When was the revolution in Russia? All about the 1917 revolution.

Event that happened October 25, 1917 in the capital of the then Russian Empire, Petrograd, was simply an uprising of the armed people, which shook up almost the entire civilized world.

A hundred years have passed, but the results and achievements, the impact on world history of the October events remain the subject of discussions and debates among numerous historians, philosophers, political scientists, and specialists in various fields of law, both in our time and in the bygone twentieth century.

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Briefly about the date October 25, 1917

Officially in the Soviet Union, this controversially assessed event was called today - the day of the October Revolution of 1917, it was a holiday for the entire huge country and the peoples inhabiting it. It brought a fundamental change in the socio-political situation, transformation of political and social views on the position of peoples and each individual individually.

Today, many young people do not even know in what year the revolution took place in Russia, but it is necessary to know about it. The situation was quite predictable and had been brewing for several years, then significant main events of the October Revolution of 1917 took place, table briefly:

What is the October Revolution in the historical concept? The main armed uprising, led by V. I. Ulyanov - Lenin, L. D. Trotsky, Ya. M. Sverdlov and other leaders of the Russian communist movement.

The Revolution of 1917 was an armed uprising.

Attention! The uprising was carried out by the Military Revolutionary Committee of the Petrograd Soviet, where, oddly enough, the majority was represented by the Left Socialist Revolutionary faction.

The successful implementation of the coup was ensured by the following factors:

Significant level of popular support.
The provisional government was inactive and did not solve the problems of Russia's participation in the First World War.
The most significant political aspect compared to previously proposed extremist movements.

The Menshevik and Right Socialist Revolutionary factions were unable to organize a more or less realistic version of an alternative movement in relation to the Bolsheviks.

A little about the reasons for the October events of 1917

Today, no one refutes the idea that this fateful event practically turned not only the whole world upside down, but also radically changed the course of history for many decades to come. Far from being feudal, the bourgeois country striving for progress was practically turned upside down during certain events on the fronts of the First World War.

The historical significance of the October Revolution, which occurred in 1917, is largely determined by the cessation. However, as modern historians see it, there were several reasons:

The influence of the peasant revolution as a socio-political phenomenon as an aggravation of the confrontation between the peasant masses and the remaining landowners at that time. The reason is the “black redistribution” known in history, that is, distribution of land to the number of people in need. Also in this aspect there was a negative impact of the procedure for redistribution of land plots on the number of dependents.
The working sections of society experienced significant pressure from city authorities on residents of rural areas, state power has become the main lever of pressure on the productive forces.
The deepest decomposition of the army and other security forces, where the majority of peasants went to serve, who could not comprehend certain nuances of the protracted military actions.
Revolutionary fermentation of all layers of the working class. The proletariat at that time was a politically active minority, constituting no more than 3.5% of the active population. The working class was largely concentrated in industrial cities.
The national movements of the popular formations of imperial Russia developed and reached their culmination. Then they sought to achieve autonomy; a promising option for them was not just autonomy, but a promising autonomy and independence from the central authorities.

To the greatest extent, it was the national movement that became the provoking factor in the beginning of the revolutionary movement on the territory of the vast Russian Empire, which was literally falling apart into its component parts.

Attention! The combination of all causes and conditions, as well as the interests of all segments of the population, determined the goals of the October Revolution of 1917, which became the driving force for the future uprising as a turning point in history.

Popular unrest before the start of the October Revolution of 1917.

Ambiguous about the events of October 17

The first stage, which became the basis and beginning of a worldwide change in historical events, which became a turning point not only on a domestic, but also on a global scale. For example, an assessment of the October Revolution, the interesting facts of which are the simultaneous positive and negative impact on the socio-political world situation.

As usual, every significant event has reasons of an objective and subjective nature. The vast majority of the population had a hard time experiencing wartime conditions, hunger and deprivation, the conclusion of peace became necessary. What conditions prevailed in the second half of 1917:

Formed between February 27 and March 3, 1917, the Provisional Government headed by Kerensky did not have sufficient tools to solve all problems and questions without exception. The transfer of ownership of land and enterprises to workers and peasants, as well as the elimination of hunger and the conclusion of peace became an urgent problem, the solution of which was inaccessible to the so-called “temporary workers.”
Prevalence of socialist ideas among the general population, a noticeable increase in the popularity of Marxist theory, the implementation by the Soviets of the slogans of universal equality, the prospects of what the people expected.
The emergence of a strong force in the country opposition movement led by a charismatic leader, such as Ulyanov - Lenin. At the beginning of the last century, this party line became the most promising movement for achieving world communism as a concept for further development.
In this situation, they have become extremely in demand radical ideas and requiring a radical solution to the problem of society - the inability to lead the empire from a completely rotten tsarist administrative apparatus.

The slogan of the October Revolution - “peace to the peoples, land to the peasants, factories to the workers” was supported by the population, which made it possible to radically change the political system in Russia.

Briefly about the course of events on October 25

Why did the October Revolution happen in November? The autumn of 1917 brought an even greater increase in social tension, political and socio-economic destruction was rapidly approaching its peak.

In the field of industry, financial sector, transport and communication systems, agriculture complete collapse was brewing.

