October 1917 briefly. The Great Russian Revolution. Prerequisites for the October Revolution

The government took full power into its own hands and took a number of measures that expanded civil rights. But in Petrograd and locally, the Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies and the Soviets of Peasants' Deputies gained great influence.

Due to the war and revolutionary events, the economic crisis intensified, worsening the already difficult situation of the working people. This gave rise to mass despair, the desire to break out of the current situation in one leap, unrealistic expectations and, ultimately, the desire for quick and decisive measures that would qualitatively change society - social radicalism. The Bolsheviks became the force that took upon itself the consolidation of the radical masses of soldiers and workers.

Of particular importance for the fate of the revolution was the return to Russia on April 3, 1917 of the leader of the Bolsheviks, who, despite the resistance of the more moderate leaders of Bolshevism, insisted on a new course - the course towards a socialist revolution. Despite maintaining significant influence in the party of moderate Bolsheviks (N. Rykov and others), Lenin’s line did not win. This predetermined the alliance and subsequent merger of the Bolsheviks with a group of Social Democrats-Mezhrayontsy, whose leader adhered to the same concept as Lenin of the development of a “bourgeois” revolution into a “socialist” one.

The leaders in the Soviets were moderate socialist parties ((Socialist Revolutionaries, AKP) and Social Democrats -). The socialists were looking for a compromise between the radical masses of workers and the “qualified elements” - wealthy intellectuals and entrepreneurs, without whom the effective functioning of the economy seemed doubtful. However, the socialists' desire to consolidate society collided with its growing polarization. Having confirmed Russia's readiness to fight until victory, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the leader of the constitutional democrats, provoked unrest and clashes in Petrograd). Socialists and the broad masses of Petrograd hoped for a speedy peace “to a draw” without annexations and indemnities. To restore the stability of the government, the liberals had to attract socialists to it on May 5, 1917 (, M. Skobelev,). However, liberals blocked proposals from some socialists to carry out social reforms that could somewhat reduce tension in society. The government for the most part advocated the refusal of social reforms before the convocation.

The authority of the government was declining. The All-Russian Congress of Peasant Councils took place in May, and in June. These congresses relied on millions of active citizens and could become a “temporary parliament,” which would give the new government additional support and begin social reforms. The idea of ​​​​creating a socialist Soviet government was supported by the Bolsheviks and part of the Socialist Revolutionaries and Mensheviks.

The government hoped to rally the country's citizens around itself with the help of successes at the front. On June 18, 1917, the Russian army launched an offensive near Kalush. But the Russian army had already lost its combat effectiveness, the offensive failed, and on July 6, 1917, the enemy launched a counteroffensive.

On July 3 - 4, 1917, socio-political instability in Petrograd led to a revolution that ended in the political defeat of the Bolsheviks and left socialists. Lenin and some other Bolshevik leaders had to go underground.

After the defeat of the radical left, socialist leaders saw the main threat from the right. The socialist parties restored the coalition with the liberals, this time under the leadership of A. Kerensky, who headed the government on July 8, 1917.

Liberal political circles hoped, relying on the military strength of the commander-in-chief, to establish “firm order” and solve the problems facing the country by militarizing the rear and restoring the army’s ability to attack. leading political forces were unable to stop political polarization. On August 26, 1917, a conflict began between L. Kornilov and A. Kerensky. Kornilov's performance ended with his defeat on September 1, 1917. These events once again upset the balance in the power system. On the left and democratic forces in September, this discussion continued, but Prime Minister Kerensky, contrary to the position of his Socialist Revolutionary Party, created a coalition with the Cadets on September 26, 1917. By this, he further narrowed the political base of his government, since he was no longer supported by either the Cadets or the left and center wings of the socialists, and the Soviets, in the face of government inaction in the face of the crisis, began to come under the control of the Bolsheviks.

