When was the revolution of '17. Great October Socialist Revolution

On November 7, 1917 (October 25 according to the Julian calendar), an event occurred, the consequences of which we are still seeing. The Great October Socialist Revolution, as it was commonly called in Soviet historiography, changed Russia beyond recognition, but did not stop there. It shocked the whole world, redrew the political map and for many years became the worst nightmare of capitalist countries. Even in remote corners their own communist parties appeared. The ideas of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, with certain changes, are still alive in some countries today. Needless to say, the October Revolution was of enormous importance for our country. It would seem that such a grandiose event in the history of Russia should be known to everyone. But, nevertheless, statistics say the opposite. According to VTsIOM, only 11% of Russians know that the Bolsheviks overthrew the Provisional Government. According to the majority of respondents (65%), the Bolsheviks overthrew the Tsar. Why do we know so little about these events?

History, as we know, is written by the winners. The October Revolution became the main propaganda weapon of the Bolsheviks. The events of those days were carefully censored by the Soviet government. In the USSR, disgraced political figures were mercilessly deleted from the list of creators of the October Revolution (Trotsky, Bukharin, Zinoviev, etc.), and the role of Stalin during his reign, on the contrary, was deliberately exaggerated. It got to the point that Soviet historians turned the revolution into a real phantasmagoria. Today we have all the data for a detailed study of this period and everything that preceded it. On the eve of the centennial anniversary of the October Revolution, it's time to refresh your memory or learn something new. To understand how everything really happened, we will restore the chronology of the events of 1917.

How 1917 began

The First World War (1914-1918) was the main reason for the spread of revolutionary sentiment throughout Europe. By the end of the war, 4 empires fell at once: Austro-Hungarian, German, Russian and a little later Ottoman.

In Russia, neither the people nor the army understood the war. And even the government could not clearly communicate its goals to its subjects. The initial patriotic impulse quickly faded away amid the spread of anti-German sentiment. Constant defeats at the front, retreat of troops, huge casualties and a growing food crisis caused popular discontent, which led to an increase in the number of strikes

By the beginning of 1917, the state of affairs in the state had become catastrophic. All layers of society, from ministers and members of the imperial family to workers and peasants, were dissatisfied with the policies of Nicholas II. The decline in the king's authority was accompanied by political and military miscalculations on his part. Nicholas II completely lost touch with reality, relying on the unshakable faith of the Russian people in the good Tsar-Father. But the people no longer believed. Even in remote provinces, everyone knew about the harmful influence of Rasputin on the imperial couple. In the State Duma, the tsar was directly accused of treason, and the autocrat's relatives seriously thought about eliminating Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, who constantly interfered in state affairs. In such conditions, radical left parties launched their propaganda activities everywhere. They called for the overthrow of the autocracy, the end of hostilities and fraternization with the enemy.

February Revolution

In January 1917, a wave of strikes swept across the country. More than 200 thousand people went on strike in Petrograd (St. Petersburg in 1914-1924). The government's response to everything was sluggish. On February 22, Nikolai generally left for the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief in Mogilev.

On February 17, in response to interruptions in food supplies, a strike began at the Petrograd Putilov plant. The workers spoke out with slogans: “Down with war!”, “Down with autocracy!”, “Bread!” Popular unrest intensified, strikes became larger and larger. Already on February 25, not a single enterprise was operating in the capital. The reaction of the authorities was slow, measures were taken very late. It looked as if the officials were deliberately inactive. In this situation, the words of Nicholas, who wrote from Headquarters, are sincerely surprising: “I command you to stop the riots in the capital tomorrow.” Either the tsar was really so poorly informed and naive, or the government underestimated the situation, or we are dealing with treason.

Meanwhile, the Bolsheviks (RSDLP (b)) actively agitated the Petrograd garrison, and these actions were successful. On February 26, soldiers began to go over to the side of the rebels, and this meant only one thing - the government lost its main defense. We should not forget that the February Revolution was carried out by all segments of the population. The parties that were members of the State Duma, the aristocrats, officers, and industrialists did their best here. The February revolution was general or bourgeois, as the Bolsheviks would later call it.