Russian multinational empire collapsed into separate nation states, contradictions between representatives of different nations and intra-tribal disagreements grew.

The acceleration of the overthrow of the Provisional Government was significantly influenced by hyperinflation, rising food prices Against the backdrop of lower wages, increased unemployment, and the catastrophic situation on the battlefields, the war was artificially prolonged. Government of A. Kerensky did not present an anti-crisis plan, and the initial February promises were practically abandoned altogether.

These processes, in conditions of their rapid growth, only increased influence leftist political movements throughout the country. These were the reasons for the unprecedented victory of the Bolsheviks in the October Revolution. The Bolshevik idea and its support by peasants, workers and soldiers led to parliamentary majority in the new state system - the Soviets in the First Capital and Petrograd. The plans for the Bolsheviks to come to power included two directions:

Peaceful, diplomatically stipulated and legally confirmed the act of transferring power to the majority.
The extremist trend in the Soviets demanded armed strategic measures; in their opinion, the plan could only be realized power grip.

The government created in October 1917 was called the Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies. The shot from the legendary cruiser Aurora on the night of October 25 signal to start the assault Winter Palace, which led to the fall of the Provisional Government.

October Revolution

Consequences of the October Revolution

The consequences of the October Revolution are ambiguous. This is the coming to power of the Bolsheviks, the adoption by the Second Congress of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies of the Decrees on Peace, Land, and the Declaration of the Rights of the Peoples of the Country. Was created Russian Soviet Republic, later the controversial Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed. Pro-Bolshevik governments began to come to power in various countries around the world.

The negative aspect of the event is also important - it began protracted, which brought even greater destruction, crisis, famine, millions of victims. The collapse and chaos in a huge country led to economic destruction of the global financial system, a crisis that lasted more than a decade and a half. Its consequences fell heavily on the shoulders of the poorest sections of the population. This situation has become the basis for a decline in demographic indicators, a lack of productive forces in the future, human casualties, and unplanned migration.

The history of the October Socialist Revolution is one of those topics that attracted and continues to attract the greatest attention of foreign and Russian historiography, because it was as a result of the victory of the October Revolution that the position of all classes and strata of the population and their parties radically changed. The Bolsheviks became the ruling party, leading the work to create a new state and social system.
On October 26, a decree on peace and land was adopted. Following the decree on peace and land, the Soviet government adopted laws: on the introduction of workers' control over the production and distribution of products, on the 8-hour working day, and the “Declaration of the Rights of the Peoples of Russia.” The Declaration proclaimed that from now on in Russia there are no dominant nations or oppressed nations, all peoples receive equal rights to free development, to self-determination, even to the point of secession and the formation of an independent state.
The October Revolution marked the beginning of profound, all-encompassing social changes throughout the world. The land of the landowners was transferred free of charge into the hands of the working peasantry, and factories, plants, mines, and railways were transferred into the hands of the workers, making them public property.

Causes of the October Revolution

On August 1, 1914, the First World War began in Russia, which lasted until November 11, 1918, the cause of which was the struggle for spheres of influence in conditions where a unified European market and legal mechanism had not been created.
Russia was the defending party in this war. And although the patriotism and heroism of the soldiers and officers was great, there was no single will, no serious plans for waging war, no sufficient supply of ammunition, uniforms and food. This filled the army with uncertainty. She lost her soldiers and suffered defeats. The Minister of War was put on trial and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief was removed from his post. Nicholas II himself became Commander-in-Chief. But the situation has not improved. Despite continuous economic growth (coal and oil production, the production of shells, guns and other types of weapons increased, huge reserves were accumulated in case of a prolonged war), the situation developed in such a way that during the war years Russia found itself without an authoritative government, without an authoritative prime minister. minister, and without an authoritative Headquarters. The officer corps was replenished with educated people, i.e. intelligentsia, which was subject to oppositional sentiments, and daily participation in a war in which there was a shortage of the most necessary things gave rise to doubts.
The growing centralization of economic management, carried out against the backdrop of a growing shortage of raw materials, fuel, transport, skilled labor, accompanied by the scale of speculation and abuse, led to the fact that the role of state regulation increased along with the growth of negative factors of the economy (History of the Russian State and Law. Ch. 1: Textbook / Edited by O. I. Chistyakov - M.: BEK Publishing House, 1998)

Queues appeared in cities, standing in which was a psychological breakdown for hundreds of thousands of workers.
The predominance of military output over civilian production and rising food prices led to a steady increase in prices for all consumer goods. At the same time, wages did not keep pace with rising prices. Discontent grew both in the rear and at the front. And it was directed primarily against the monarch and his government.
If we take into account that from November 1916 to March 1917, three prime ministers, two ministers of internal affairs and two ministers of agriculture were replaced, then the expression of the convinced monarchist V. Shulgin about the situation prevailing in Russia at that time is indeed true: “autocracy without an autocrat” .
Among a number of prominent politicians, in semi-legal organizations and circles, a conspiracy was brewing, and plans were being discussed to remove Nicholas II from power. The plan was to seize the Tsar's train between Mogilev and Petrograd and force the monarch to abdicate.
The October Revolution was a major step towards transforming a feudal state into a bourgeois state. October created a fundamentally new, Soviet state. The October Revolution was caused by a number of objective and subjective reasons. The objective ones, first of all, include the class contradictions that worsened in 1917:

