What is the main result of the February Revolution of 1917. February Revolution: causes, participants and events

In February 1917, the second revolution took place in Russia after the events of 1905. Today we are talking briefly about the February Revolution of 1917: the reasons popular uprising, course of events and consequences.

Causes

The revolution of 1905 was defeated. However, its failure did not destroy the preconditions that led to the very possibility of its occurrence. It’s the same as if the disease receded, but did not go away, hiding in the depths of the body, only to strike again one day. And all because the forcefully suppressed uprising of 1905-1907 was a treatment for external symptoms, while the root causes - social and political contradictions in the country continued to exist.

Rice. 1. The military joined the rebel workers in February 1917

12 years later, at the very beginning of 1917, these contradictions intensified, which led to a new, more serious explosion. The exacerbation occurred due to the following reasons:

• Russian participation in the First World War : a long and grueling war required constant costs, which led to economic devastation and, as a natural consequence of it, an exacerbation of need and deplorable situation the already poor masses;
• A number of fateful mistakes that were made by Russian Emperor Nicholas II in governing the country : refusal to revise agricultural policy, adventurous policy on Far East, defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, a penchant for mysticism, G. Rasputin’s admission to state affairs, military defeats in the First World War, unsuccessful appointments of ministers, military leaders and more;
• Economic crisis: war requires large expenses and consumption, and therefore disruptions in the economy begin to occur (rising prices, inflation, the problem of food supply, the emergence of a card system, aggravation of transport problems);
• Crisis of power : frequent changes of governors, ignorance of the State Duma by the emperor and his entourage, an unpopular government that was responsible exclusively to the tsar, and much more.

Rice. 2. Destruction of the monument Alexander III during the events of February 1917

All of the above points did not exist in isolation. They were closely interconnected and gave rise to new conflicts: general dissatisfaction with the autocracy, distrust of the reigning monarch, the growth of anti-war sentiment, social tension, and the strengthening of the role of leftist and opposition forces. The latter included such parties as the Mensheviks, Bolsheviks, Trudoviks, Socialist Revolutionaries, anarchists, as well as various national parties. Some called on the people for a decisive assault and overthrow of the autocracy, others led a confrontation with the tsarist government in the Duma.

Rice. 3. The moment of signing the manifesto on the abdication of the Tsar

Despite various methods struggle, the goals of the parties were the same: the overthrow of the autocracy, the introduction of a constitution, the establishment of a new system - a democratic republic, the establishment of political freedoms, the establishment of peace, the solution pressing problems– national, land, labor. Since these tasks to transform the country were of a bourgeois-democratic nature, this uprising went down in history under the name the February bourgeois-democratic revolution of 1917.

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The tragic events of the second winter month 1917 are summarized in the following table:

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Today we examined the main causes of the February Revolution of 1917, which became the second in a row since 1905. In addition, the main dates of the events are named and their detailed description is given.

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The immediate cause of the revolutionary explosion was military exhaustion, which aggravated all the internal problems of society and the state. Its origins were rooted in Russia's unpreparedness for war and the miscalculations of Russia. commands admitted in 1914–16. There was a moral decay of the rear military units, including the Petrograd Military District. Nicholas II was at Headquarters in Mogilev and did not control the situation in the country. The dissatisfaction of the generals and officers, caused by military failures, by 1917 developed into a hidden opposition. The standard of living and food supply of city residents, especially in the capital, have noticeably deteriorated. The disruption of transport hampered the regular food supply of Petrograd, creating shortages of bread. The threat of famine sharply increased discontent with the authorities. In connection with the mobilizations of Petrograd workers in all sectors of the economy, the role of women, who had a particularly difficult time enduring the domestic and social difficulties of wartime, increased noticeably.

