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The people wanted the war to stop as they had lost millions of lives and they had lost lots of money. The winter was very harsh with a shortage of food.
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Workers in the city’s largest factory (the Putilov engineering factory) demanded a 50% wage increase so that they could buy food. The management refused so the workers went on strike.
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Due to the food shortages and the war the people of Russia started to riot.
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The riots got worse and were getting out of hand. Nicholas was informed about the situation and the Russian Parliament (the Duma) pleaded with him to order the release of emergency food supplies. However he refused and on march 10th ordered that the riots should be put down.
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The police tried to carry out the orders of Tsar Nicholas. Unfortunately, people got killed and the rioters became even more angry. The rioters opened up prisons and released those in them. For the first time there were calls for the Tsar to quit. The head of the Duma informed Nicholas that law and order had broken down. Nicholas then did something very foolish. He ordered that the Duma was no longer to meet.
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The Duma disobeyed Nicholas – this is usually considered the first act of the Russian Revolution. The members of the Duma met in chaos. One person in the Duma, Alexander Kerensky, shouted out that 25,000 soldiers had mutinied and were marching to where the Duma was meeting to support them. With this support, the Duma decided to form a temporary government (the Provisional Government) to take the place of the tsar.
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After shooting their own people in the riot, the soldiers decided enough had taken place and they mutinied.
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On this day, Nicholas tried to re enter St Petersburg on his private train. Unfortunately for him, he was blocked on order of the Duma and he was later forced to give up his throne; his brother, Michael, did not want it either.
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Lenin preaches to the people that he will give them "Peace, Bread and Land" if they help his Bolshevik Party to overthrow the government
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The Bolshevik party's Red Guards were armed by the government to stop General Kornilov who believed in dictatorship. What the leader of the government, Kerensky, didn't realise he just armed the main enemy.