The contradictions inherent in bourgeois society are the antagonism between labor and capital. The Russian bourgeoisie, young and inexperienced, failed to see the danger of impending class friction and did not take sufficient measures in a timely manner to reduce the intensity of the class struggle as much as possible.
Conflicts in the village, which developed even more acutely. The peasants, who for centuries dreamed of taking the land from the landowners and driving them away themselves, were not satisfied with either the reform of 1861 or the Stolypin reform. They openly longed to get all the land and get rid of long-time exploiters. In addition, from the very beginning of the twentieth century, a new contradiction associated with the differentiation of the peasantry itself intensified in the countryside. This stratification intensified after the Stolypin reform, which tried to create a new class of owners in the countryside through the redistribution of peasant lands associated with the destruction of the community. Now, in addition to the landowner, the broad peasant masses had a new enemy - the kulak, even more hated because he came from his environment.
National conflicts. The national movement, not very strong in the period 1905-1907, intensified after February and gradually grew by the autumn of 1917.
World War. The first chauvinistic frenzy that gripped certain sections of society at the beginning of the war soon dissipated, and by 1917 the overwhelming mass of the population, suffering from the diverse hardships of the war, longed for a speedy conclusion of peace. First of all, this concerned, of course, the soldiers. The village is also tired of endless victims. Only the top of the bourgeoisie, who made enormous capital from military supplies, advocated continuing the war to a victorious end. But the war had other consequences. First of all, it armed the millions of workers and peasants, taught them how to use weapons and helped overcome the natural barrier that prohibits a person from killing other people.
The weakness of the Provisional Government and the entire state apparatus created by it. If immediately after February the Provisional Government had some kind of authority, then the further it went, the more it lost it, being unable to solve pressing problems in the life of society, first of all, questions about peace, bread, and land. Simultaneously with the decline in the authority of the Provisional Government, the influence and importance of the Soviets grew, promising to give the people everything they longed for.

Along with objective factors, subjective factors were also important:

Wide popularity in society of socialist ideas. Thus, by the beginning of the century, Marxism had become a kind of fashion among the Russian intelligentsia. It found a response in wider public circles. Even in the Orthodox Church at the beginning of the twentieth century, a movement of Christian socialism arose, albeit small.
The existence in Russia of a party ready to lead the masses to revolution - the Bolshevik Party. This party was not the largest in number (the Socialist Revolutionaries had more), however, it was the most organized and purposeful.
The Bolsheviks have a strong leader, authoritative both in the party itself and among the people, who managed to become a real leader in a few months after February - V.I. Lenin.

As a result, the October armed uprising won victory in Petrograd with greater ease than the February Revolution, and almost bloodlessly as a result of the combination of all the factors mentioned above. Its result was the emergence of the Soviet state.

Legal side of the October Revolution of 1917

In the fall of 1917, the political crisis in the country worsened. At the same time, the Bolsheviks were actively working to prepare the uprising. It began and was carried out according to plan.
During the uprising in Petrograd, by October 25, 1917, all key points in the city were occupied by detachments of the Petrograd garrison and the Red Guard. By the evening of this day, the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies began its work, proclaiming itself the highest authority in Russia. The All-Russian Central Executive Committee, formed by the First Congress of Soviets in the summer of 1917, was re-elected.
The Second Congress of Soviets elected a new All-Russian Central Executive Committee and formed the Council of People's Commissars, which became the government of Russia. (World history: Textbook for universities / Edited by G.B. Polyak, A.N. Markova. - M.: Culture and Sports, UNITI, 1997) The congress was of a constituent nature: governing state bodies were created at it and the first acts that had constitutional, fundamental significance. The Decree on Peace proclaimed the principles of Russia's long-term foreign policy - peaceful coexistence and “proletarian internationalism”, the right of nations to self-determination.
The decree on land was based on peasant orders formulated by the councils back in August 1917. A variety of forms of land use were proclaimed (household, farm, communal, artel), confiscation of landowners' lands and estates, which were transferred to the disposal of volost land committees and district councils of peasant deputies. The right of private ownership of land was abolished. The use of hired labor and land rental were prohibited. Later, these provisions were enshrined in the Decree “on the socialization of the land” in January 1918. The Second Congress of Soviets also adopted two appeals: “To the citizens of Russia” and “Workers, soldiers and peasants”, which spoke of the transfer of power to the Military Revolutionary Committee , the Congress of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies, and locally - local councils.

The practical implementation of the political and legal doctrine of the “breakdown” of the old state was sanctioned by a number of acts: the November 1917 Decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars on the abolition of estates and civil ranks, the October resolution of the Second Congress of Soviets on the formation of revolutionary committees in the army, the January 1918 Decree of the Council of People's Commissars on separation of church and state, etc. First of all, it was intended to eliminate the repressive and administrative bodies of the old state, preserving its technical and statistical apparatus for some time.
Many of the provisions formulated in the first decrees and declarations of the new government were designed for a certain period of time, right up to the convening of the Constituent Assembly.

