7. The revolutions of 1917 and the Russian Civil War The Revolution of February 1917 Russia joined the First World War in 1914. Militar y defeats and shortages led to discontent and protests, which were harshly repressed . The repression increased anger at the tsar's government and favoured the opposition . The Revolution of 1917 began . The Provisional Government Between March and October 1917, there were two powers in Russia: the Provisional Government and the soviets. The Government adopted some reforms, but remained in the war. Mensheviks, revolutionar y socialists and Bolsheviks demanded immediate peace. Lenin returned from exile. He wanted to break with the Provisional Government and move from the bourgeois revolution to a socialist revolution. In his April Theses he proposed: Russian withdrawal from the war. Redistribution of land among the peasants and control of factories by worker committees. Autonomy for the national minorities. A government of the soviets. Defeats in the war and civil discontent led to a popular insurrection in Petrograd in July. The government blamed the Bolsheviks, and Lenin went back into exile. In September, General Kornilov led the most conservative wing of the army in an unsuccessful coup. 27. Main events of the Revolution EQUALITY Find out who Aleksandra Kollontay was. What did she do to improve Russian women's lives? Find out about Lenin's life. Use reliable sources and compare the information you find. Select the information you find most interesting. Decide what is most relevant and what is secondary. Put the information in chronological order and write a script. Imagine you are Lenin. Tell your group who you are and why you are considered an important historical figure. Your turn Research Lenin's biography A biography is an account of the main events of a person's life. B E A H I S T O R I A N 25. Vladimir Lenin On 23rd Februar y (8th March by the Western calendar), there was a demonstration in Petrograd (Saint Petersburg ). The next day, the city was brought to a standstill by a general strike. On 26th February there was bloody repression by the troops. Just a day later the troops joined the strikers. On 27th February, a Provisional Government led by the moderate socialist Kerensky was formed. On 15th March , Tsar Nicholas II abdicated. 26. Aleksandra Kollontay 40
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy