the winter of 1916 - 1917, the country developed revolutionary situation- the situation in the country on the eve of the revolution.

Signs of a revolutionary situation:

Crisis at the top: they couldn’t rule in the old way, they didn’t want to govern in the new way, the lower classes don’t want to live in the old way;

Deterioration above normal position masses;

An increase above the usual revolutionary activity of the masses.

Reasons for the February Revolution:

1) The unresolved agrarian-peasant question: the dominance of landownership, scarcity of land and landlessness of the peasants.

2) Unresolved labor issue: plight of workers, low wages, lack of labor legislation.

3) The national question, the Russification policy of the authorities.

5) The destabilizing influence of war on all aspects of society.

Objectives of the revolution:

Overthrow of the autocracy

Convening a Constituent Assembly to establish a democratic system

Elimination of class inequality

Abolition of landownership and distribution of land to peasants

Reducing the working day to 8 hours, introducing labor legislation

Achieving equal rights for the peoples of Russia

Ending the war

The nature of the revolution - bourgeois-democratic revolution.

Main events of the revolution

In February 1917 disruptions in food supplies intensified big cities Russia . By mid-February, 90 thousand Petrograd workers went on strike due to bread shortages, speculation and rising prices. On February 18, they were joined by workers of the Putilov plant , demanding an increase in wages. The administration not only fired the strikers, but also declared a partial lockout, i.e. closed some workshops. This was the reason for the start of mass protests in the capital.

February 23, 1917 On International Women's Day (according to the new style, this is March 8), workers took to the streets of Petrograd with the slogans “Bread!”, “Down with war!”, “Down with autocracy!”. Their political demonstration marked the beginning of the revolution. On February 24, strikes and demonstrations continued, Clashes with the police and troops began, political slogans were added to economic ones.

On February 25, the strike in Petrograd became general. Demonstrations and rallies did not stop. On the evening of February 25, Nicholas II from Headquarters, located in Mogilev, sent a telegram to the commander of the Petrograd Military District, S.S. Khabalov, with a categorical demand to stop the unrest. Attempts by the authorities to use troops positive effect they didn’t give it, the soldiers refused to shoot at the people.

However, officers and police February 26 killed more than 150 people. In response, the guards of the Pavlovsk regiment, supporting the workers, opened fire on the police. Chairman of the Duma M. V. Rodzianko warned Nicholas II that the government was paralyzed and “there is anarchy in the capital.” To prevent the development of the revolution, he insisted on the immediate creation of a new government led by statesman enjoying the trust of society. However, the king rejected his proposal. Moreover, he and the Council of Ministers decided to interrupt the meetings of the Duma and dissolve it for vacation. The moment for the peaceful, evolutionary transformation of the country into a constitutional monarchy was missed. Nicholas II sent troops from Headquarters to suppress the revolution, but they were detained by rebel railway workers and soldiers and were not allowed into the capital.

February 27 mass transition of soldiers to the side of the workers, their seizure of the arsenal and Peter and Paul Fortress marked the victory of the revolution. The arrests of tsarist ministers and the formation of new government bodies began.

On the same day, February 27, 1917 , in factories and military units, based on the experience of 1905, were elections to the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies were held . An Executive Committee was elected to manage its activities. The chairman was the Menshevik N. S. Chkheidze, his deputy was the Socialist Revolutionary A. F. Kerensky. The Executive Committee took upon itself the maintenance of public order and the supply of food to the population. The Petrograd Soviet was new uniform socio-political organization. He relied on the support of the masses who owned weapons, and his political role was very big.

February 27 at a meeting of leaders of Duma factions there was it was decided to form a Provisional Committee of the State Duma headed by M. V. Rodzianko . The task of the committee was “restoration of state and public order” and the creation of a new government. The temporary committee took control of all ministries.

On February 28, Nicholas II left Headquarters for Tsarskoe Selo, but was detained on the way by revolutionary troops. He had to turn to Pskov , to headquarters Northern Front. After consultations with the front commanders, he became convinced that there were no forces to suppress the revolution. At the same time, in the highest military and government circles the idea of ​​​​the need for the abdication of Nicholas II was ripening, since without this it would be impossible to take popular movement control was no longer possible.