Peaceful development of the revolution in conditions of dual power

With the abdication of Nicholas II from the throne, the legal system that had developed since 1906 ceased to exist. No other legal system was created to regulate the activities of the state.
Now the fate of the country depended on political forces, the activity and responsibility of political leaders, and their ability to control the behavior of the masses.
After the February Revolution, the main political parties operated in Russia: Cadets, Octobrists, Socialist Revolutionaries, Mensheviks and Bolsheviks. The policy of the Provisional Government was determined by the Cadets. They were supported by the Octobrists, Mensheviks and Right Socialist Revolutionaries. The Bolsheviks at their VII (April 1917) conference approved a course towards preparing a socialist revolution.
In order to stabilize the situation and mitigate the food crisis, the Provisional Government introduced a rationing system, increased purchasing prices, and increased imports of meat, fish and other products. The grain requisition, introduced back in 1916, was supplemented by the meat requisition, and armed military detachments were sent to forcibly confiscate bread and meat from peasants in the villages.
In the spring and summer of 1917, the Provisional Government experienced three political crises: April, June and July. During these crises, mass demonstrations took place under the slogans: “All power to the Soviets!”, “Down with ten capitalist ministers!”, “Down with war!” These slogans were put forward by the Bolshevik Party.
The July crisis of the Provisional Government began on July 4, 1917, when a 500,000-strong demonstration took place in Petrograd under Bolshevik slogans. During the demonstration, spontaneous shootings occurred, as a result of which more than 400 people were killed and wounded. Petrograd was declared under martial law, the newspaper Pravda was closed, an order was given for the arrest of V.I. Lenin and a number of other Bolsheviks. The second coalition government was formed (the first was formed on May 6 (18), 1917 as a result of the April crisis) headed by A.F. Kerensky, vested with emergency powers. This meant the end of dual power.
At the end of July and beginning of August 1917, the VI Congress of the Bolshevik Party took place semi-legally in Petrograd. Due to the fact that dual power was ended and the Soviets found themselves powerless, the Bolsheviks temporarily removed the slogan “All power to the Soviets!” The congress proclaimed a course towards an armed seizure of power.
On September 1, 1917, Russia was proclaimed a republic, power passed to the Directory of five people under the leadership of A.F. Kerensky. At the end of September, the third coalition government was formed headed by A.F. Kerensky.
The socio-economic and political crisis in the country continued to grow. Many industrial enterprises were closed, unemployment rose, military spending and taxes increased, inflation was rampant, food was scarce, and the poorest segments of the population faced the threat of famine. Mass peasant uprisings and unauthorized seizures of landowners' lands took place in the village.

October armed uprising

The Bolshevik Party, putting forward topical slogans, achieved increased influence among the masses. Its ranks grew rapidly: if in February 1917 it numbered 24 thousand, in April - 80 thousand, in August - 240 thousand, then in October about 400 thousand people. In September 1917, the process of Bolshevization of the Soviets took place; The Petrograd Soviet was headed by the Bolshevik L.D. Trotsky (1879-1940), and the Moscow Soviet is the Bolshevik V.P. Nogin (1878-1924).
Under the current conditions, V.I. Lenin (1870-1924) believed that the moment was ripe for preparing and carrying out an armed uprising. This issue was discussed at meetings of the Central Committee of the RSDLP (b) on October 10 and 16, 1917. The Petrograd Soviet created the Military Revolutionary Committee, which turned into the headquarters for preparing the uprising. The armed uprising began on October 24, 1917. On October 24 and 25, revolutionary-minded soldiers and sailors and Red Guard workers captured the telegraph, bridges, train stations, telephone exchange, and the main headquarters building. The Provisional Government was arrested in the Winter Palace (except for Kerensky, who had previously left for reinforcements). The uprising from Smolny was led by V.I. Lenin.
On the evening of October 25 (November 7), 1917, the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies opened. The Congress heard and accepted what V.I. wrote. Lenin’s appeal “To Workers, Soldiers and Peasants,” which announced the transfer of power to the Second Congress of Soviets, and locally to the Councils of Workers’, Soldiers’ and Peasants’ Deputies. On the evening of October 26 (November 8), 1917, the Decree on Peace and the Decree on Land were adopted. The congress formed the first Soviet government - the Council of People's Commissars, consisting of: Chairman V.I. Lenin; People's Commissars: for Foreign Affairs L.D. Trotsky, on affairs of nationalities I.V. Stalin (1879-1953) and others. L.B. was elected Chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. Kamenev (1883-1936), and after his resignation Y.M. Sverdlov (1885-1919).
On November 3, 1917, Soviet power was established in Moscow and the “triumphant march” of Soviet power began throughout the country.
One of the main reasons for the rapid spread of the Bolshevik Soviets throughout the country was that the October Revolution was carried out under the sign not so much of socialist as of general democratic tasks.
So, the result of the February revolution of 1917 was the overthrow of the autocracy, the abdication of the tsar, the emergence of dual power in the country: the dictatorship of the big bourgeoisie represented by the Provisional Government and the Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies, which represented the revolutionary-democratic dictatorship of the proletariat and peasantry.
The victory of the February revolution was a victory of all active strata of the population over the medieval autocracy, a breakthrough that put Russia on par with advanced countries in the sense of proclaiming democratic and political freedoms.
The February Revolution of 1917 became the first victorious revolution in Russia and turned Russia, thanks to the overthrow of tsarism, into one of the most democratic countries. Originated in March 1917. dual power was a reflection of the fact that the era of imperialism and the world war unusually accelerated the course of the country's historical development and the transition to more radical transformations. The international significance of the February bourgeois-democratic revolution is also extremely great. Under its influence, the strike movement of the proletariat intensified in many warring countries.
The main event of this revolution for Russia itself was the need to carry out long-overdue reforms based on compromises and coalitions, and the renunciation of violence in politics.

