History
The February Revolution: Russia's Royal Collapse
Discover the causes and events of the February Revolution in 1917, which ended centuries of Romanov rule and set the stage for communism in Russia.
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What is it?
The February Revolution was the first of two revolutions in Russia in 1917. It began on February 23 (March 8 in the Gregorian calendar) in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg). The uprising was a result of widespread discontent with the autocratic rule of Tsar Nicholas II, severe food and fuel shortages, and immense suffering caused by Russia's involvement in World War I. The protests, initially led by women textile workers, quickly swelled, with hundreds of thousands of strikers and demonstrators filling the streets. Crucially, the soldiers of the Petrograd garrison mutinied and joined the revolutionaries, sealing the fate of the monarchy.
Why is it trending?
This event remains a pivotal moment in world history because it marked the abrupt end of the 300-year-old Romanov dynasty and the Russian Empire. The abdication of Tsar Nicholas II on March 2, 1917, created a power vacuum and ushered in a short-lived period of dual authority between the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet (a workers' council). The revolution's failure to establish a stable government and its decision to continue the unpopular war directly led to the second revolution in October 1917, which brought Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks to power, establishing the world's first socialist state.
How does it affect people?
The immediate effect on the Russian people was a mix of excitement and chaos. It led to the formation of a Provisional Government that introduced liberal reforms like universal suffrage and freedom of speech. However, it failed to solve the critical issues of food shortages and the ongoing war. For the populace, this meant continued hardship, which fueled further unrest. The revolution ultimately dismantled the old social and political structures, paving the way for the Russian Civil War and the eventual formation of the Soviet Union, a new political entity that would profoundly impact global politics for decades.