October Revolution

On October 24 - 26, 1917, the October Revolution took place, which brought the Bolsheviks to power, laid the foundations of Soviet power, and became the beginning of the October Revolution as a stage of the Revolutionary Revolution and the initial stage of the development of Soviet society. Under the conditions of the coup, he transferred power to the Bolshevik People's Council (SNK), headed by Lenin, and elected (the All-Russian Central Executive Committee), which played the role of a temporary representative body of power. The congress adopted the first decrees of the Soviet government. proclaimed the transfer of land to the peasants without any ransom, and proclaimed his readiness to immediately conclude peace without annexations and indemnities, for which purpose to enter into peace negotiations with Germany and its allies.

Immediately after the October Revolution, a struggle between supporters and opponents of Soviet power unfolded throughout Russia. A. Kerensky still made attempts to recapture Petrograd, but his campaign ended in failure due to the low popularity of the prime minister among the troops.

National movements also played a significant role in the fight against Bolshevism, but their tasks were territorially limited. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and the Civil War led to the collapse of Russia as a single state. In the space of the former Russian Empire, several Soviet republics were formed, controlled from Moscow through the structures of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks), as well as states independent of Soviet power: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland.

The regime of “war communism” that existed in Russia in 1918-1921 was perceived by the Bolsheviks as a direct road to communism. This policy concentrated in the hands of the leadership of the RCP(b) the resources necessary for waging war. In 1919, the troops of Denikin and Kolchak dangerously approached Moscow. But during fierce battles by the end of the year, the main White forces were defeated, despite assistance with weapons and equipment from abroad, as well as direct military intervention by foreign states in some areas of the former Russian Empire. The "White" movement continued the war, but in November 1920 the troops under its command were defeated in the Crimea, and on October 25, 1922, the "Whites" left Vladivostok. The Bolshevik alternative won in Russia. The defeat of the whites was predetermined primarily by their elitism, social revanchism, which frightened the masses, and the great-power slogans that mobilized the national minorities of Russia to fight them, as well as the fears of the peasantry to lose their land if the “generals” won. Having rejected the democratic and socially oriented program of the socialists, the “whites” in the eyes of the majority of the population did not have significant advantages in comparison with the Bolsheviks. Speaking for “order,” the white generals could not stop the robberies and practiced mass arbitrary arrests and executions. Under these conditions, the Reds seemed to significant masses of the population to be a “lesser evil.”

The final stage of the revolution

Victory over the armies of Denikin, Yudenich, Wrangel, Kolchak, etc. The state of the “united military camp” made no sense. The RCP(b) turned around. At the same time, insurgent movements intensified on the territory of Russia and Ukraine, in which hundreds of thousands of people were involved (see, West Siberian Uprising of 1921). The rebels put forward demands for an end to surplus appropriation, freedom of trade, and the elimination of the Bolshevik dictatorship. Labor unrest intensified. The culmination of this phase of the revolution was. in March 1921, he decided to switch to (NEP) and ban factions and groupings in the party. With the introduction of the NEP, the attempt at an immediate transition to communism ended.

By 1922, the victory of the communists (Bolsheviks) in the Russian Revolution was determined. But the results of the revolution were determined not only by their policies, but also by the resistance to the communist policies of the broad masses. The Bolsheviks had to make concessions to the peasant majority of the country, but they were exclusively economic in nature. All political power and the “commanding heights” of the economy remained in the hands of the leadership of the RCP(b), which gave it the opportunity at any time to resume a policy close to “war communism.” The leaders of Bolshevism viewed the NEP as a short-term retreat, a respite.

Despite the instability and temporary nature of the NEP system, it consolidated the most important socio-economic result of the revolution - the peasantry received the land at full disposal, which was enshrined in Soviet legislation in 1922. A relatively stable socio-economic model was created, oriented towards further industrial modernization. The political regime provided high vertical mobility. With the formation of the USSR, the rights of peoples to develop their culture were secured insofar as this does not interfere with solving other problems of the communist regime. Due to the fact that the main tasks of the revolution received one solution or another, we can talk about the completion of the Great Russian Revolution by December 30, 1922, when the history of the new state, the USSR, began.