By the end of 1916, a deep economic, political and social crisis had matured in Russia, which in February 1917 resulted in a revolution.
On February 18, a strike began at the Putilov plant; On February 25 the strike became general; On February 26, an armed uprising began; On February 27, a significant part of the army went over to the side of the revolution.
At the same time, the revolutionary workers elected the Petrograd Soviet, which was headed by the Menshevik N.S. Chkheidze (1864-1926) and Socialist Revolutionary A.F. Kerensky (1881-1970). A temporary committee was created in the State Duma headed by M.V. Rodzianko (1859-1924). This committee, by agreement with the Executive Committee of the Petrograd Soviet, formed the Provisional Government headed by Prince G.E. Lvov (1861-1925). It included the leader of the Cadet Party P.N. Guchkov (1862-1936) (Minister of War and Navy), Socialist Revolutionary A.F. Kerensky (Minister of Justice), etc. Most of the ministerial posts were occupied by representatives of the Cadet Party. Emperor Nicholas II (1868-1918), under pressure from the revolutionary masses, abdicated the throne on March 2(15), 1917.
A characteristic feature of the February Revolution was the formation of dual power. On the one hand, there was the Provisional bourgeois government, and on the other, the Soviets of Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies (in July 1917, the Soviets ceded their power to the Provisional Government). The February Revolution, having won in Petrograd, quickly spread throughout the country.
The year 1917 has forever entered the centuries-old chronicle of mankind as the date of the beginning of a new era - the era of transition from capitalism to socialism, the era of the struggle for the liberation of peoples from imperialism, for an end to wars between peoples, for the overthrow of the rule of capital, for socialism.

Revolution of 1917 in Russia

On October 26, a decree on peace and land was adopted. Following the decree on peace and land, the Soviet government adopted laws: on the introduction of workers' control over the production and distribution of products, on the 8-hour working day, and the “Declaration of the Rights of the Peoples of Russia.” The Declaration proclaimed that from now on in Russia there are no dominant nations or oppressed nations, all peoples receive equal rights to free development, to self-determination, even to the point of secession and the formation of an independent state.

The October Revolution marked the beginning of profound, all-encompassing social changes throughout the world. The land of the landowners was transferred free of charge into the hands of the working peasantry, and factories, plants, mines, and railways were transferred into the hands of the workers, making them public property.

Causes of the October Revolution

Russia was the defending party in this war. And although the patriotism and heroism of the soldiers and officers was great, there was no single will, no serious plans for waging war, no sufficient supply of ammunition, uniforms and food. This filled the army with uncertainty. She lost her soldiers and suffered defeats. The Minister of War was put on trial and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief was removed from his post. Nicholas II himself became Commander-in-Chief. But the situation has not improved. Despite continuous economic growth (coal and oil production, the production of shells, guns and other types of weapons increased, huge reserves were accumulated in case of a prolonged war), the situation developed in such a way that during the war years Russia found itself without an authoritative government, without an authoritative prime minister. minister, and without an authoritative Headquarters. The officer corps was replenished with educated people, i.e. intelligentsia, which was subject to oppositional sentiments, and daily participation in a war in which there was a shortage of the most necessary things gave rise to doubts.

The growing centralization of economic management, carried out against the backdrop of a growing shortage of raw materials, fuel, transport, skilled labor, accompanied by the scale of speculation and abuse, led to the fact that the role of state regulation increased along with the growth of negative factors of the economy (History of the Russian State and Law. Ch. 1: Textbook / Edited by O. I. Chistyakov - M.: BEK Publishing House, 1998)

Queues appeared in cities, standing in which was a psychological breakdown for hundreds of thousands of workers.

The predominance of military output over civilian production and rising food prices led to a steady increase in prices for all consumer goods. At the same time, wages did not keep pace with rising prices. Discontent grew both in the rear and at the front. And it was directed primarily against the monarch and his government.

If we take into account that from November 1916 to March 1917, three prime ministers, two ministers of internal affairs and two ministers of agriculture were replaced, then the expression of the convinced monarchist V. Shulgin about the situation prevailing in Russia at that time is indeed true: “autocracy without an autocrat” .

Among a number of prominent politicians, in semi-legal organizations and circles, a conspiracy was brewing, and plans were being discussed to remove Nicholas II from power. The plan was to seize the Tsar's train between Mogilev and Petrograd and force the monarch to abdicate.