On March 2, 1917, deputies A. Guchkov and V. Shulgin arrived in Pskov, who accepted the abdication Nicholas II . The Emperor signed a Manifesto abdicating the throne for himself and his son Alexei in favor of his brother, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich. However, when the deputies brought the text of the Manifesto to Petrograd, it became clear that the people did not want a monarchy. March 3, Michael abdicated the throne , stating that future fate political system in Russia must decide constituent Assembly. The 300-year reign of the House of Romanov ended. Autocracy in Russia finally fell .

March 2, 1917 after negotiations between representatives of the Provisional Committee of the State Duma and the Executive Committee of the Petrograd Soviet The Provisional Government was formed . Prince G. E. Lvov became the Chairman and Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister of Foreign Affairs - cadet P. N. Milyukov, military and naval minister- Octobrist A. I. Guchkov, Minister of Trade and Industry - progressive A.I. Konovalov. From the “left” parties, the Socialist Revolutionary A.F. Kerensky entered the government, receiving the portfolio of Minister of Justice.

Political results of the February Revolution

Abdication of Nicholas II, liquidation of the monarchy in Russia

Conquest of a certain political freedom, prospects democratic development countries

A specific solution to the question of power, the emergence of dual power

Dual power (March - July 1917)

On March 1, 1917, the Petrograd Soviet issued “Order No. 1” on the democratization of the army . The soldiers were equalized civil rights with officers, the title of officers was abolished, rough treatment of lower ranks was prohibited, traditional forms army chain of command. Legalized soldiers' committees. The election of commanders was introduced. In the army it was allowed to conduct political activity. The Petrograd garrison was subordinate to the Council and was obliged to carry out only its orders.

The February Revolution was victorious. Old government system collapsed. A new one has emerged political situation. However, the victory of the revolution did not prevent further deepening crisis state countries. Economic devastation intensified. To the previous socio-political problems: war and peace, workers, agrarian and national issues- new ones have been added: about power, the future state structure and ways out of the crisis. All this determined the unique alignment of social forces in 1917.

The time from February to October is a special period in the history of Russia. There are two stages in it. On the first (March - early July 1917)) There was a dual power in which the Provisional Government was forced to coordinate all its actions with the Petrograd Soviet, which took more radical positions and had the support of the broad masses.

At the second stage (July - October 25, 1917) dual power was over. The autocracy of the Provisional Government was established in the form of a coalition of the liberal bourgeoisie (Cadets) with “moderate” socialists (Socialist Revolutionaries, Mensheviks). However, this political alliance also failed to achieve the consolidation of society.

Social tension has increased in the country. On the one hand, there was growing indignation among the masses over the government's delays in carrying out the most pressing economic, social and political changes. On the other hand, the right was dissatisfied with the weakness of the government and insufficiently decisive measures to curb the “revolutionary element.”

Thus, after the February Revolution, the country faced the following development alternatives:

1) Monarchists and right-wing bourgeois parties were ready to support establishment of military dictatorship .

2) The Mensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries advocated creation of a democratic socialist government .

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

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

- on the one hand, she wore a massive, spontaneous and folk character(“revolutions from below”);

- on the other hand, since 1916, conscious preparations were underway 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.

In December 1916, the implementation of the conspiracy began. Rasputin was killed in Yusupov's house, which immediately deprived the Tsar internal support. Work was carried out among the officers of the Petrograd garrison to prepare a military coup. At the beginning of February 1917, a shortage of bread was created in Petrograd (bread was not delivered to the city and was hidden in warehouses, although after the abdication of Nicholas II, the delivery of bread began en masse). The Petrograd garrison did not support the Tsar at the decisive moment. 2. Events began to develop spontaneously:

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

- February 23 (March 8, 1917 according to the global calendar), International Women's Day, a major strike began in Petrograd, which is considered the beginning of the 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 destruction of police stations, secret police, attacks on government officials, the Chairman of the State Duma M. Rodzianko sends a telegram to the Tsar, who is at headquarters in Mogilev, with a proposal to form a government national unity;

- February 26, evening - Tsar Nicholas II from Mogilev rejected the proposals of the State Duma deputies and gave the order to 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 carry out the orders of its commander S. Khabalov and went over to the side of the protesting workers; fraternization between the army and the residents of Petrograd begins; The district court, prisons, and police stations are being destroyed; 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.) are created. Khrustalev-Nosar (leader of the Petrograd Soviet during the 1905 revolution);

— 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 mail, telegraph, telephone, bridges; the commander of the Petrograd district, S. Khabalov, also goes over to the side of the rebels and 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 the throne in favor of his 14-year-old son Alexei;