Causes, course and results of the February Revolution and its features. Causes of the crises of the Provisional Government. Causes, course and results of the October Revolution.

The answer should start with analysis reasons for the February Revolution. Then we should note the peculiarity of this revolution, its main events and results.

Considering the events of February-October 1917, it is necessary to analyze in detail the causes of the crises of the Provisional Government and their consequences, the reasons for the rapid growth of the Bolshevik influence among the population. In conclusion, it is necessary to express your own (reasoned) opinion on the question of the inevitability of the Bolsheviks coming to power, as well as the peculiarities of the October events of 1917 (can they be considered a revolution?).

Sample answer plan:

1. February Revolution , its main events and results (February 23-27, 1917).

Causes of the revolution. Economic and political crisis, destabilization of the situation due to the protracted First World War; the decline of the moral authority of tsarism due to “Rasputinism” (what is this? Answer: this refers to the enormous influence of G. Rasputin on the royal family, under whose patronage appointments to all top posts took place (an indicator of the decomposition of the regime).

A characteristic feature of the February Revolution is its spontaneous nature (not a single party was ready for the revolution).

Main events:

February 23, 1917. - the beginning of a strike at the Putilov plant (at first economic slogans prevailed: to improve the food supply of St. Petersburg, etc.).

February 26- mass demonstrations in Petrograd under anti-war slogans, clashes with police and troops.

February 27- the transition of the Petrograd garrison to the side of the rebels; formation of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies (Petrosovet) and the Provisional Committee of the State Duma.

2nd of March- Nicholas II’s abdication for himself and for his son Alexei in favor of his brother Mikhail Alexandrovich (this was Nicholas’s trick, since according to the law on succession to the throne he did not have the right to abdicate for his son → apparently he planned to declare his abdication illegal in the near future). At the same time, the Petrograd Soviet and the Temporary Committee of the State Duma agreed to create Provisional Government(should have operated until the convening of the Constituent Assembly) on the basis of the Provisional Committee of the State Duma, but under the control of the Petrograd Soviet (the majority of ministerial portfolios were received by the Cadets and Octobrists, from the Petrograd Soviet the right-wing Socialist Revolutionary Kerensky entered the Government as Minister of Justice). The Petrograd Soviet also issued Order No. 1(abolition of honor in the army, introduction of soldiers' committees and elected commanders). Its meaning is that the soldiers fully supported the Petrograd Soviet, but at the same time the disintegration of the army began, a complete decline in military discipline.

March, 3rd- Michael’s abdication of the throne, but Russia was not proclaimed a republic (according to the “party in power” - the Cadets - this could only be done by the Constituent Assembly).

Results of the revolution: overthrow of the monarchy, the actual establishment of a republic (officially proclaimed only on September 1, 1917); Maximum democratic rights and freedoms of the population and universal suffrage were proclaimed. Thus, the February Revolution of 1917 can be considered a completed bourgeois-democratic revolution.

2. Dual power regime. Crisis of the Provisional Government. One of the results of the February Revolution was the establishment dual power(the presence of two alternative centers of power: the Petrograd Soviet and the Provisional Government). This was one of the reasons for the extreme instability of the political situation, reflected in the crises of the Provisional Government.

First crisis– April: because of the speech of the leader of the cadets, Minister of Foreign Affairs Miliukov, with a note about continuing the war to a victorious end. Result: mass anti-war demonstrations and the resignation of Miliukov and Guchkov (Minister of War, leader of the Octobrists).

Second crisis– June-July. Cause: an unsuccessful offensive at the front, followed by mass anti-war demonstrations; an attempt by the Bolsheviks to seize power under their cover → demonstrations were shot by troops, the Bolsheviks were outlawed as “German spies”; The composition of the Provisional Government changed (it included the leaders of the Mensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries from the Petrograd Soviet, Kerensky became the chairman). Bottom line: the end of dual power, the center of power became the Provisional Government.