The October Revolution was a major step towards transforming a feudal state into a bourgeois state. October created a fundamentally new, Soviet state. The October Revolution was caused by a number of objective and subjective reasons. The objective ones, first of all, include the class contradictions that worsened in 1917:

The contradictions inherent in bourgeois society are the antagonism between labor and capital. The Russian bourgeoisie, young and inexperienced, failed to see the danger of impending class friction and did not take sufficient measures in a timely manner to reduce the intensity of the class struggle as much as possible.

Conflicts in the village, which developed even more acutely. The peasants, who for centuries dreamed of taking the land from the landowners and driving them away themselves, were not satisfied with either the reform of 1861 or the Stolypin reform. They openly longed to get all the land and get rid of long-time exploiters. In addition, from the very beginning of the twentieth century, a new contradiction associated with the differentiation of the peasantry itself intensified in the countryside. This stratification intensified after the Stolypin reform, which tried to create a new class of owners in the countryside through the redistribution of peasant lands associated with the destruction of the community. Now, in addition to the landowner, the broad peasant masses had a new enemy - the kulak, even more hated because he came from his environment.

National conflicts. The national movement, not very strong in the period 1905-1907, intensified after February and gradually grew by the autumn of 1917.

World War. The first chauvinistic frenzy that gripped certain sections of society at the beginning of the war soon dissipated, and by 1917 the overwhelming mass of the population, suffering from the diverse hardships of the war, longed for a speedy conclusion of peace. First of all, this concerned, of course, the soldiers. The village is also tired of endless victims. Only the top of the bourgeoisie, who made enormous capital from military supplies, advocated continuing the war to a victorious end. But the war had other consequences. First of all, it armed the millions of workers and peasants, taught them how to use weapons and helped overcome the natural barrier that prohibits a person from killing other people.

The weakness of the Provisional Government and the entire state apparatus created by it. If immediately after February the Provisional Government had some kind of authority, then the further it went, the more it lost it, being unable to solve pressing problems in the life of society, first of all, questions about peace, bread, and land. Simultaneously with the decline in the authority of the Provisional Government, the influence and importance of the Soviets grew, promising to give the people everything they longed for.

Along with objective factors, subjective factors were also important:

Wide popularity in society of socialist ideas. Thus, by the beginning of the century, Marxism had become a kind of fashion among the Russian intelligentsia. It found a response in wider public circles. Even in the Orthodox Church at the beginning of the twentieth century, a movement of Christian socialism arose, albeit small.

The existence in Russia of a party ready to lead the masses to revolution - the Bolshevik Party. This party was not the largest in number (the Socialist Revolutionaries had more), however, it was the most organized and purposeful.

The Bolsheviks have a strong leader, authoritative both in the party itself and among the people, who managed to become a real leader in a few months after February - V.I. Lenin.

Legal side of the October Revolution of 1917

In the fall of 1917, the political crisis in the country worsened. At the same time, the Bolsheviks were actively working to prepare the uprising. It began and was carried out according to plan.

During the uprising in Petrograd, by October 25, 1917, all key points in the city were occupied by detachments of the Petrograd garrison and the Red Guard. By the evening of this day, the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies began its work, proclaiming itself the highest authority in Russia. The All-Russian Central Executive Committee, formed by the First Congress of Soviets in the summer of 1917, was re-elected.

The Second Congress of Soviets elected a new All-Russian Central Executive Committee and formed the Council of People's Commissars, which became the government of Russia. (World history: Textbook for universities / Edited by G.B. Polyak, A.N. Markova. - M.: Culture and Sports, UNITI, 1997) The congress was of a constituent nature: governing state bodies were created at it and the first acts that had constitutional, fundamental significance. The Decree on Peace proclaimed the principles of Russia's long-term foreign policy - peaceful coexistence and “proletarian internationalism”, the right of nations to self-determination.

The decree on land was based on peasant orders formulated by the councils back in August 1917. A variety of forms of land use were proclaimed (household, farm, communal, artel), confiscation of landowners' lands and estates, which were transferred to the disposal of volost land committees and district councils of peasant deputies. The right of private ownership of land was abolished. The use of hired labor and land rental were prohibited. Later, these provisions were enshrined in the Decree “on the socialization of the land” in January 1918. The Second Congress of Soviets also adopted two appeals: “To the citizens of Russia” and “Workers, soldiers and peasants”, which spoke of the transfer of power to the Military Revolutionary Committee , the Congress of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies, and locally - local councils.