- March 2 - after a day's deliberation, changing his decision 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 army refused to come to the defense of the Tsar - and this became the decisive argument;

- on the same day, March 2, the Temporary Committee of the State Duma together with Petrograd Soviet forms the Provisional Government (before 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 the convening of the Constituent Assembly (Mikhail's abdication 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 issues 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 elimination 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 reign of the Romanov dynasty was actually ended;

— fundamental human rights and freedoms were proclaimed and became a reality for a short time;

- dual power began - the activities of the Provisional Government and councils;

— revolutionary transformations began, culminating in the Bolsheviks coming to power.

If it did not resolve the economic, political and class contradictions in the country, it was a prerequisite for the February Revolution of 1917. Participation Tsarist Russia in the First World War showed the inability of its economy to carry out military tasks. Many factories stopped operating, the army experienced a shortage of equipment, weapons, and food. Transport system the country is absolutely not adapted to martial law, Agriculture lost its position. Economic difficulties increased Russia's external debt to enormous proportions.

Intending to extract maximum benefits from the war, the Russian bourgeoisie began to create unions and committees on issues of raw materials, fuel, food, etc.

True to the principle of proletarian internationalism, the Bolshevik party revealed the imperialist nature of the war, which was waged in the interests of the exploiting classes, its aggressive, predatory essence. The party sought to channel the discontent of the masses into the mainstream of the revolutionary struggle for the collapse of the autocracy.

In August 1915, " Progressive block", who planned to force Nicholas II to abdicate in favor of his brother Michael. Thus, the opposition bourgeoisie hoped to prevent the revolution and at the same time preserve the monarchy. But such a scheme did not ensure bourgeois-democratic transformations in the country.

The reasons for the February Revolution of 1917 were anti-war sentiment, the plight of workers and peasants, political lack of rights, the decline in the authority of the autocratic government and its inability to carry out reforms.

The driving force in the struggle was the working class, led by the revolutionary Bolshevik Party. The allies of the workers were the peasants, demanding the redistribution of land. The Bolsheviks explained to the soldiers the goals and objectives of the struggle.

The main events of the February revolution happened quickly. Over the course of several days, a wave of strikes took place in Petrograd, Moscow and other cities with the slogans “Down with the tsarist government!”, “Down with the war!” 25 February political strike became universal. Executions and arrests were unable to stop the revolutionary onslaught of the masses. Government troops were put on alert, the city of Petrograd was turned into a military camp.

February 26, 1917 marked the beginning of the February Revolution. On February 27, soldiers of the Pavlovsky, Preobrazhensky and Volynsky regiments went over to the side of the workers. This decided the outcome of the struggle: on February 28, the government was overthrown.

The outstanding significance of the February Revolution is that it was the first popular revolution in history of the era of imperialism, which ended in victory.

During the February Revolution of 1917, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated the throne.

Dual power arose in Russia, which became a kind of result of the February revolution of 1917. On the one hand, the Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies as a body people's power, on the other hand, the Provisional Government is an organ of the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie headed by Prince G.E. Lvov. In organizational matters, the bourgeoisie was more prepared for power, but was unable to establish autocracy.

The provisional government pursued an anti-people, imperialist policy: the land issue was not resolved, factories remained in the hands of the bourgeoisie, agriculture and industry were in dire need, there was not enough fuel for railway transport. The dictatorship of the bourgeoisie only deepened economic and political problems.

Russia after the February revolution experienced an acute political crisis. Therefore, the need arose for the bourgeois-democratic revolution to develop into a socialist one, which was supposed to lead to the power of the proletariat.

One of the consequences of the February revolution is October Revolution under the slogan “All power to the Soviets!”

The main reasons for the revolution were:

1) the existence in the country of remnants of the feudal-serf system in the form of autocracy and landownership;

2) an acute economic crisis that affected leading industries and led to the decline of the country’s agriculture;

3) the difficult financial situation of the country (the fall in the ruble exchange rate to 50 kopecks; an increase government debt 4 times);

4) the rapid growth of the strike movement and the rise of peasant unrest. In 1917, there were 20 times more strikes in Russia than on the eve of the first Russian revolution;

5) the army and navy ceased to be the military support of the autocracy; the growth of anti-war sentiment among soldiers and sailors;

6) the growth of opposition sentiments among the bourgeoisie and intelligentsia, dissatisfied with the dominance of tsarist officials and the arbitrariness of the police;

7) rapid change of government members; the appearance of personalities like G. Rasputin in the environment of Nicholas I, the fall in the authority of the tsarist government; 8) the rise of the national liberation movement of the peoples of the national borderlands.