Third crisis– August. Cause: an attempt by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief General Kornilov to seize power on August 26-27 (talk in more detail about the features of the “Kornilov rebellion”, the position of Kerensky, the Cadets, the Socialist Revolutionaries and other parties). The rebellion was suppressed with the active participation of the Bolsheviks. Consequence– a sharp increase in their authority, Bolshevization of the Soviets in September 1917).

The general cause of the crises of the Provisional Government is persistent reluctance to solve pressing problems (about war, land, political system) before the convening of the Constituent Assembly. Moreover, elections to the Constituent Assembly were constantly postponed, which led to a decline in the authority of the government. One of the reasons for this government position is the idea of ​​“non-decision” of the cadets (what is its essence?).

Result: catastrophic deterioration of the situation in the country.

Was the Bolsheviks' rise to power inevitable? Most historians currently subscribe to the “two alternatives theory.” Its essence: the situation in the country by the autumn of 1917, due to the inaction of the Provisional Government, had deteriorated so much that it was now possible to get out of the crisis only with the help of tough radical measures, that is, the establishment of a dictatorship either “from the right” (military, Kornilov) or “ on the left" (Bolsheviks). Both of them promised to quickly solve all problems, without waiting for elections to the Constituent Assembly. The attempt to establish a dictatorship “on the right” failed, leaving the only alternative - the dictatorship “on the left” of the Bolsheviks.

Conclusion: the Bolsheviks’ rise to power in those specific historical conditions is logical and natural.

3. October Revolution.

Its feature is this is its almost bloodless nature (minimal number of casualties during the storming of the Winter Palace and the capture of key objects in Petrograd).

When describing the events of October 24-25, it is necessary to analyze Lenin’s plan and answer the question of why the seizure of power was timed to coincide with the opening of the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets (the goal is to confront the deputies with the fact of a change of power).

Main events:

October 24– the seizure of key objects in Petrograd by the Red Guard and the Military Revolutionary Committee of the RSDLP(b).

the 25th of October- capture of the Winter Palace, arrest of the Provisional Government, proclamation of Soviet power.

Decisions of the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets and their significance. The first events of Soviet power in the political, economic, social, national and cultural spheres. Reasons for the “triumphant march” of Soviet power.

When preparing this topic, it is necessary to analyze the first decrees of Soviet power, to identify the reasons for the so-called “triumphant march” of Soviet power in November-December 1917. It is also necessary to characterize the new structure of government bodies; main events in the socio-economic, political and cultural spheres, their results and consequences.

Sample answer plan:

1. II All-Russian Congress of Soviets: the first decrees of Soviet power.

– "decree on peace"“- an announcement of Russia’s withdrawal from the war, an appeal to all warring powers to begin negotiations for peace “without annexations and indemnities.”

– "decree on land“- the program for socialization of the land of the Socialist Revolutionaries, popular among the peasants, was actually adopted (abolition of private ownership of land, gratuitous confiscation of landowners’ lands and division of it among the peasants according to labor and consumer standards) → the demands of the peasants were fully satisfied.

– "decree on power» – proclamation of the transfer of power to the Soviets; creation of a new power structure, elimination of the principle of separation of powers as bourgeois.

New system of power:

It should be noted that initially the Bolsheviks approached all socialist parties with a proposal to join the Council of People's Commissars and the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, but only the Left Socialist Revolutionaries agreed (they received about 1/3 of the seats). Thus, until July 1918, the government was bipartisan.

Reasons for the “triumphant march of Soviet power” those. relatively peaceful (except for Moscow) and rapid establishment throughout the country: the almost instantaneous implementation by the Bolsheviks (albeit in a declarative form) of their promises, which initially ensured the support of the population, especially the peasants.