The February Revolution of 1917 in Russia is still called the Bourgeois-Democratic Revolution. It is the second revolution (the first occurred in 1905, the third in October 1917). The February Revolution began the great turmoil in Russia, during which not only the Romanov dynasty fell and the Empire ceased to be a monarchy, but also the entire bourgeois-capitalist system, as a result of which the elite in Russia completely changed

Causes of the February Revolution

Russia's unfortunate participation in the First World War, accompanied by defeats at the fronts and disorganization of life in the rear
The inability of Emperor Nicholas II to rule Russia, which resulted in unsuccessful appointments of ministers and military leaders
Corruption at all levels of government
Economic difficulties
Ideological disintegration of the masses, who stopped believing the tsar, the church, and local leaders
Dissatisfaction with the tsar's policies by representatives of the big bourgeoisie and even his closest relatives

“...We have been living on the volcano for several days... There was no bread in Petrograd - transport was very bad due to the extraordinary snow, frosts and, most importantly, of course, because of the stress of the war... There were street riots... But this was, of course, not the case in the bread... That was the last straw... The point was that in this entire huge city it was impossible to find several hundred people who would sympathize with the authorities... And not even that... The point is that the authorities did not sympathize with themselves... There was no , in essence, not a single minister who believed in himself and in what he was doing... The class of former rulers was fading away...”
(Vas. Shulgin “Days”)

Progress of the February Revolution

February 21 - bread riots in Petrograd. Crowds destroyed bread stores
February 23 - the beginning of a general strike of Petrograd workers. Mass demonstrations with slogans “Down with war!”, “Down with autocracy!”, “Bread!”
February 24 - More than 200 thousand workers of 214 enterprises, students went on strike
February 25 - 305 thousand people were already on strike, 421 factories stood idle. The workers were joined by office workers and artisans. The troops refused to disperse the protesting people
February 26 - Continued unrest. Disintegration in the troops. Inability of the police to restore calm. Nicholas II
postponed the start of State Duma meetings from February 26 to April 1, which was perceived as its dissolution
February 27 - armed uprising. The reserve battalions of Volyn, Litovsky, and Preobrazhensky refused to obey their commanders and joined the people. In the afternoon, the Semenovsky regiment, the Izmailovsky regiment, and the reserve armored vehicle division rebelled. The Kronverk Arsenal, the Arsenal, the Main Post Office, the telegraph office, train stations, and bridges were occupied. The State Duma
appointed a Provisional Committee “to restore order in St. Petersburg and to communicate with institutions and individuals.”
On February 28, night, the Provisional Committee announced that it was taking power into its own hands.
On February 28, the 180th Infantry Regiment, the Finnish Regiment, the sailors of the 2nd Baltic Fleet Crew and the cruiser Aurora rebelled. The insurgent people occupied all the stations of Petrograd
March 1 - Kronstadt and Moscow rebelled, the tsar’s entourage offered him either the introduction of loyal army units into Petrograd, or the creation of the so-called “responsible ministries” - a government subordinate to the Duma, which meant turning the Emperor into the “English queen”.
March 2, night - Nicholas II signed a manifesto on the granting of a responsible ministry, but it was too late. The public demanded abdication.

“The Chief of Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief,” General Alekseev, requested by telegram all the commanders-in-chief of the fronts. These telegrams asked the commanders-in-chief for their opinion on the desirability, under the given circumstances, of the abdication of the sovereign emperor from the throne in favor of his son. By one o'clock in the afternoon on March 2, all the answers from the commanders-in-chief were received and concentrated in the hands of General Ruzsky. These answers were:
1) From Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich - Commander-in-Chief of the Caucasian Front.
2) From General Sakharov - the actual commander-in-chief of the Romanian Front (the commander in chief was the King of Romania, and Sakharov was his chief of staff).
3) From General Brusilov - Commander-in-Chief of the Southwestern Front.
4) From General Evert - Commander-in-Chief of the Western Front.
5) From Ruzsky himself - Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Front. All five commanders-in-chief of the fronts and General Alekseev (General Alekseev was the chief of staff under the Sovereign) spoke out in favor of the Sovereign Emperor’s abdication of the throne.” (Vas. Shulgin “Days”)

On March 2, at about 3 p.m., Tsar Nicholas II decided to abdicate the throne in favor of his heir, Tsarevich Alexei, under the regency of the younger brother of Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich. During the day, the king decided to renounce his heir as well.
March 4 - the Manifesto on the abdication of Nicholas II and the Manifesto on the abdication of Mikhail Alexandrovich were published in newspapers.

“The man rushed towards us - Darlings!” he shouted and grabbed me by the hand. “Did you hear that?” There is no king! There is only Russia left.
He kissed everyone deeply and rushed to run further, sobbing and muttering something... It was already one in the morning, when Efremov usually slept soundly.
Suddenly, at this inopportune hour, a loud and short sound of the cathedral bell was heard. Then a second blow, a third.
The beats became more frequent, a tight ringing was already floating over the town, and soon the bells of all the surrounding churches joined it.
Lights were lit in all the houses. The streets were filled with people. The doors of many houses stood wide open. Strangers hugged each other, crying. A solemn and jubilant cry of steam locomotives flew from the direction of the station (K. Paustovsky “Restless Youth”)

On the night of October 25, 1917, an armed uprising began in Petrograd, during which the current government was overthrown and power was transferred to the Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies. The most important objects were captured - bridges, telegraphs, government offices, and at 2 a.m. on October 26, the Winter Palace was taken and the Provisional Government was arrested.