On February 28, the revolution achieved complete victory. The tsarist government was removed from power. The leadership of the country was taken over by the Provisional Committee of the State Duma, headed by Mikhail Rodzianko.

March. Abdication of Nicholas II

First of all, the new government was concerned with the problem of removing Nicholas from power. No one had any doubt that the emperor must certainly be persuaded to abdicate. On February 28, having learned about the events that had taken place, Nikolai went to the capital. The revolution, which quickly spread throughout the country, met the monarch on the way - the rebel soldiers did not allow the royal train to Petrograd. Nicholas did not take any decisive steps to save the autocracy. He only dreamed of being reunited with his family, who were in Tsarskoye Selo.

The Duma deputies went to Pskov, where the Tsar’s train was forced to turn. On March 2, Nicholas II signed a manifesto of his abdication. Initially, the Provisional Committee intended to preserve autocracy by transferring the throne to the young Tsarevich Alexei under the regency of his younger brother Nicholas, but this could have caused another explosion of discontent and the idea had to be abandoned.

Thus fell one of the most powerful dynasties. Nikolai went to Tsarskoe Selo to his wife and children. The last years of the imperial family's life were spent in captivity.

At the end of February, simultaneously with the creation of the Provisional Committee of the State Duma, the Petrograd Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies was formed - a body of democracy. The creation of the Petrograd Soviet was initiated by the Social Democrats and Socialist Revolutionaries. Soon such Councils began to appear throughout the country. They were engaged in improving the situation of workers, regulating food supplies, arresting officials and police officers, and repealing tsarist decrees. The Bolsheviks continued to remain in the shadows. In the newly formed Soviets they were inferior in number to representatives of other parties.

On March 2, the Provisional Government began its work, formed by the Provisional Committee of the State Duma and the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies. Dual power was established in the country.

April. Lenin in Petrograd

Dual power prevented the ministers of the Provisional Government from establishing order in the country. The arbitrariness of the Soviets in the army and in enterprises undermined discipline and led to lawlessness and rampant crime. The question of Russia's further political development remained unresolved. This problem was approached with reluctance. The convening of the Constituent Assembly, which was supposed to decide the future fate of the country, was scheduled only for November 28, 1917.

The situation at the front became catastrophic. The soldiers, supporting the decision of the Soviets, withdrew from the subordination of the officers. There was no discipline or motivation among the troops. However, the Provisional Government was in no hurry to end the ruinous war, apparently hoping for a miracle.

The arrival of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin in Russia in April 1917 was a radical change in the course of the events of 1917. It was from this moment that the Bolshevik Party began to rapidly increase in size. Lenin's ideas quickly spread among the people and, most importantly, were close and understandable to everyone.

On April 4, 1917, Lenin announced the program of action of the RSDLP (b). The main goal of the Bolsheviks was the overthrow of the Provisional Government and the transfer of full power to the Soviets. Otherwise, this program was called “April Theses”. On April 7, the theses were published in the Bolshevik newspaper Pravda. Lenin outlined his program simply and clearly. He demanded to end the war, not to provide support to the Provisional Government, to confiscate and nationalize the landowners' lands, and to fight for the socialist revolution. In short: land to the peasants, factories to the workers, peace to the soldiers, power to the Bolsheviks.

The position of the Provisional Government weakened even more after Foreign Minister Pavel Milyukov announced on April 18 that Russia was ready to wage war to a victorious end. Anti-war demonstrations of many thousands took place in Petrograd. Miliukov was forced to resign.

June July. No support for the Provisional Government!

With the arrival of Lenin, the Bolsheviks began active activities aimed at seizing power. To achieve their political goals, members of the RSDLP (b) willingly took advantage of the government’s mistakes and miscalculations

On June 18, 1917, the Provisional Government launched a large-scale offensive at the front, which was initially successful. It soon became clear, however, that the operation had failed. The army began to retreat, suffering huge losses. Large-scale anti-war protests began again in the capital. The Bolsheviks took an active part in inciting anti-government sentiments.