The main events of the February Revolution unfolded in Petrograd. On 23.2 (8.3).1917, anti-war rallies dedicated to the traditional Worker’s Day spontaneously began to develop into mass strikes and demonstrations under the slogans “Down with the war!”, “Demand bread!” 24 Feb (March 9) a general strike began, and rallies were held continuously. The commander of the Petrograd Military District, General S.S. Khabalov, pulled soldiers of the guards reserve regiments to the city center. The most important city highways were blocked, security was strengthened at government buildings, the post office, telegraph office, etc. February 25. (March 10) military and police outposts were set up near the bridges, but columns of demonstrators bypassed them along the ice of the Neva and rushed to the city center. The prevailing slogans were: “Down with the Tsar!”, “Down with the government!”, “Bread, peace, freedom!”, “Long live the republic!” In the evening, General Khabalov received an order from Nicholas II to immediately stop the unrest in Petrograd. Several were arrested. Mensheviks, at night arrests were made among workers of the revolutionary underground. On the same day, Nicholas II dissolved the State. Duma 26 Feb. (March 11) the police and mayor A.P. Balk removed the guards of the bridges, all the forces of the troops and police were concentrated in the center, cartridges were distributed to the soldiers. Fire was opened on demonstrators in several places in the city, people were killed and wounded, and on the proletarian outskirts workers began to build barricades and seize enterprises. 27 Feb (March 12) the general strike escalated into an armed uprising. Soldiers from a number of regiments rebelled and united with the rebel workers. The District Court was set on fire, those arrested were released from the House of Pre-trial Detention, as well as the Kresty and Lithuanian Castle prisons. In the Tauride Palace, the Council of Elders and the Private Meeting of the State. The Duma elected a government body - the Provisional Committee (“Committee of the State Duma for establishing order in Petrograd and for relations with institutions and individuals”). He tried to take power into his own hands. Leaders of the Menshevik faction of the State. Dumas, representatives of soldiers and workers, journalists announced the creation of the Provisional Executive Committee of the Petrograd Soviet; in the evening the Executive Committee of the Petrograd Council of Workers' Deputies was elected [from March 1 (14) of the Petrograd Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies]. 28 Feb. (March 13) armed workers and soldiers occupied the Peter and Paul Fortress. General Khabalov transferred the remnants of government troops from the building of Glav. Admiralty to the Winter Palace, which was soon occupied by troops sent by the Provisional Committee of the State. Duma and the Executive Committee of the Petrograd Soviet. Expedition of General N.I. Ivanov [from the evening of February 27. (March 12) commander of the Petrograd Military District], sent to suppress the uprising, failed. On March 1 (14), St. went on strike. 394 thousand people from more than 900 enterprises, almost the entire Petrograd garrison went over to the side of the rebels. Under pressure from the rebels, Order No. 1 of the Petrograd Soviet was adopted. He equalized the rights of soldiers and officers, introduced elected soldiers' committees that controlled the life of the army, which led to a catastrophic decline in military discipline.

2(15).3.1917 by the Provisional Committee of the State. Duma with the consent of the leaders of the Petrograd Soviet (chairman - Menshevik N. S. Chkheidze, his deputy - Socialist Revolutionary A. F. Kerensky) a temporary one was formed - until convening Constituent Assembly– government (chairman – Prince G. E. Lvov). It consisted mainly of representatives of the Cadets and Octobrists. On March 13 (26), the Provisional Government formed a Special Meeting on the preparation of the law on elections to the Constituent Assembly (worked from May to September 1917; chairman - cadet F. F. Kokoshkin), which included representatives of various political parties, Councils, public and national organizations.

In the current situation, the leaders of political parties, factions of the State. The Duma and the generals associated with them hoped to achieve the abdication of Nicholas II from the throne in favor of his son and heir Alexei and the formation of a government responsible to the Duma. But the emperor abdicated the throne on March 2(15).3.1917 for himself and his son, passing the crown to his brother, Grand Duke Mikhail, who also abandoned it. The monarchy in Russia ceased to exist.

The small Bolshevik Party did not play a significant role in the February Revolution. The growth of its importance began in April. 1917, with the return to Petrograd from emigration of V. I. Lenin, G. E. Zinoviev, N. I. Bukharin and others. At the April conference of 1917, where the political course of the party in the revolution was developed, two positions emerged: radical Lenin and less radical L. B. Kameneva. Lenin, believing that the Bolsheviks should not follow the “conciliatory” course of the Socialist Revolutionaries and Mensheviks, called for a refusal to trust the Provisional Government, transfer all power to the Soviets and carry out a socialist revolution, simultaneously carrying out democratic changes. Kamenev believed that the Bolsheviks should, together with other socialist parties, strive for democratic changes.