V. I. Lenin. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

Prerequisites for the October Revolution

The February Revolution of 1917, which was greeted with enthusiasm, although it put an end to the absolute monarchy in Russia, very soon disappointed the revolutionary-minded “lower strata” - the army, workers and peasants, who expected it to end the war, transfer land to the peasants, ease working conditions for workers and democratic power devices. Instead, the Provisional Government continued the war, assuring the Western allies of their fidelity to their obligations; in the summer of 1917, on his orders, a large-scale offensive began, which ended in disaster due to the collapse of discipline in the army. Attempts to carry out land reform and introduce an 8-hour working day in factories were blocked by the majority in the Provisional Government. Autocracy was not completely abolished - the question of whether Russia should be a monarchy or a republic was postponed by the Provisional Government until the convening of the Constituent Assembly. The situation was also aggravated by the growing anarchy in the country: desertion from the army assumed gigantic proportions, unauthorized “redistributions” of land began in villages, and thousands of landowners’ estates were burned. Poland and Finland declared independence, nationally minded separatists claimed power in Kyiv, and their own autonomous government was created in Siberia.

Counter-revolutionary armored car "Austin" surrounded by cadets at the Winter Palace. 1917 Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

At the same time, a powerful system of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies emerged in the country, which became an alternative to the bodies of the Provisional Government. Soviets began to form during the 1905 revolution. They were supported by numerous factory and peasant committees, police and soldiers' councils. Unlike the Provisional Government, they demanded an immediate end to the war and reforms, which found increasing support among the embittered masses. The dual power in the country becomes obvious - the generals in the person of Alexei Kaledin and Lavr Kornilov demand the dispersal of the Soviets, and the Provisional Government in July 1917 carried out mass arrests of deputies of the Petrograd Soviet, and at the same time demonstrations took place in Petrograd under the slogan “All power to the Soviets!”

Armed uprising in Petrograd

The Bolsheviks headed for an armed uprising in August 1917. On October 16, the Bolshevik Central Committee decided to prepare an uprising; two days after this, the Petrograd garrison declared disobedience to the Provisional Government, and on October 21, a meeting of representatives of the regiments recognized the Petrograd Soviet as the only legitimate authority. From October 24, troops of the Military Revolutionary Committee occupied key points in Petrograd: train stations, bridges, banks, telegraphs, printing houses and power plants.

The Provisional Government was preparing for this station, but the coup that took place on the night of October 25 came as a complete surprise to him. Instead of the expected mass demonstrations of the garrison regiments, detachments of the working Red Guard and sailors of the Baltic Fleet simply took control of key objects - without firing a single shot, putting an end to dual power in Russia. On the morning of October 25, only the Winter Palace, surrounded by Red Guard detachments, remained under the control of the Provisional Government.

At 10 a.m. on October 25, the Military Revolutionary Committee issued an appeal in which it announced that all “state power had passed into the hands of the body of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies.” At 21:00, a blank shot from the Baltic Fleet cruiser Aurora signaled the start of the assault on the Winter Palace, and at 2 a.m. on October 26, the Provisional Government was arrested.

Cruiser Aurora". Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

On the evening of October 25, the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets opened in Smolny, proclaiming the transfer of all power to the Soviets.

On October 26, the congress adopted the Decree on Peace, which invited all warring countries to begin negotiations on the conclusion of a general democratic peace, and the Decree on Land, according to which the land of the landowners was to be transferred to the peasants, and all mineral resources, forests and waters were nationalized.

The congress also formed a government, the Council of People's Commissars, headed by Vladimir Lenin - the first highest body of state power in Soviet Russia.

On October 29, the Council of People's Commissars adopted the Decree on the eight-hour working day, and on November 2, the Declaration of the Rights of the Peoples of Russia, which proclaimed the equality and sovereignty of all peoples of the country, the abolition of national and religious privileges and restrictions.

On November 23, a decree “On the abolition of estates and civil ranks” was issued, proclaiming the legal equality of all citizens of Russia.

Simultaneously with the uprising in Petrograd on October 25, the Military Revolutionary Committee of the Moscow Council also took control of all important strategic objects of Moscow: the arsenal, telegraph, State Bank, etc. However, on October 28, the Committee of Public Safety, headed by the Chairman of the City Duma Vadim Rudnev, under with the support of the cadets and Cossacks, he began military operations against the Soviet.

Fighting in Moscow continued until November 3, when the Committee of Public Security agreed to lay down arms. The October Revolution was immediately supported in the Central Industrial Region, where local Soviets of Workers' Deputies had already effectively established their power; in the Baltics and Belarus, Soviet power was established in October - November 1917, and in the Central Black Earth Region, the Volga region and Siberia, the process of recognition of Soviet power dragged on until the end of January 1918.

Name and celebration of the October Revolution

Since Soviet Russia switched to the new Gregorian calendar in 1918, the anniversary of the Petrograd uprising fell on November 7. But the revolution was already associated with October, which was reflected in its name. This day became an official holiday in 1918, and starting from 1927, two days became holidays - November 7 and 8. Every year on this day, demonstrations and military parades took place on Red Square in Moscow and in all cities of the USSR. The last military parade on Moscow's Red Square to commemorate the anniversary of the October Revolution took place in 1990. Since 1992, November 8 became a working day in Russia, and in 2005, November 7 was also abolished as a day off. Until now, the Day of the October Revolution is celebrated in Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Transnistria.

Portal for schoolchildren. Self-preparation