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International Women’s Day 1917
With Russia faring poorly in World War I and facing severe food shortages, strikes and public protests happened in the country with increasing frequency during late 1916 and early 1917, with authorities reacting with violence. On February 23, 1917, a large gathering of working-class women convened in the center of Petrograd to mark International Women’s Day, calling for “bread and peace.” While the demonstration began peacefully, it turned violent as the women were joined by hundreds of thousands of male workers who went on strike and flooded the streets, openly calling for an end to the war and even to the monarchy. Feeding on their outrage with each passing day, the demonstrations became larger and rowdier, and the outnumbered police were unable to control the crowds.
Upon hearing news of the unrest, Tsar Nicholas II, who was away visiting his troops on the front, sent a telegram to Petrograd’s military commander on February 25, ordering him to bring an end to the riots by the next day. In their efforts to carry out the tsar’s order, several troops of a local guard regiment fired upon the crowds on February 26. The regiment fell into chaos, with many soldiers feeling more empathy for the crowds than for the tsar. The next day, more than 80,000 troops mutinied and joined with the crowds, in many cases directly fighting the police.
The Duma and the Petrograd Soviet
During this period, the Duma and the Petrograd Soviet, one of many nationwide organizations of revolutionary-minded workers and soldiers called soviets, quickly recognized the significance of what was developing and began to actively discuss how it should be handled. The Duma, already in session, was under orders from the tsar to disband but continued to meet in secret. They soon came to the conclusion that the unrest in Russia was unlikely to end as long as Nicholas II remained in power. At the same time, the Petrograd Soviet convened on February 27 to call for full-scale revolution and an end to the monarchy altogether.
The Tsar’s Abdication
Despite the mutinies in the army and government, there was still no consensus that the monarchy should be dismantled entirely; rather, many felt that Nicholas II should abdicate in favor of his thirteen-year-old son, Alexis. If this occurred, a regent would be appointed to rule in the boy’s place until he reached maturity. Therefore, both the Duma and military leaders placed heavy pressure on the tsar to resign.
Nicholas II finally gave in on March 2, but to everyone’s surprise, he abdicated in favor of his brother Michael due to his son’s ill health. However, on the next day, Michael also abdicated, leaving Russia with no tsar at all. Responding to this unexpected turn of events, leading Duma members assumed the role of being the country’s provisional government. The provisional government was to serve temporarily, until a Constituent Assembly could be elected later in the year to decide formally on the country’s future government.
The Provisional Government and Petrograd Soviet
The provisional government was quickly recognized by countries around the world as the legitimate governing body of Russia, but the Petrograd Soviet held at least as much power and had significantly greater connections with Russia’s regional authorities. By the time of Nicholas II’s abdication, it had some 3,000 members and had formed an executive committee to lead it. Even so, the group was chaotic in structure and favored far more radical changes than did the provisional government.
Though often at odds, the provisional government and the Petrograd Soviet found themselves cooperating out of necessity for every major decision. One man, an ambitious lawyer named Alexander Kerensky, was a member of both groups and acted as a liaison between them. In time, he would become the Russian minister of justice, minister of war, and then prime minister of the provisional government.
Assessing the February Revolution
The February Revolution was largely a spontaneous event. It began in much the same way as dozens of other mass demonstrations in Russia in previous years, but ended differently with military involvement. There was no plan or oversight for the revolution, and few, if any, dedicated Russian revolutionaries were involved—most, such as Vladimir Lenin, were out of the country. Afterward, the two leading political groups, the provisional government and the Petrograd Soviet, disagreed completely about the direction that Russia should take, yet still were able to cooperate with each other, as were other rival political parties. Lenin’s arrival in Russia in April 1917, however, immediately changed the situation.
Events Timeline
February 22, 1917
Nicholas II leaves Petrograd to visit troops
February 23
International Women’s Day demonstration in Petrograd
February 24
Massive strikes and demonstrations occur throughout the capital
February 25
Unrest continues and the Petrograd Soviet is created; Nicholas II orders military to stop riots
February 26
Troops fire on demonstrating crowds, followed by mass mutinies in local army regiments and firefights between troops and police
February 27
More than 80,000 troops mutiny and engage in widespread looting
February 28
The Duma and the Petrograd Soviet gather separately and begin making decisions about restoring order and establishing a new state
March 2
Nicholas II abdicates the throne; provisional government formed
Key People
Nicholas II
Last Russian tsar; abdicated as a result of the February Revolution
Alexander Kerensky
Member of the provisional government and Petrograd Soviet; wielded significant political power after Nicholas II’s abdication
