Russia AOS 1: Causes of Revolution Timeline
Date Event
March 1861 Alexander II issues the
Emancipation of Serfs Edict
liberating 40 million slaves
13 August Assassination of Alexander II by
1881 the Narodnya Volna (People’s
Will) including Lenin’s older
brother - later executed (1887)
13 March 1881 Coronation of Alexander III
initiates a period of regressive
reactionary actions against
reform reasserting autocratic
government – Russification
1891-2 Widespread famine
26 November Coronation of Tsar Nicholas II
1896
Significance
 40 million serfs didn’t know
where to go, kept migrating
 Overpopulation, population
boom resulting in famine,
hunger due to demands of
food
 Chronic overcrowding
 Showed the commitment of
terrorist Narodnik’s want to
change
 Alexander III became more
authoritarian and oppressive
than his father
 Liberal reform didn’t happen
 Would’ve influenced Lenin
 Okhrana (secret police) was
really active
 Utilised the power of the
okhrana to suppress
revolutionary groups
 Short-term, maintain power
 Long-term, lack of freedom
 Forced minority group to
become more revolutionary
 Nationalism was in service of
the state, nationalist war that
failed – Russo-Japanese War
 Death and absence of social
tensions
 Wipes out large masses of the
population
 Proves the economy can’t
support the population boom,
can’t provide food for
everyone
 Subsistence farming, just
enough food is provided to the
immediate family (mir)
 Disease such as typhus
 Reactive, incompetent leader,
stubborn
 Traditionalist Russifying
person, the traditional clothing
 Action at the coronation, there
was a stampede for food
1898 Formation of the Socialist  Russian Marxism solidifying in
Democratic Workers Party, later revolutionary groups
to split into Mensheviks and
Bolsheviks

1902-1917 Lenin living in exile in London,  Period where he solidifies his

Switzerland and France ideas for political change
 Influenced from surrounding
countries

1902 Lenin writes ‘What is to be  Mensheviks wanted ground

done?’ which divides the SDWP
over the issue of party
membership and revolutionary
tactics
swell
 Loved the mass of people
 Lenin (control freak, proven
right) believes there must be a
military style party

1902-1905 Socialist Revolutionary (SRs)  Violent attempt at

Combat Units assassinate a
range of tsarist officials
overthrowing the state
 Some radical groups in the
country which wanted to take
power
 Committed

1904 Russo-Japanese War begins

Dec 1904 Assembly of Russian Factory

Workers formed to support local
workers to pursue industrial
reforms, comprised 6000-8000
members by Dec 1904

December Dismissal of four workers from

1904 the Putilov Steel Works in St
Petersburg sparks widespread
industrial strikes in major cities
throughout

Jan 1905 - 9 Japanese destroyers sink

Siege of Port Russian fleet; 31,000 Russian
Arthur casualties

February 1905 Battle of Mukden: 90,000

Russian casualties

9 January Petitioners present moderate

1905 reforms intended for the tsar at
the Winter Palace (St.
Petersburg) but results in Bloody
Sunday Massacre

May 1905 Battle of Tsushima: Russian

 ‘Baltic Fleet’ defeated in less
than 24 hours

July 1905 Sailor mutiny on battleship

Potemkin

September Treaty of Portsmouth: Japan

1905 took control of Port Arthur and
retained its influence in Korea.
Russia forced to evacuate
Manchuria.

7-8 Jan 1905 Major strikes in St. Petersburg,

Pipes estimates 120,000 on
strike

January - ‘1905 Revolution’

November Mass strikes 40,000 throughout
1905 Russia, collapse of
administration in rural zemstovs

April 1905 Second National Zemstvo

Congress calls on government
to establish a Constituent
Assembly to write a Constitution
for Russia

May - June Military and naval mutinies in

1905 battalions returning from the
Russo-Japanese War
Sailor mutiny on the battleship
Potemkin stationed in Odessa
14 June 1905
on the Black Sea, murdering
their officers

8 May 1905 Union of Unions formed, linking

the educated intelligentsia with
the actions of the working
people. Led by Pavel Milyukov.

October 1905
Oct 1905 - ‘Soviets’ or workers
councils formed in major cities,
notably St Petersburg and
Moscow, approximately 88 by
December. Designed to
coordinate workers grievances
and strikes and represent their
interests. Trotsky a founding
member and vice-chairman of
 the St Petersburg Soviet called
for a National General Strike.

26 October Tsar issues the October

1905 Manifesto under guidance from
Sergei Witte promising a State
Duma (parliament), including
political, social and workplace
reforms

Dec 1905
3 Dec 1905 - St. Petersburg
Soviet called for continued
strikes. Its chairman, Nosar, was
arrested by the tsarist okhrana
and the Soviet responded with
an armed uprising with 260 of its
members arrested (i.e ½ of its
membership)
6 Dec 1905 - Moscow Soviet led
a crippling strike. Troops sent
from St. Petersburg killed 1000
people on 18 Dec ending the
strike, ending with the Soviet
headquarters being raided, with
Trotsky and the rest of the
Soviet leadership arrested and
exiled to Siberia

Conservative politician Pyotr

Dec 1905
Stolypin elected and issues land
reforms and sales to peasantry
while simultaneously executing
known revolutionaries

