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Rememberance of Bloody Sundays
The Bolsheviks, whose membership has been steadily increasing to 24,000 people, help organise demonstrations in rememberance of Bloody Sunday. All the main Bolshevik leaders are in prison or exile, so the vast majority of current party decisions are made from the bottom up. 30,000 Moscow workers strike, while 145,000 workers strike in Petrograd. -
Russia's state
Petrograd is starving. The city stockpile for flour will last only 10 more days. Meat supplies are completely depleted. Massive queues for food form, despite excrutiatingly cold temperatures. Crowds of women sporatically break into stores. -
International Womans Day
In Petrograd, for International Women's Day (mainly women and striking Putilov workers) are joined by other people and a crowd of 100,000 forms; revolutionary banners and slogans appear. The Bolsheviks are initially opposed to the strike. -
Start of Febuary Revolution
The February Revolution begins, ignited by International Women's Day. Militant women textile workers, many of whom are soldiers' wives, inititate a massive strike in Petrograd, despite the protests of their own union leadership. 128,000 workers take to the streets, and among their chief demands is an end to the World War and an increase in food. Bourgeois history recounts this organized movement as "Bread riots". -
Arrest of Bolshevik leaders
Early Sunday morning, the police launch wide scale arrests of over 100 leaders of revolutionary organisations, including the Bolsheviks. -
Tsar Abdicatoin
On the request of the Provisional Committee, Nicholas II abdicates power to his brother Mikhail, who refuses power. Thus ends their hopes to keep the monarchy alive, side by side to the new Provisional Government. -
Tsar to be arrested
The Executive Committee of the Petrograd Soviet orders the arrest of Nicholas II -
Return of Stalin! Again
Stalin arrives in Petrograd after being released from prison. Three days later, he is appointed to the editorial board of Pravda. Also on the 12th, the Provisonal government repeals the death penalty. -
Lenin delivers his April Thesis.
The Bolsheviks soon produce an educational pamphlet for workers on Political Parties in Russia and the Tasks of the Proletariat. Meanwhile, the steamer Trotsky is traveling on is stopped for inspection by the British Navy in Canada, and despite the General Amnesty and having his visa in order, he is thrown into a British prison, along with several other Socialists for their opposition to the War. -
Celebration
Massive May Day celebrations occur in Russia. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Miliukov secretly promises the Allies that Russia will continue the war until complete victory and the annexation of new territory is achieved. -
Trotsky back
Trotsky arrives in Russia after being released from prison by the British Government. -
July Days
After receiving an order to go to the front, thousands of machine-gunners hold a meeting about an armed insurrection. The Bolsheviks try to cool things off, while the Anarchists stoke the fire. The soldiers decide to march, fully armed, and send delegates from one factory after another, with workers dropping everything to join the march. Tens of thousands go marching, demanding All power to the Soviets! -
Lenin goes into hiding
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The October Revolution begins.
By nightfall, Trotsky has led the Red Guards and soviet workers to control all the bridges that cross the Neva (except the Dvortsovyi) and key positions throughout the city, including all roads into the city. Lenin arrives at Smolny, and takes command of the Red Guards and Workers' Soviets. -
Gender equality
For the first time in history, Russian women, who ushered in the era of the Russian Revolution, win the right to divorce. In just 3 years, Russian women would again be the first in history to win the right to maternity leave of 4 months, along with a litany of other rights establishing true gender equality.