Trying to restore order, the Provisional Government persecuted the RSDLP (b). The Bolsheviks were forced to go underground again. The attempt to eliminate his main political opponent, however, did not bring the desired effect. Power was slipping from the hands of the ministers, and confidence in the Bolshevik Party, on the contrary, was strengthening.

August. Kornilov mutiny

In order to stabilize the situation in the country, the new chairman of the Provisional Government, Alexander Fedorovich Kerensky, was vested with emergency powers. To strengthen discipline, the death penalty was reintroduced at the front. Kerensky also took measures to improve the economy. All his efforts, however, did not bear fruit. The situation continued to remain explosive, and Alexander Fedorovich himself understood this very well.

To strengthen the position of his government, Kerensky decided to enter into an alliance with the military. At the end of July, Lavr Georgievich Kornilov, popular in the army, was appointed Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

Determined to fight left-wing radical elements (mainly the Bolsheviks), Kerensky and Kornilov initially planned to join forces to save the Fatherland. But this never happened - the chairman of the government and the commander-in-chief did not share power. Everyone wanted to lead the country alone.

On August 26, Kornilov called on troops loyal to him to move to the capital. Kerensky was simply cowardly and turned for help to the Bolsheviks, who had already firmly captured the minds of the soldiers of the Petrograd garrison. There was no clash - Kornilov’s troops never reached the capital.

The situation with Kornilov once again proved the inability of the Provisional Government to lead the state and the mediocrity of Kerensky as a politician. For the Bolsheviks, on the contrary, everything turned out as well as possible. The August events showed that only the RSDLP (b) was capable of leading the country out of chaos.

October. Bolshevik triumph

In September 1917, the moribund Provisional Government entered its last phase of life. Kerensky continued to frantically change ministers and convened a Democratic Conference to determine the future composition of the government. In reality, it again turned out to be stupid demagoguery and a waste of time. The Kerensky government, in reality, cared only about its own position and personal gain. Lenin expressed himself very precisely about those events: “Power was lying under your feet, you just had to take it.”

The Provisional Government failed to solve a single problem. The economy was on the verge of complete collapse, prices were rising, and food shortages were felt everywhere. Strikes of workers and peasants in the country grew into mass protests, accompanied by pogroms and reprisals against representatives of the wealthy strata. Councils of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies throughout the country began to go over to the Bolshevik side. Lenin and Trotsky advocated an immediate seizure of power. On October 12, 1917, the Military Revolutionary Committee was created under the Petrograd Soviet - the main body for preparing a revolutionary uprising. Through the efforts of the Bolsheviks, about 30 thousand people were put under arms in a short time.

On October 25, the rebels occupied strategically important sites in Petrograd: the post office, telegraph office and train stations. On the night of October 25-26, the Provisional Government was arrested in the Winter Palace. According to one of the Soviet legends, Kerensky, dressed in a woman’s dress, fled from the capital. Immediately after seizing power, the Bolsheviks held a Congress of Soviets, at which they adopted the main documents - the “Decree on Peace” and the “Decree on Land”. All local power was transferred to the hands of the Soviets of Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Deputies. Kerensky's attempts to seize power with the help of troops were unsuccessful.

The events of October 25, 1917 were the natural end of a period of virtual anarchy in the country. The Bolsheviks proved by deeds that only they were capable of taking over the government of the state. And even if you do not sympathize with the communists, it is worth recognizing that their superiority in 1917 was obvious.

We all know very well what happened next. The Soviet state lasted a full 68 years. It lived the life of an average person: it was born in pain, matured and hardened in constant struggle, and eventually, having grown old, fell into childhood and died at the dawn of the new millennium. But even after his defeat in Russia, Lenin’s cause still lives on in some places. And so far we have not gone that far, continuing to live on the ruins of Vladimir Ilyich’s major experiment.