2. Socio-economic activities:

October-November 1917. – decrees on the introduction of an 8-hour working day and worker control at enterprises; nationalization of banks and large enterprises;

March 1918. – after the loss of grain-producing regions (Ukraine, etc.), the introduction of a food monopoly and fixed food prices.

3. Activities in the field of national policy:

November 2, 1917. – "Declaration of the Rights of the Peoples of Russia": abolition of national privileges and restrictions; the right of nations to self-determination and the creation of their own states (Poland, Finland and the Baltic peoples immediately took advantage of this right).

Result: growing sympathy for Soviet Russia on the part of colonial and semi-colonial countries, as well as the national outskirts of Russia itself.

4. Activities in the field of education and culture:

January 1918- a decree on the separation of church from state and school from church, a decree on the abolition of the class-lesson education system, the introduction of a new calendar.

5. Political events:

January 3, 1918. – « Declaration of the Rights of Working and Exploited People"(combined all previous decrees on rights; was considered as an introduction to the Constitution).

January 5-6, 1918. - opening and dispersal of the Constituent Assembly by the Bolsheviks (for refusing to recognize the October Revolution and subsequent decrees of Soviet power as legal).

January 10, 1918. – III Congress of Soviets; approved the “Declaration” on January 3, 1918, proclaimed Russia a federation (RSFSR), confirmed the decree of the Second Congress on the socialization of the land.

July 1918. - Adoption first Constitution of the RSFSR(consolidated the new structure of power of the Soviets), its characteristic feature is a pronounced ideologization (course towards world revolution, etc.), deprivation of voting rights of the exploiting classes.

In conclusion, it should be noted that after the conclusion of the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty in March 1918, the Bolsheviks found themselves in an extremely difficult situation and, in order to avoid starvation in the cities, were forced to begin requisitioning grain from the peasants (through the poor peasants' committees created in June 1918). Bottom line: growth of peasant discontent, which was taken advantage of by all counter-revolutionary forces from the Socialist Revolutionaries and Mensheviks to the monarchists.

July 1918- an unsuccessful rebellion of the Left Social Revolutionaries (they opposed the new peasant policy of the Bolsheviks and peace with Germany).

Result: the formation of a one-party, only Bolshevik government and a one-party political system in the country.

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 causes of the popular uprising, the course of events and consequences.

Causes

The revolution of 1905 was defeated. However, its failure did not destroy the prerequisites that led to the very possibility of its occurrence. It’s as if the disease had 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 exhausting war required constant expenses, which led to economic devastation and, as a natural consequence of it, worsening poverty and the deplorable situation of the already poor masses;
• A number of fateful mistakes that were made by Russian Emperor Nicholas II in governing the country : refusal to revise agrarian policy, adventurous policy in the Far East, defeat in the Russo-Japanese War, a penchant for mysticism, G. Rasputin’s admission to government 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 to 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 the different methods of 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 of 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.

Move

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

Event date	Event Description
	A strike by workers of the Putilov plant, who, due to a jump in food prices, demanded an increase in wages. The strikers were fired and some workshops were closed. However, workers at other factories supported the strikers.
	In Petrograd, a difficult situation arose with the delivery of bread and a card system was introduced. On this day, tens of thousands of people took to the streets with various demands for bread, as well as political slogans calling for the overthrow of the tsar and an end to the war.
	A multiple increase in the number of strikers from 200 to 305 thousand people. These were mainly workers, joined by artisans and office workers. The police were unable to restore calm, and the troops refused to go against the people.
	The meeting of the State Duma was postponed from February 26 to April 1 according to the decree of the emperor. But this initiative was not supported, as it looked more like dissolution.
	An armed uprising took place, which was joined by the army (Volynsky, Lithuanian, Preobrazhensky battalions, motor armored division, Semyonovsky and Izmailovsky regiments). As a result, the telegraph, bridges, train stations, the Main Post Office, the Arsenal, and the Kronverk Arsenal were captured. The State Duma, which did not accept its dissolution, created a Temporary Committee, which was supposed to restore order on the streets of St. Petersburg.
	Power passes to the Provisional Committee. The Finnish, 180th Infantry Regiment, the sailors of the cruiser Aurora and the 2nd Baltic Fleet crew go over to the side of the rebels.
	The uprising spread to Kronstadt and Moscow.
	Nicholas II decided to abdicate the throne in favor of his heir, Tsarevich Alexei. The regent was supposed to be Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich, the emperor's younger brother. But as a result, the king abdicated the throne for his son.
	The manifesto on the abdication of Russian Emperor Nicholas II was published in all newspapers of the country. A Manifesto about the abdication of Mikhail Alexandrovich immediately followed.

