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Russians Defend
Russian troops tenaciously defend Riga against a German offensive (Northern front), while on the Romanian (Central) front troops retreat after a fresh defeat. The Caucasian (Southern) front is relatively quiet. Morale in the army is extremely low: the vast majority of soldiers do not believe in the goals of annexing more territory for Russia. -
Bolsheviks Unite
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 in demonstration, while 145,000 workers strike in Petrograd. Baku, Nizhni Novgorod, Novocherkassk, Voronezh, Kharkov, Rostov-on-Don, the Donbass area, and other cities also conduct a one day strik -
Upheavel
The Councillor of State Mikhail Rodzianko meets with Tsar Nicholas II in Tsarskoye Selo, and warns him of massive upheavel throughout the country. Rodzianko insists that tumultuous events can be avoided by stregthening the Duma. Nicholas II ignores this advice. -
February 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". -
66,000
By nightfall, 66,000 men of the Petrograd garrison — a day ago ordered to fire on striking workers — have now joined the striking workers, fully armed! The Bolsheviks continue agitating for the creation of a new government, and the elected delegates (workers, peasants and soldiers) of the Petrograd Soviet arrive at Taurida Palace, creating the Executive Committee. -
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee of the Petrograd Soviet orders the arrest of Nicholas II. -
Exiled, But Now Back
Plekhanov arrives in Petrograd, after nearly 40 years in exile. Plekhanov is a different man from when he left, now supporting the War for territory, and the advance of capitalism in Russia. -
First All-Russian Congress of Soviets
The First All-Russian Congress of Soviets begins in Petrograd. The Congress almost unanimously agrees to end World War I, though only through tremendous consternation agrees to support the Provisional Government, despite Bolshevik protests. Tensions flare between the parties, with the Mensheviks insisting that the Bolsheviks must be disarmed, despite not having weapons, which would in practice mean disarming the Soldiers' Soviets. The Thermidor of the February Revolution is beginning to boil. -
Kerensky
Kerensky launches a fresh offensive on the Eastern Front, despite incredibly low moral, poor supplies and logistics, and in the abscence of sound strategic thinking. German counter-attacks bring devastating loses: 150,000 Russians are killed, with nearly 250,000 wounded. The pro-peace Bolsheviks show their massive support with an enormous demonstration against the war of 400,000 workers and soldiers in Petrograd, Moscow, Kiev, Kharkov, Ekaterinoslav, and other cities. -
Riga
The Germans, just as Kornilov promised, occupy Riga. No defense of Riga is attempted by the Russian army, who simply retreats, allowing the Germans to occupy this "nest of Bolshevism". seeing his position is weak, makes trips to the front, where he vaguely promises several General's that sometime soon he will create a "directory" which will assume mmilitary control. Meanwhile, Kornilov summons 4,000 of his most loyal officers (4 from each regiment), and shares his vision to hang every last Bolsh -
Kornilov Defeated
The Soviet announces that Kornilov has been defeated, his army completely demoralized. -
Voting
With Trotsky, Stalin, and other Bolshevik leaders present, the party votes again on their earlier decision to join the Pre-Parliament. This time around, only 1 vote (Kamenev) supports joining the government. -
October Revolution
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. -
Independence
The Soviet CPC accepts Finish independence, even though the Finnish government is completely bourgeois. -
Supression
Mar, The old Bolshevik stronghold of Kronstadt rises demanding free election to the Soviets but is suppressed