The Provisional Government made two attempts to continue Russia's participation in World War I: in the April note of 1917 min. foreign Del Miliukov assured the Entente governments of Russia's loyalty to its obligations to continue the war to a victorious end; in the 2nd half. In June and July, offensive actions were carried out. armies on the Southwestern and Romanian fronts, which ultimately ended in defeat. Both attempts led to mass unrest, crises of power (April and July 1917) and changes political composition The Provisional Government - from the initial predominance of liberals to an approximately equal (in July) ratio of their representatives and representatives of the socialists, ch. arr. Socialist Revolutionaries and Mensheviks. In June, the government for the first time announced the date of elections to the Constituent Assembly - September 17 (30). and its convocation - September 30. (13 Oct.) 1917. Governing bodies The Councils of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies, as well as peasants' deputies, recognized the Provisional Government as the authority of the government. The 2nd coalition government was formed on July 24 (Aug. 6) (chaired by Kerensky). In Aug. meetings of the All-Russian Commission on Elections to the Constituent Assembly began (All Elections; chairman - cadet N. N. Avinov), the election dates were postponed to November 12 (25), and its convocation - to November 28. (Dec 11). At the same time, the government convened in Moscow on August 12–15 (25–28). State meeting attended by members of the government, deputies of the State. Dumas of all convocations, representatives of Soviets, commercial and industrial circles, banks, cooperative organizations, trade unions, army, navy, city and zemstvo self-government bodies, etc. On the State. At the meeting, General L. G. Kornilov outlined the demands of the generals to the authorities: the introduction of the death penalty at the front and in the rear; suppression of anti-state and anti-national forces; restoration of the army's combat capability; continuation of the war “to the bitter end.” Appointed Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Kornilov agreed with Kerensky to suppress revolutionary anarchy by army forces and establish a “revolutionary dictatorship” of the Directory of Kornilov and Kerensky. At the end of Aug. 1917 General A. M. Krymov’s corps moved to Petrograd. Fearing that the generals would sweep him away too, Kerensky declared Kornilov a rebel and removed the Supreme Commander-in-Chief from his post, then turned to revolutionary-minded workers and soldiers for help. The Bolsheviks also called on them to prevent Kornilov's speech and managed to raise significant forces against him. Massive replenishment of the Red Guard began - armed groups from volunteer workers (the first steps towards their organization were taken by the Bolsheviks of Petrograd and other cities in late March - early April 1917). The “rebel troops” were stopped, General Kornilov was arrested. As a result of these events, the balance of political forces changed: the influence of the Bolsheviks increased significantly, and the Bolshevisation of the Soviets, especially Petrograd, began. The Provisional Government, in search of a way out of the next power crisis, transferred power to a temporary body - the “Directory”. 1 (Sept. 14) Russia was declared a republic.

The leaders of the Soviets, which were still dominated by the Socialist Revolutionaries and Mensheviks, trying to lead the country along the path of bourgeois parliamentarism and in order to weaken the growing national crisis in the country, convened a Democratic Conference in Petrograd. It was attended by delegates from Soviets, trade unions, army and navy organizations, national institutions, etc.; The Socialist Revolutionaries predominated, and the Mensheviks and Bolsheviks had quite a lot of seats. At Lenin’s suggestion, the Bolsheviks used the Conference as a platform for sharply criticizing the experience of coalition power and putting forward demands for the transfer of power to the Soviets, the abolition of private ownership of land and its transfer to the peasantry, the nationalization of the most important industries, and the immediate conclusion of peace.

The Democratic Conference delegated representatives of all groups and factions in proportion to their numbers to the Pre-Parliament, formed to perform the functions of a representative body that could control the activities of the Provisional Government until the convening of the Constituent Assembly. It was dominated by the Socialist Revolutionaries, the Mensheviks and Cadets had quite a lot of seats, smallest number The Bolsheviks received mandates. 23 Sep. (Oct 6) The Pre-Parliament approved the agreement of the Socialist Revolutionaries, Mensheviks and Cadets on the creation of a new, 3rd coalition, Provisional Government. In the RSDLP(b), opinions on participation in the work of the Pre-Parliament were divided: L. B. Kamenev, V. P. Nogin, A. I. Rykov and others were in favor of participation, Lenin was sharply against it, proposing instead to call on the masses for an armed uprising . His point of view won: 7(20) Oct. The RSDLP(b) faction left the Pre-Parliament after harsh statements. The Soviets agreed with this position. Oct 24 (Nov. 6) The Pre-Parliament adopted a resolution in which it demanded that the Provisional Government, along with the suppression of revolutionary ferment, immediately adopt a decree on the transfer of lands to the jurisdiction of land committees and appeal to the allies outlining peace conditions and demanding that peace negotiations begin.

