Category History & Events

How did the Provisional Government perform?

The February Revolution marked the end of the Romanov dynasty, and Tsar Nicholas II had to step down. The parliament then formed the Russian Provisional Government which ruled the country for a brief period. This was not an elected body, and had Prince Lvov as its prime minister.

The Provisional Government did make some efforts to make things right in the trauma-ridden country. It abolished the death penalty and all political offenders in prison and in exile were granted amnesty. It also gave the people civil liberties and put an end to religious and ethnic discrimination.

However, the Provisional Government failed to improve the people’s quality of life, and did not deal with land reforms. Also, there was no effort to end the war; the Provisional Government’s policy was that Russia should continue fighting, honouring its commitments to its allies in World War I. All this made the people more and unhappy with the Provisional Government, and its rule lasted only eight months.

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Why is it said that the February Revolution was rather unexpected?

The people in Russia were ready for something to happen, yet the way it happened took everybody by surprise. The Women’s Day was being observed in Russia, on February 23, 1917, and the suffering women of Russia decided to take matters in their hands. Women workers in Petrograd came out to the streets to protest, leaving their factories.

It was a huge procession, of about 90,000 women. The streets filled with their shouts of “Bread!” and “Down with the autocracy!” It was the voice of suffering women who were weak with hunger and angry. Their husbands and fathers were mostly away, fighting in World War I, and these poor women had to work long, miserable hours to feed their families. This daring agitation of women grew rapidly into something bigger. The next day, more than 1, 50,000 men and women came out to join the protest. The numbers kept increasing and, by February 25, no one was working in Petrograd.

Initially, the crowds had to face some incidents of firing from the police and soldiers. But the police and the soldiers soon joined the protesters, too. By March 1, it became clear that this marked the end of the tsarist regime. Tsar Nicholas II abdicated on March 2, 1917.

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What were the causes of the February Revolution of 1917?

It was a really disturbing period for Russia. The people, still haunted by the hurtful memories of Bloody Sunday, had to suffer many hardships. There was already unrest among the people who were fed up with the autocratic rule of the tsars. There was corruption and inefficiency everywhere. Dissatisfaction grew among the rural peasants and the industrial workers because they were oppressed by the tsarist regime. Russia’s involvement in World War I had proved disastrous to the country, as Russia’s army was no match for the industrialized Germany’s might. There were heavy casualties and the costly war efforts disrupted the economy. There was an acute shortage of food supplies, and living conditions deteriorated. Supplies could not be transported to the cities as the railways were fully engaged in the war effort. Industrial production was badly affected, too, as able-bodied men were sent to fight the war.

All this set the background for the February Revolution of 1917. The peasants finally revolted against the tsarist rule, and they were supported by the soldiers.

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What is known as the Russian Revolution of 1905? What led to it?

In 1905, Russia witnessed a wave of unrest that spread through the whole empire. The Revolution of 1905 was triggered by many reasons. The ordinary people suffered greatly from economic hardships, and they were angry with the regime of the tsar.

Population in the big cities had doubled because of industrialization. Overcrowding and pollution put a strain on the living conditions. There was not enough food to support the increasing urban population, and the living and working conditions were horrible for the workers as well as peasants. Anger and discontent grew among the people, pausing a threat to the regime.

On January 22, 1905, a huge gathering of people, mostly workers, marched to the winter palace of Tsar Nicholas II who was away at the time. The tsar had given orders not to shoot at the people, but the troops were unnerved by the huge numbers and opened fire. Hundreds were killed and wounded. This event came to be known as ‘Bloody Sunday’, and later triggered the Russian Revolution of 1905.

The defeat in Russia’s war with Japan also added fuel to the fire. The tsar had to sign a humiliating peace treaty, and this defeat to an Asian power was widely seen as an embarrassment and strengthened the perception that the tsarist government was weak.

A series of strikes broke out everywhere in the country, threatening the already weak economy. Nicholas II was forced to agree to bring in reforms, and he promised to implement them through the Russian parliament. But he had no intention to give up his grip on power, and dissolved the parliament. The 1905 Revolution did not bring in anything significant, but it caused the tsar to lose his people’s trust.

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Who were the Romanovs?

The Romanovs were a great dynasty that ruled Russia for three centuries, right up to the Russian Revolution of 1917. The family took the surname Romanov to honour Roman Yurev, father of the first wife of Ivan the Terrible.

The Romanov era in Russia’s history began in 1613, as Mikhail Fedorovich of the family assumed power as the tsar. The last of the Romanov rulers was Nicholas II who was nicknamed Bloody, because thousands of people died in three revolutions that happened during his time.

During the Russian Revolution, the family of Nicholas II was caught and arrested, and the entire royal family was shot on the night of July 16-17, 1917. The relatives who were hiding in St. Petersburg were killed, too. That was the end of monarchy in Russia.

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Who was the first Tsar of Russia?

The first ruler to be proclaimed as the Tsar of Russia was Ivan the Terrible, the Grand Prince of Moscow. He was the grandson of Ivan III. The word ‘terrible’ in his name is the English translation of a Russian word that actually has positive connotations, like being admirable and formidable, though his name did strike terror among many while he ruled.

Ivan the Terrible was crowned as the ‘tsar and grand prince of all Russia’, on January 16, 1547. He married Anastasia Romanova two weeks after his coronation. The first woman to bear the title of Tsarina, she belonged to the Romanov family, who would later come to power in Russia.

During the 37 years of his rule, Ivan made an indelible mark in Russia’s history. He modified the code of laws, created a parliament and a council of nobles, implemented local self-governance for rural areas and founded a standing army. He also allowed the country to have a certain amount of international trade, and the English Muscovy Company was given access to trade with Russia. Ivan’s reign was also mostly a period of war. He was able to conquer Kazan on the Volga River, and then annexed the entire Middle Volga region to Russia. Several churches were built to commemorate this historic conquest. The most famous of them is the St. Basil’s Cathedral at Moscow’s Red Square. Russian expansion into the northern region of Siberia also took place during the time of Ivan the Terrible.

Ivan laid the groundwork for effective governance in Russia. At the same time, this harsh ruler also left a legacy of ruling with absolute imperial power. Ivan died in 1584, and he was succeeded by his son Feodor I. However, Feodor was mentally weak and the actual power went to his brother-in-law, Boris Godunov. The Rurik Dynasty came to an end as Feodor died in 1598 without an heir.

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