By the evening of February 27, almost the entire composition of the Petrograd garrison - about 160 thousand people - went over to the side of the rebels. The commander of the Petrograd Military District, General Khabalov, is forced to inform Nicholas II: “Please report to His Imperial Majesty that I could not fulfill the order to restore order in the capital. Most of the units, one after another, betrayed their duty, refusing to fight against the rebels.”

The idea of ​​a “cartel expedition”, which provided for the removal of individual military units from the front and sending them to rebellious Petrograd, also did not continue. All this threatened to result in a civil war with unpredictable consequences.
Acting in the spirit of revolutionary traditions, the rebels released from prison not only political prisoners, but also criminals. At first they easily overcame the resistance of the “Crosses” guards, and then took the Peter and Paul Fortress.

The uncontrollable and motley revolutionary masses, not disdaining murders and robberies, plunged the city into chaos.
On February 27, at approximately 2 o'clock in the afternoon, soldiers occupied the Tauride Palace. The State Duma found itself in a dual position: on the one hand, according to the emperor’s decree, it should have dissolved itself, but on the other, the pressure of the rebels and the actual anarchy forced it to take some action. The compromise solution was a meeting under the guise of a “private meeting.”
As a result, a decision was made to form a government body - the Temporary Committee.

Later, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Provisional Government P. N. Milyukov recalled:

“The intervention of the State Duma gave the street and military movement a center, gave it a banner and a slogan, and thus turned the uprising into a revolution, which ended with the overthrow of the old regime and dynasty.”

The revolutionary movement grew more and more. Soldiers seize the Arsenal, the Main Post Office, the telegraph office, bridges and train stations. Petrograd found itself completely in the power of the rebels. The real tragedy took place in Kronstadt, which was overwhelmed by a wave of lynching that resulted in the murder of more than a hundred officers of the Baltic Fleet.
On March 1, the chief of staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, General Alekseev, in a letter begs the emperor “for the sake of saving Russia and the dynasty, put at the head of the government a person whom Russia would trust.”

Nicholas states that by giving rights to others, he deprives himself of the power given to them by God. The opportunity to peacefully transform the country into a constitutional monarchy had already been lost.

After the abdication of Nicholas II on March 2, a dual power actually developed in the state. Official power was in the hands of the Provisional Government, but real power belonged to the Petrograd Soviet, which controlled the troops, railways, post office and telegraph.
Colonel Mordvinov, who was on the royal train at the time of his abdication, recalled Nikolai’s plans to move to Livadia. “Your Majesty, go abroad as soon as possible. “Under current conditions, even in Crimea there is no way to live,” Mordvinov tried to convince the tsar. "No way. I wouldn’t like to leave Russia, I love it too much,” Nikolai objected.

Leon Trotsky noted that the February uprising was spontaneous:

“No one outlined the path for a coup in advance, no one from above called for an uprising. The indignation that had accumulated over the years broke out largely unexpectedly for the masses themselves.”

However, Miliukov insists in his memoirs that the coup was planned soon after the start of the war and before “the army was supposed to go on the offensive, the results of which would radically stop all hints of discontent and would cause an explosion of patriotism and jubilation in the country.” “History will curse the leaders of the so-called proletarians, but it will also curse us, who caused the storm,” wrote the former minister.
British historian Richard Pipes calls the actions of the tsarist government during the February uprising “fatal weakness of will,” noting that “the Bolsheviks in such circumstances did not hesitate to shoot.”
Although the February Revolution is called “bloodless,” it nevertheless claimed the lives of thousands of soldiers and civilians. In Petrograd alone, more than 300 people died and 1,200 were injured.

The February Revolution began the irreversible process of collapse of the empire and decentralization of power, accompanied by the activity of separatist movements.

Poland and Finland demanded independence, Siberia started talking about independence, and the Central Rada formed in Kyiv proclaimed “autonomous Ukraine.”