At the same time, preparations for the elections to the Constituent Assembly continued: in September, the councils of zemstvo and city dumas and zemstvos began compiling voter lists, and in October lists of candidates for elections from political parties were published. However, the RSDLP(b) by resolution dated 10(23) Oct. decided on an armed uprising. At the insistence of Lenin under the Petrograd Soviet, 12(25) Oct. the formation of a legal military revolutionary committee began - the Military Revolutionary Committee (by the end of October there were over 40 of them formed throughout the country). Oct 23 (November 5) the Center was formed within the structure of the Red Guard. the commandant's office, which was in close contact with the Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee, and Chief. headquarters. Military Revolutionary Committee and the Red Guard became armed force, on which the Bolsheviks were able to rely when seizing power.

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) spicy economic crisis, which affected the 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 in public debt by 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 new revolution- 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...

1. February 23 - March 3 (March 8 - 18, new style) 1917 in Russia occurred February Revolution, as a result of which the king was overthrown, the monarchy was abolished, democratic transformations 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, it was of a massive, spontaneous and popular nature (“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 leading leaders of the “Progressive Bloc” entered into the conspiracy State Duma, progressively minded officers of the Petrograd garrison.

In December 1916, the implementation of the conspiracy began. Rasputin was killed in Yusupov's house, which immediately deprived the tsar of 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 the highest authority 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 Provisional Committee of the State Duma, together with the 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.

By January 1917 in Russia, both bourgeois opposition and workers' revolutionary forces were unanimous in their opposition to the tsar and the few senior bureaucrats who remained loyal to him. Any mistake by the authorities hit it like a boomerang with tenfold force. Everyone, even the tsar’s loyal supporters, imagined the betrayals and machinations of the Germans all around.

Two fateful events preceded the start of the revolution. At a meeting with ministers on February 21, Nicholas II suddenly announced that he was going to appear in the Duma and announce the granting of a responsible ministry. Perhaps he was influenced by the visits to Tsarskoye Selo by the Chairman of the 2nd Duma N.V. Rodzianko, who more than once asked the Tsar to create a ministry immediately responsible to the Duma. On his last visit on February 10, Rodzianko predicted that refusal would threaten revolution and such anarchy “that no one can stop” and expressed his firm conviction that this was his last visit to the autocrat and that in three weeks he would no longer reign. And so it happened: on the evening of February 22, literally on the eve of the revolution, before leaving for Headquarters, Nicholas 2 changed his mind and informed N.D. Golitsyn about changing his decision.

On February 22, at the Putilov plant, a meeting of workers was held with economic demands addressed to the administration. This led to a massive lockout. All participants were counted out, and a crowd of 30,000 workers was thrown onto the streets for several days, which instantly revolutionized all the workers of the capital. When the big one opened on February 23 plenary session IV State Duma, center revolutionary events has already moved to the streets.

The course and main events of the February Revolution of 1917

The events of the revolution began on February 23 (March 8), 1917. At the call of the Russian Bureau of the Central Committee of the RSDLP (b), the St. Petersburg Committee of the RSDLP (b) and the Interdistrict Committee of the RSDLP, a women's anti-war demonstration began in honor of International Day female workers It grew into a large city strike, in which 128 thousand people took part, a third of all the city’s workers. Already on this day they appeared character traits the beginning of the revolution: a combination of organizational spontaneous actions. The next day, the number of strikers reached 214 thousand, and demonstrations and rallies became the predominant form of the movement. On February 25, 305 thousand were already on strike. At city enterprises, especially on the Vyborg and Petrograd sides, strike committees began to be created - prototypes of future factory committees.