On February 23 (March 8, New Style) demonstrations took place in Petrograd on the occasion of International Women's Day. The next day, a general strike swept the capital. On February 25, the events were reported to the emperor at headquarters. He ordered to “stop the riots.” The Duma was dissolved for two months by decree of Nicholas II. On the night of February 26, mass arrests of the leaders of revolutionary uprisings took place. On February 26, troops opened fire on demonstrators, killing and wounding more than 150 people. But after this, the troops, including the Cossacks, began to go over to the side of the rebels. On February 27, Petrograd was engulfed in revolution. The next day the city passed into the hands of the rebels. Duma deputies created a Temporary Committee for Restoring Order in Petrograd (chaired by M.V. Rodzianko), which tried to take control of the situation. At the same time, elections to the Petrograd Soviet took place, and its executive committee was formed, headed by the Menshevik N.S. Chkheidze.

On the night of March 1-2, by agreement of the Provisional Committee and the Petrograd Soviet, the Provisional Government was formed (chairman G.E. Lvov).

On March 2, Nicholas II abdicated the throne in favor of his brother, Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich. He renounced the crown and transferred power to the Provisional Government, instructing it to hold elections to the Constituent Assembly, which would determine the future structure of Russia.

Several political groups have emerged in the country, proclaiming themselves the government of Russia:

1) A temporary committee of members of the State Duma formed a Provisional Government, whose main task was to win the trust of the population. The Provisional Government declared itself legislative and executive powers, in which the following disputes immediately arose:

About what the future Russia should be: parliamentary or presidential;

On ways to resolve the national question, land issues, etc.;

On the electoral law;

On elections to the Constituent Assembly.

At the same time, the time to solve current, fundamental problems was inevitably lost.

2) Organizations of persons who declared themselves authorities. The largest of them was the Petrograd Council, which consisted of moderate left-wing politicians and proposed that workers and soldiers delegate their representatives to the Council.

The Council declared itself the guarantor against a return to the past, against the restoration of the monarchy and the suppression of political freedoms.

The Council also supported the steps of the Provisional Government to strengthen democracy in Russia.

3) In addition to the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet, other local bodies of actual power were formed: factory committees, district councils, national associations, new authorities on the “national outskirts”, for example, in Kyiv - the Ukrainian Rada.”

The current political situation began to be called “dual power,” although in practice it was multiple power, developing into anarchic anarchy. Monarchist and Black Hundred organizations in Russia were banned and dissolved. In the new Russia, two political forces remained: liberal-bourgeois and left-wing socialist, but in which there were disagreements.

In addition, there was powerful pressure from the grassroots:

Hoping for a socio-economic improvement in life, the workers demanded an immediate increase wages, the introduction of an eight-hour working day, guarantees against unemployment and social security.

The peasants advocated the redistribution of neglected lands,

The soldiers insisted on easing discipline.

The disagreements of the “dual power”, its constant reform, the continuation of the war, etc. led to a new revolution - the October Revolution of 1917.

CONCLUSION.

So, the result of the February revolution of 1917 was the overthrow of the autocracy, the abdication of the tsar, the emergence of dual power in the country: the dictatorship of the big bourgeoisie represented by the Provisional Government and the Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies, which represented the revolutionary-democratic dictatorship of the proletariat and peasantry.

The victory of the February revolution was a victory of all active strata of the population over the medieval autocracy, a breakthrough that put Russia on par with advanced countries in the sense of proclaiming democratic and political freedoms.

The February Revolution of 1917 became the first victorious revolution in Russia and turned Russia, thanks to the overthrow of tsarism, into one of the most democratic countries. Originated in March 1917. dual power was a reflection of the fact that the era of imperialism and the world war unusually accelerated the course of the country's historical development and the transition to more radical transformations. The international significance of the February bourgeois-democratic revolution is also extremely great. Under its influence, the strike movement of the proletariat intensified in many warring countries.

The main event of this revolution for Russia itself was the need to carry out long-overdue reforms based on compromises and coalitions, and the renunciation of violence in politics.

The first steps towards this were taken in February 1917. But only the first...