The events of February 1917 allowed the Bolsheviks to emerge from underground. Thanks to the amnesty declared by the Provisional Government, dozens of revolutionaries returned from exile and political exile, who were already hatching plans for a new coup d'etat.

Lenin proclaims Soviet power

Great October Socialist Revolution- the process of the revolutionary establishment of Soviet power on the territory of Russia from October 1917 to March 1918, as a result of which the bourgeois regime was overthrown and power was transferred.

The Great October Socialist Revolution was the result of internal conflicts that had been accumulating in Russian society since at least the middle of the 19th century, the revolutionary process they generated, which later grew into the First World War. Its victory in Russia provided the practical possibility of a global experiment to build in a single country. The revolution was global in nature, virtually completely changing the history of mankind in the twentieth century, and led to the formation on the political map of the world, which exists to this day and every day demonstrates to the whole world the advantages of the socialist system over.

Reasons and background

From mid-1916, a decline in industrial and agricultural production began in Russia. Representatives of the liberal-bourgeois opposition, entrenched in the Duma, zemstvos, city dumas, and military-industrial committees, insisted on the creation of a Duma and government that enjoyed the country’s confidence. Right-wing circles, on the contrary, called for the dissolution of the Duma. The Tsar, realizing the disastrous consequences of carrying out radical, political and other reforms during a war that required political stability, was, however, in no hurry to “tighten the screws.” He hoped that the success of the offensive against Germany by Entente troops from the east and west planned for the spring of 1917 would bring peace to minds. However, such hopes were no longer destined to come true.

February bourgeois-democratic revolution and the overthrow of the autocracy

On February 23, 1917, rallies, strikes, and demonstrations of workers began in Petrograd due to food difficulties. On February 26, the authorities tried to suppress popular protests by force of arms. This, in turn, caused disobedience in the reserve units of the Petrograd garrison, who did not want to be sent to the front, and an uprising of some of them on the morning of February 27. As a result, the rebel soldiers united with the striking workers. On the same day, the Temporary Committee of the State Duma was formed in the State Duma, headed by the Chairman of the Duma M.V. Rodzianko. On the night of February 27-28, the Committee announced that it had taken power “into its own hands to restore state and public order.” On the same day, the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' Deputies was created, calling on the people to the final overthrow of the old government. By the morning of February 28, the uprising in Petrograd was victorious.

On the night of March 1 to 2, by agreement of the Provisional Committee of the State Duma with the Executive Committee of the Petrograd Soviet, it was formed headed by the Chairman of the Main Committee of the All-Russian Zemstvo Union, Prince G. E. Lvov. The government included representatives of various bourgeois parties: the leader of the Cadets P. N. Milyukov, the leader of the Octobrists A. I. Guchkov and others, as well as the socialist A. F. Kerensky.

On the night of March 2, the Petrograd Soviet adopted order No. 1 for the Petrograd garrison, which spoke about the election of soldiers' committees in units and subunits, the subordination of military units in all political speeches to the Council, and the transfer of weapons under the control of soldiers' committees. Similar orders were established outside the Petrograd garrison, which undermined the combat effectiveness of the army.

On the evening of March 2, Emperor Nicholas II abdicated the throne. As a result, dual power arose in the country on the part of the bourgeois Provisional Government (“power without power”) and the Soviets of Workers’, Peasants’ and Soldiers’ Deputies (“force without power”).

Period of dual power

The union state was formed on the basis of the Ukrainian and Belarusian SSRs. Over time, the number of union republics reached 15.

Third (Communist) International

Almost immediately after the proclamation of Soviet power in Russia, the leadership of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks) took the initiative to form a new international with the goal of uniting and uniting the working class of the planet.

In January 1918, a meeting of representatives of left-wing groups in a number of countries in Europe and America was held in Petrograd. And on March 2, 1919, the First Constituent Congress of the Communist International began its work in Moscow.

The Comintern set itself the task of supporting the labor movement around the world with the goal of implementing a world revolution that would finally replace the world capitalist economy with the world system of communism.