The nature of the events on February 26 was already significantly different from the previous three days of the revolution. The evening before, Nicholas 2, after receiving reports on the events, sent a telegram to the Commander-in-Chief of the Petrograd Military District, General Khabalov, demanding “tomorrow,” that is, the 26th, to stop the unrest in the capital. In pursuance of these instructions from the tsar, on the night of February 26, the police arrested over 100 members of revolutionary parties, including five members of the Petrograd Committee and the Russian Bureau of the Central Committee of the RSDLP(b). members of the Vyborg district party committee took over the functions of the citywide party center. It was Sunday. The soldiers received live ammunition and for the most part complied with the order to use their weapons. One of the companies of the Pavlovsk Guards Regiment refused to shoot at the people and fired a volley at a platoon of mounted police guards on the Catherine Canal.

February 27 is considered the day of the February bourgeois-democratic revolution. Its events were truly of a turning point. On the night of February 27, soldiers from many guards regiments in the capitals discussed the results of yesterday and agreed not to shoot at the people. The first such soldier’s “conspiracy” was carried out by the training team of the reserve battalion of the Volyn Guards Regiment. During the morning check, they killed their company commander, dismantled the weapon and took it out onto the city street. On that day, the number of rebel soldiers reached a quarter of the total number in St. Petersburg, by the evening of the next day - half, and by March 1 there were no law-abiding troops in the capital. At the same time, on February 27, soldiers and workers set fire to the building of the District Court near Orudiyny and Petrogradsky Party, stormed the building of the Pre-trial Detention House located behind the District Court, releasing all the defendants. The soldiers of the outpost of the reserve battalion of the Moscow Guards Regiment refused to shoot at the 20,000-strong demonstration and let it through Vyborg side. Some of the soldiers went to the largest city prison, Kresty, took it by storm, and released all the prisoners. On this day, bridges, train stations, the courthouse, and the most important government institutions were taken; the next day, the Peter and Paul Fortress, the Winter Palace and the Admiralty. The crew of the cruiser Aurora rebelled. The uprising in Petrograd was victorious.

“The fact was that in this entire huge city it was impossible to find several hundred people who would sympathize with the authorities... The fact was that the authorities themselves did not sympathize... There was, in essence, not a single minister who believed in himself ..."

Establishment of dual power

On the morning of February 27, 1917, the official meeting of the 4th Duma began in the Tauride Palace. Standing, its participants listened to the royal decree about a break in work until April. The Duma members, obedient to the tsar, decided not to disperse temporarily and, in order to emphasize the informal nature of their meeting, moved from the White Hall to the Semicircular Hall of the palace. But at that moment, a large crowd approached the Tauride Palace, led by armed soldiers and with members of the Menshevik Working Group of the Central Military Commission, who had just liberated “Krestov”. The Bolsheviks failed to delay the procession at the Finlyandsky Station, where they intended to organize a revolutionary center in the person of the Council of Workers' Deputies. The call of the Menshevik guards to go to the Duma evoked a warm response from the rebels, for the authority of the Duma since the end of 1916 was great among the soldiers and petty-bourgeois segments of the population. The clash between the rebels and the Duma guard was effectively prevented by the chairman of the Trudovik faction A.F. Kerensky, who stood between the parties and announced that he was removing the old guard and appointing a new one from the approaching soldiers. They carried him in their arms into the palace, which from that moment, unexpectedly for the Duma members, turned into a revolutionary center.

At 3 o'clock in the afternoon the climax came political life countries. All left forces gathered in the halls of the Budget and Financial Commissions of the Duma: members of the Menshevik and labor factions of the Duma, members working group TsVPK, several Bolsheviks, workers, representatives of the press. In the course of a rapid and spontaneous discussion, an appeal was adopted to organize a temporary executive committee of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' Deputies. The created executive committee immediately called for the election of one deputy from 1,000 workers and one deputy from a company of soldiers and to send them to a meeting of the Council in the Tauride Palace by 20 o'clock on the same day.

At the same time, in the Semicircular Hall of the palace, members of the 4th Duma decided to form a Provisional Committee of the State Duma for relations with institutions and individuals. M.V. was elected chairman of the committee, which included almost all members of the Progressive Bloc and one representative each from the Menshevik (N.S. Chkheidze) and Trudovik (A.F. Kerensky) factions. Rodzianko. This is how two centers of power emerged.