23 April 1906 Fundamental State Laws issued

to reassert the autocratic power
of the Tsar prior to the Duma

27 April 1906 First Duma (parliament) elected

April - May Mass protests throughout

1906 Russia against the closure of the
First Duma

July 1906 First Duma is dissolved by the

Tsar as it is too radical

Feb - Jun 1907 Second Duma is dissolved by

the Tsar as it is too radical

Nov 1907 Stolypin’s electoral reforms

restrict the numbers of people
eligible to vote
14 September Assassination of Pyotr Stolypin
1911

Nov 1907 - Jun Third Duma elected

1912

17 April 1912 Lena Goldfields Protest against

poor working conditions is
massacred by Tsarist troops -
500 miners killed

Nov 1912 - Fourth Duma elected

Aug 1914

Aug 1914 Russia enters First World War

28-31 August Battle of Tannenberg results in -

1914 massive Russian defeat 70,000
killed, 100,000 captured

15 September Battle of Masurian Lakes results

1915 in major Russian defeat

August 1915 Tsar takes personal command of -

the Russian military, Tsarina
Alexandra and Rasputin control
the government, leading to a
period of instability and
‘ministerial leapfrogging’ and
rapid changes of Ministers

25 August Progressive bloc of politicians in -

1915 the Third Duma forms to oppose
the closure of the Duma and
continues to meet despite
closure

Sept 1916 Brusilov Offensive results in

major Russian victory over
Austria-Hungary (1 million
Austrians killed)

9 January 150,000 march in St. Petersburg

1917 in commemoration of Bloody
Sunday Massacre

23 February - February Revolution begins with

3 March the Women’s Day march in St.
Petersburg joined by workers
(200,000 protesters)

25 February 300,000 protesters in St.

1917 Petersburg. Tsar orders military
repression
27 Feb 1917 Petrograd Garrison mutinies and
forms a Soviet siding with the
February Revolution
1 March 1917 Moscow Soviet formed.
Soviets issue ‘Soviet Order 1’
which forbid military
action/orders to be followed by
troops without approval by the
Soviets
2 March 1917 Nicholas II abdicates
March 1917 Provisional Government
established from the remaining
members of the Duma, Kadets,
Mensheviks, SRs and some
Bolsheviks. They continued a
‘defense war’ in WWI to maintain
Allied financial support
3 April 1917 Lenin returns from exile and
issues April Thesis which forbid
Bolshevik co-operation in the
Provisional Government,
complete withdrawal from WWI
and Bolsheviks as the only
legitimate form of Revolutionary
Government
18-20 June Provisional Government issues
1917 ‘June Offensive’ changing its
war policy to an attack on
Germany and Austria-Hungary
3 July 1917 Popular protests against social
conditions and WWI Kronstadt
sailors enter Petrograd and give
- Loss of control of military,
government lacks support of
military
- This group would become
decisive by october
- Start of the period of dual
power between provisional
Government and the Soviets
- Soviet had real military power
- Soviets gave provisional
Government backing up until
September
- Support of the June offensive
of 1917
- Power vacuum
- Promised a Constitution
- Delayed elections for a
constituent assembly
- Delivered on reforms for civil
rights and freedoms, eg.
freedom of speech, releasing
political prisoners
- Maintained involvement in
WWI as part of a strategy to
defend the February
Revolution
- Gave the Bolsheviks clear
objectives
- Kept Bolsheviks out of a
failing Government
- Convinced Bolshevik
members of what to do
- Reestablished Lenin as the
leader
- Damages credibility of
provisional Government
- Undermines the idea of
revolutionary defencism
- Strained relationship between
Soviet and provisional
Government
- Increased strains on
homefront reminiscent of
Nicholas II’s failed offensives
- Damaged Kerensky’s
- Demonstrates the level of
popular grievance against
June offensive
 support to protests
A failed revolt with popular
backing but it is defeated by
Provisional Government troops.
Bolsheviks consulted - unclear
how to respond. Lenin and
Trotsky went into hiding.
- Showed that the soldier and
sailor mutanies could act
independently of Bolshevik
party
- Lenin’s lack of support
showed his unwillingness to
back a popular revolution
- Bolsheviks were arrested
afterwards by Government;
- Provisional Government
strengthened hold on power in
the short term
- In long term, damage to
perception of provisional
Government

26 August General Kornilov attempts a - Proved that provisional

1917 royalist coup to reinstate the
tsarist regime, believing the
Provisional Government to be
militarily weak. Trotsky released
from gaol and establishes the
Red Guard to protect Petrograd
from the royalists and defeat
Kornilov
Government and Soviets were
right to worry about counter-
revolution
- Bolsheviks instrumental to
countering Kornolov’s threat
- Provisional Government
armed Red

8 September Trotsky becomes Chairman of - Bolshevik standing within

1917 the Petrograd Soviet, increasing Soviets skyrockets
Bolshevik presence in this vital -
forum of workers, soldiers and
sailors.

September Bolsheviks increase their -

1917 majorities in the Petrograd and
Moscow Soviets

7 October Lenin returns from exile in

1917 Finland in secret.

10 October Key Bolshevik meeting at which

1917 Lenin decisively persuades the
Bolshevik party executive to
attempt another military
insurrection and Revolution

16 October Bolshevik Military Revolutionary

1917 Committee founded

23 October Kerensky orders bridges in

1917 Petrograd closed - separating
the government from Bolsheviks
Kerensky orders Bolshevik
printing presses shut down

24-25 October The October Revolution is

1917 achieved by the Bolsheviks and
Red Guard in Petrograd with
little violence - more people are
injured in the filming of a
reenactment for a Bolshevik
propaganda film