Largely thanks to the activities of the Communist International, communist parties were formed in many countries of Europe, Asia and America, which ultimately led to their victory in China, Mongolia, Korea and Vietnam and the establishment of a socialist system in them.

Thus, the Great October Revolution, which created the first socialist state, marked the beginning of the collapse of the capitalist system in many countries of the world.

• Williams A.R. About Lenin and the October Revolution. - M.: Gospolitizdat, 1960. - 297 p.
• Reed J. 10 days that shocked the world. - M.: Gospolitizdat, 1958. - 352 p.
• Chronicle of the Great October Socialist Revolution / Ed. A. M. Pankratova and G. D. Kostomarov. - M.: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1942. - 152 p.

Research

• Alekseeva G.D. Criticism of the Socialist Revolutionary Concept of the October Revolution. - M.: Nauka, 1989. - 321 p.
• Igritsky Yu. I. Myths of bourgeois historiography and the reality of history. Modern American and English historiography of the Great October Socialist Revolution. - M.: Mysl, 1974. - 274 p.
• Foster W. The October Revolution and the United States of America. - M.: Gospolitizdat, 1958. - 49 p.
• Smirnov A. S. Bolsheviks and the peasantry in the October Revolution. - M.: Politizdat, 1976. - 233 p.
• October socialist revolution in Udmurtia. Collection of documents and materials (1917-1918) / Ed. I. P. Emelyanova. - Izhevsk: Udmurt Book Publishing House, 1957. - 394 p.
• October Revolution and Civil War in North Ossetia. - Ordzhonikidze: Ir Publishing House, 1973. - 302 p.
• Foreign literature about the October Revolution / Ed. I. I. Mints. - M.: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1961. - 310 p.
• Seventieth anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution. Joint ceremonial meeting of the CPSU Central Committee, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR on November 2–3, 1987: Verbatim report. - M.: Politizdat, 1988. - 518 p.
• Kunina A.E. Debunked myths: Against the bourgeois falsification of the Great October Socialist Revolution. - M.: Knowledge, 1971. - 50 p. - (Series “New in life, science, technology. “History”).”
• Salov V.I. German historiography of the Great October Socialist Revolution. - M.: Sotsekgiz, 1960. - 213 p.

One of the most significant events in the history of the country was the revolution in Russia in 1917: the overthrow of the monarchy, the power of the Bolsheviks, the Civil War... How, why and why did all this happen?

How many revolutions did Russia experience at the beginning of the 20th century?

The phrase “revolution in Russia” evokes primarily associations with “Red October”. But even before this, the country experienced many upheavals. How many revolutions were there in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century? Historians speak of three.

The first dates back to January 9, 1905. The reason for the protests was the shooting of demonstrators in St. Petersburg, which went down in history as Bloody Sunday.

The second revolution happened in February 1917. Its result was the fall of the monarchy - the bourgeoisie took power into their own hands.

And finally, the third revolution - the October Revolution, which led to the Bolsheviks at the helm and marked the beginning of the USSR.

Russia at the time of the fall of the empire

Before moving on to the description of revolutionary events, you should stop for a moment and look at what the Russian Empire was like at the time of its collapse. For example, geographically.

And it was a huge territory. The map of Russia before the revolution of 17 is impressive!

The area of ​​the Russian Empire was almost 22 million km2. It included the modern territories of all CIS states (with the exception of three regions of Ukraine and the Kaliningrad region); east and center of Poland, Finland, Baltic countries (except one of the regions of Lithuania); as well as several areas today belonging to Turkey and China.

What flag did the empire live under?

Many are still interested in the question of what the Russian flag was like before the revolution.

The state did not have a single flag until the end of the 17th century. The first attempts to establish it were made under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, who chose blue, red and white colors for the state banner. For the first time, a flag with a blue cross on a white background and red corners was raised on the merchant ship "Eagle" in 1686.