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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 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 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 in 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...

By the beginning of the 20th century, in the most developed countries of the world there were no longer autocratic monarchs, and in Russia the government still remained autocratic. Russia was ruled by Emperor Nicholas II. In autocratic Russia, a lot depended on the personality of the tsar and his ability to find intelligent assistant ministers. The Romanovs ruled Russia for 300 years. And kings often became leaders of the nation in the fight against foreign invaders and internal strife. Let us remember the Patriotic War of 1812 or the Time of Troubles. Nicholas II turned out to be a weak ruler. Under him, the autocracy was unable to solve the country's aggravated problems.

February Revolution

In 1914, Russia was forced to enter the First World War unprepared. Its burden turned out to be beyond the strength of the Russian Empire. The gap between the common people and the authorities grew ever wider. And in this difficult situation, Nicholas II failed to become the leader of the nation and turned out to be powerless to stop the impending catastrophe. The February Revolution began in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) on ​​February 23 (March 8, new style) 1917 with spontaneous anti-war demonstrations. The reason for this was the lack of food. In this difficult situation, the authorities acted hesitantly. And ordinary soldiers and Cossacks, not understanding the goals of the war, refused to disperse the workers’ demonstrations. On February 27, rebel workers and soldiers, joined by leaders of revolutionary parties, occupied government buildings. They created the Petrograd Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies (Petrosovet). The only body capable of preventing bloodshed during the transfer of power was the State Duma. On March 2, 1917, the Duma delegation achieved the abdication of Nicholas II from the throne. The history of the Romanov dynasty, which ruled Russia for 300 years, has ended. By agreement of the Petrograd Soviet and the Duma, a Provisional Government was created.

Provisional Government

The provisional government was supposed to rule for several months until the elections of the Constituent Assembly. The people expected from him a quick solution to the problems that had accumulated over the years of autocracy. However, the Provisional Government was unable to reduce prices, improve grain supplies, carry out land reform, and most importantly, make peace. People began to live even worse than under the Tsar. In the 8 months since February, four governments have changed as a result of crises. Neither ordinary citizens nor society leaders had confidence in him.

October revolution

The weakness of power gave revolutionary parties a chance. The common people, tired of war, hunger and crime, were ready to accept any power that could alleviate their situation, even through violence. The most energetic revolutionary force turned out to be the Bolshevik party, led by V.I. Lenin. The Bolshevik slogans: “Land to the peasants,” “Factories to the workers,” and “Peace to the peoples” were understandable to ordinary people. But most of all they were supported by people who saw in the revolution an opportunity to take revenge on the richer and more successful - the owners of factories and factories, merchants (they were contemptuously called bourgeois).

On the night of October 24-25 (November 7, new style), 1917, detachments of workers and soldiers captured the Winter Palace, where the Provisional Government met. The power of the Provisional Government fell. These events were called the October Revolution (or October Revolution). On the same day, the Congress of Soviets announced that the Provisional Government had been overthrown and adopted the most important decrees on peace and land. A few months later, Soviet power was established over a large territory of Russia. Many considered the power of the Bolsheviks to be illegal and their power to be criminal. Soon, the split caused by the October Revolution led to a bloody Civil War.