Russian Revolution

The Russian Revolution (the final stage also known as October Revolution)
was a political movement in Russia that climaxed in 1917 with the overthrow
of the provisional government that had replaced the Russian Tsar system and
led to the establishment of the Soviet Union, which lasted until 1991. This
movement was led by Vladimir Lenin based upon the ideas of Karl Marx and
marked the beginning of the spread of communism in the twentieth century.

On November 7, 1917, Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin led his leftist
revolutionaries in a nearly bloodless coup d'Žtat against the ineffective
Kerensky Provisional Government (Russia was still using the Julian Calendar
at the time, so period references show a October 25 date).

Brief Chronology leading to Revolution of 1917

Dates are correct for the Julian calendar, which was used in Russia until
1918. It was twelve days behind the Gregorian calendar during the 19th
century and a day further behind during the 20th century.

   * 1855 - Start of reign of Tsar Alexander II
   * 1861 - Emancipation of the serfs
   * 1866-74 - The White Terror
   * 1881 - Alexander II assassinated; start of reign of Alexander III
   * 1883 - First Russian Marxist group formed
   * 1894 - Start of reign of Nicholas II
   * 1898 - First Congress of Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP)
   * 1900 - Foundation of Socialist Revolutionary Party (SR)
   * 1903 - Second Congress of Russian Social Democratic Labour Party. Split
     (missing text)
   * 1904-5 - Russo-Japanese War
   * 1905 - Russian Revolution/Rebellion.

     January - Bloody Sunday in St Petersburg.
     June - Potemkin uprising at Odessa on the Black Sea
     October - general strike, St Petersburg Soviet formed
          - Imperial agreement on elections to the State Duma - October
          Manifesto

   * 1906 - First State Duma. Prime Minister - Petr Stolypin. Agrarian
     reforms begin
   * 1907 - Second State Duma, February - June
   * 1907 - Third State Duma, until 1912
   * 1911 - Stolypin assassinated
   * 1912 - Fourth State Duma, until 1917. Bolshevik - Menshevik split final
   * 1914 - Germany declares war on Russia
   * 1915 - Serious defeats, Nicholas II declares himself CinC. Progressive
     Bloc formed
   * 1916 - Gregory Rasputin killed

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More detailed but still brief chronology of Revolution of 1917

January

     Strikes and unrest in Petrograd

February

     The February Revolution
     26th -- 50 demonstrators killed in Znamenskaya Square
     27th -- Troops refuse to fire on demonstrators, desertions. Prison,
     court and
          Okhrana buildings set on fire. Garrison joins revolutionaries.
          Petrograd Soviet formed.

March

     1st -- Order No.1 of the Petrograd Soviet
     2nd -- Nicholas II abdicates. Provisional Government formed, Prince
     Lvov PM

April

     3rd -- Return of Lenin to Russia. He publishes his April Theses.
     20th -- Miliukov's note published. Provisional Government falls

May

     5th -- New Provisional Government formed. Kerensky minister of war and
     navy

June

     3rd -- First All-Russian Congress of Soviets in Petrograd. Closed on
     24th
     16th -- Kerensky orders offensive against Austro-Hungarian forces.
     Initial success
     16th/17th --- Tsar Nicholas II murdered

July

     2nd -- Russian offensive ends. Trotsky joins Bolsheviks
     4th -- Anti-government demonstrations in Petrograd
     6th -- German and Austro-Hungarian counter-attack. Russians retreat in
     panic, sacking the town of Tarnopol. Arrest of Bolshevik leaders
     ordered
     7th -- Lvov resigns. Kerensky is new PM
     22nd -- Trotsky and Lunacharskii arrested

August

     26th -- Second coalition government ends
     27th -- General Lavr Kornilov failed coup. Kornilov arrested and
     imprisoned

September

     1st -- Russia declared a republic
     4th -- Trotsky and others freed. Trotsky becomes head of Petrograd
     Soviet
     25th -- Third coalition government formed

October

     10th -- Bolshevik Central Committee meeting approves armed uprising
     11th -- Congress of Soviets of the Northern Region, until 13th
     20th -- First meeting of the Military Revolutionary Committee of
     Petrograd
     25th -- MRC directs armed workers and soldiers to capture key buidings
     in Petrograd. Winter Palace attacked at 9.40pm. Kerensky flees
     Petrograd
     26th -- Second Congress of Soviets. Mensheviks and right SR delegates
     walk-out in protest at coup. Decrees on peace and land reform. Soviet
     government declared - the Council of People's Commissars; Bolshevik
     dominated with Lenin as chairman