It became even more similar to the modern Russian flag under Peter I. It already consisted of three stripes (blue, red and white), but in the center had a drawing of a double-headed eagle.

Prerequisites for the revolutionary events of 1917

But what became the prerequisites for the revolution of 17 in Russia?

After 1905, most of the problems that caused the turmoil then remained unresolved. Farmers, workers, representatives of national minorities and many other segments of the population were dissatisfied with their situation.

In addition, Nicholas II, who ruled the Russian Empire at that time, turned out to be a weak ruler. In 1914, the country entered the First World War unprepared, which exacerbated existing problems.

Not only the common people, but also influential representatives of the bourgeoisie were opposed to the tsar. To stay on the throne, Nicholas kept changing ministers, tried to liquidate the State Duma and, in general, acted chaotically.

The last straw for the masses was the introduction of food cards in the capital. The lower classes of Petrograd exploded, and those who had long dreamed of overthrowing the monarchy did not fail to take advantage of this.

February Revolution in Russia 1917

The date of the February Revolution in Russia is considered to be February 23, 1917, when workers went on strike, outraged by food shortages and the war. The riots lasted three days, and only on February 26 the authorities decided to use force. They sent recruits, as well as front-line soldiers who had recovered from injuries, to shoot the demonstrators. Most of them were workers or peasants in peaceful life; and although the soldiers carried out the order of their superiors, in the coming days they went over to the side of the protesters.

Having learned about the events shaking Petrograd, Nicholas II, who was heading to the capital from the front, abdicated the throne in favor of his brother Mikhail. But he did not accept the “crown”.

The February Revolution of 1917 in Russia was accomplished. The monarchy has fallen.

Between two revolutions

On February 27, elections to the Petrograd Soviet took place, which included mainly representatives of the lower classes. And on March 2, the Provisional Government was created. It consisted mainly of people representing the interests of the bourgeoisie. Thus, a dual power actually developed in the country. One branch was committed to the socialist path, the second to the liberal democratic one. The first had troops “in its pocket”, the second had many other levers of control.

During the period from February to October 17, the Provisional Government took many important and useful steps. But the war-weary country was getting closer to economic collapse. The people, who expected quick changes for the better from the revolutionaries, were soon disappointed, and murmuring began. Serious separatist unrest emerged. Many regions that are part of Russia demanded independence.

In April, peasants rebelled because they did not wait for the land issue to be resolved. And the Bolsheviks took advantage of this, whose influence on minds grew more and more. A course was set for the seizure of power by the Soviets. The day of the revolution in Russia, which completely turned her life upside down, was already looming on the horizon.

The Great October Revolution in Russia of 1917

On October 12, 1917, the Bolsheviks created the Military Revolutionary Committee, which was supposed to prepare an armed seizure of power. They were aware of their power and had no doubt about victory.

On October 25, they held a congress, the result of which was the Decrees on Peace, Russia came out of the war and on the Earth (it was given to the peasants); as well as the decision to transfer power to the Council of People's Commissars, headed by Vladimir Ilyich.

On the same day, Lenin informed the people about the end of bourgeois power and the beginning of the arrival of Soviet power. And already at night the capture of the Winter Palace took place, where meetings of the Provisional Government were held.

A new revolution took place in 1917 in Russia. Videos of the riots that engulfed Petrograd in those days later went around the world. It was a power that nothing could resist. Workers, sailors, and soldiers in a single impulse swept away all obstacles in their path.

But it should be noted that in Petrograd the coup took place with virtually no bloodshed. But Muscovites offered fierce resistance to the organizers of the October Revolution of 1917 in Russia. More than a thousand people were killed during street fighting.

And although the power of the councils was quickly established in most regions of Russia, it was often just a formality. To gain complete victory, it was necessary to survive and win the outbreak of the Civil War.

What if it weren't for the revolution?

Revolution in Russia of 1917: the overthrow of the monarchy, the power of the Bolsheviks... Why was all this? Many people are asking this question today. And although history does not tolerate the subjunctive mood, it is still interesting to imagine what Russia would be like without the revolution.