Late in the evening of February 27, thousands of people filled the headquarters of the revolution. All the royal ministers were brought here, and A.D. Protopopov came and surrendered himself. IN in full force The Preobrazhensky Regiment approached the Tauride Palace and announced its transition to the side of the revolution. All these events prompted the Provisional Committee of the Duma to decide to take control of executive branch in the country. In all the most important government agencies and on railways Duma emissaries were sent.

The Petrograd Council, simultaneously and in the same building, opened its first meeting, to which elected deputies continued to arrive throughout the night. It immediately showed itself as a real organ of revolutionary people's power.

On February 28, the soldiers' section of the Petrograd Soviet was formed. It was the executive commission of this section that, on the night of March 1-2, compiled and published the famous “Order No. 1” the next day, which actually removed the soldiers of the Petrograd garrison from under the command of the officers and subordinated them to the Petrograd Soviet.

The old power of officers over soldiers came to an end, along with it army discipline collapsed and the foundation for the future anarchy of the liberals was laid.

The end of autocracy in Russia

Once in power, the Russian bourgeoisie had no intention of losing its monarchical cover. She was not satisfied with the “old despot”; with hope, she turned her gaze to the heir to the throne, 12-year-old Tsarevich Alexei. Only as a last resort were liberals ready to sacrifice the dynasty.

At the height of the Petrograd uprising, on the night of February 28, the tsar, accompanied by a train of loyal troops, set out towards the capital. But, fearing arrest, he was forced to do so before reaching 160 km. to St. Petersburg, turn to Pskov, where the headquarters of the commander-in-chief of the Northern Front, General N.V., was located. Ruzsky. On March 1, the tsar was already in Pskov. After negotiations on straight wire N.V. Rodzianko with N.V. Ruzsky and N.V. Alekseev’s generals put pressure on Nicholas 2 and he agreed to hand over a manifesto on the formation of a government of trust in the country led by Rodzianko, responsible to the Duma. But in a conversation with Ruzsky, Rodzianko rejected the manifesto and raised the question of Nicholas 2’s abdication of the throne in favor of his son. Ruzsky reported the contents of the negotiations to Alekseev at the Mogilev headquarters, and he conveyed to all the commanders-in-chief of the dandies and fleets Rodzianko’s demands to send 2 requests to Nikolai in Pskov for his abdication from the throne in favor of his son.

On the morning of March 2, telegrams began to be received in Pskov from front commanders, who unanimously joined in the demand for abdication. Under their influence and at the insistence of Ruzsky and the generals, the tsar announced his abdication of the throne in favor of his son. Nicholas 2 renounces both for himself and for his son. This was a violation of Peter 1’s manifesto on succession to the throne, according to which the tsar had the right to abdicate only for himself. This fact made it possible in the future to declare the renunciation invalid. Guchkov and Shulgin, not anticipating a complex combination, agreed to this option, although they had strict instructions regarding abdication in favor of their son.

The completion of the discussion on the fate of the Russian monarchy took place in St. Petersburg at Putyatin’s apartment, where Mikhail Alexandrovich then lived, younger brother Nicholas 2, who was scheduled to become regent for the young Alexei Nikolaevich, his nephew. But cadet lawyers V.D. Nabokov and B.E. The Nolde drew up an act of Michael’s refusal to accept supreme power. It stated that he would agree to accept the crown only if this was the decision of the Constituent Assembly, elected on the basis of general elections. Thus ended the February Revolution.

Results of the February Revolution of 1917

The most important result of the revolution was the overthrow of the autocracy in Russia, which the revolutionary forces of the country had so dreamed of since the very beginning of the 20th century. A unique political situation developed in the country: two political forces coexisted simultaneously, different in character, but not yet able to establish themselves in an understanding of their differences. Time and concrete actions were needed to make the demarcation of positions possible. Both of them had never been in power and had to learn to rule. For the first time in history, the working masses felt their real strength, and there was no turning back to submission, even in relation to their temporary political ally, the liberals. Therefore, the search for compromises on both sides became so important. But as history has shown, the ability to compromise was not developed on either side. The aggravation of contradictions led the country to a new historical milestone.