There is an opinion that now it would be one of the world's economic leaders, since at the time of the collapse of the empire, the country's economy, although undermined by the war, was at a high level of development.

And there are also assumptions that if Russia had not become Soviet, such a monster as fascism with Hitler at its head would not have been “born”. And the world would have avoided the bloodiest war in human history.

But most historians agree that everything that happened was inevitable. This is the path that Russia (which lost approximately 12 million people in the era of wars and revolutions of 1915-1922) had to go through. And there was simply no other option.

Reasons for the October Revolution of 1917:

• war fatigue;
• the country's industry and agriculture were on the verge of complete collapse;
• catastrophic financial crisis;
• the unresolved agrarian question and the impoverishment of peasants;
• delaying socio-economic reforms;
• the contradictions of dual power became a prerequisite for a change of power.

On July 3, 1917, unrest began in Petrograd demanding the overthrow of the Provisional Government. Counter-revolutionary units, by order of the government, used weapons to suppress the peaceful demonstration. Arrests began and the death penalty was reinstated.

The dual power ended in the victory of the bourgeoisie. The events of July 3-5 showed that the bourgeois Provisional Government did not intend to fulfill the demands of the working people, and it became clear to the Bolsheviks that it was no longer possible to take power peacefully.

At the VI Congress of the RSDLP(b), which took place from July 26 to August 3, 1917, the party set its sights on a socialist revolution through an armed uprising.

At the August State Conference in Moscow, the bourgeoisie intended to declare L.G. Kornilov as a military dictator and to coincide with this event the dispersal of the Soviets. But active revolutionary action thwarted the plans of the bourgeoisie. Then Kornilov moved troops to Petrograd on August 23.

The Bolsheviks, carrying out extensive agitation work among the working masses and soldiers, explained the meaning of the conspiracy and created revolutionary centers to fight the Kornilov revolt. The rebellion was suppressed, and the people finally realized that the Bolshevik Party is the only party that defends the interests of the working people.

In mid-September V.I. Lenin developed a plan for an armed uprising and ways to implement it. The main goal of the October Revolution was the conquest of power by the Soviets.

On October 12, the Military Revolutionary Committee (MRC) was created - a center for preparing an armed uprising. Zinoviev and Kamenev, opponents of the socialist revolution, gave the terms of the uprising to the Provisional Government.

The uprising began on the night of October 24, the opening day of the Second Congress of Soviets. The government was immediately isolated from the armed units loyal to it.

October 25 V.I. Lenin arrived in Smolny and personally led the uprising in Petrograd. During the October Revolution, important objects such as bridges, telegraphs, and government offices were captured.

On the morning of October 25, 1917, the Military Revolutionary Committee announced the overthrow of the Provisional Government and the transfer of power to the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies. On October 26, the Winter Palace was captured and members of the Provisional Government were arrested.

The October Revolution in Russia took place with the full support of the people. The alliance of the working class and the peasantry, the transition of the armed army to the side of the revolution, and the weakness of the bourgeoisie determined the results of the October Revolution of 1917.

On October 25 and 26, 1917, the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets was held, at which the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK) was elected and the first Soviet government was formed - the Council of People's Commissars (SNK). V.I. was elected Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars. Lenin. He put forward two Decrees: the “Decree on Peace,” which called on the warring countries to stop hostilities, and the “Decree on Land,” which expressed the interests of the peasants.

The adopted Decrees contributed to the victory of Soviet power in the regions of the country.

On November 3, 1917, with the capture of the Kremlin, Soviet power won in Moscow. Further, Soviet power was proclaimed in Belarus, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Crimea, the North Caucasus, and Central Asia. The revolutionary struggle in Transcaucasia dragged on until the end of the civil war (1920-1921), which was a consequence of the October Revolution of 1917.

The Great October Socialist Revolution divided the world into two camps - capitalist and socialist.