#ThisDayInHistory The February Revolution Began In Russia
On this day in 1917, the February Revolution (known as such because of Russia’s use of the Julian calendar) began when riots and strikes over food scarcity erupted in Petrograd.
One week later, centuries of czarist rule in Russia ended with the abdication of Nicholas II, and Russia took a dramatic step closer to a communist revolution.
In the early months of 1917, tensions in Russia were at an all-time high. Corruption, economic instability, and dissatisfaction with the czarist regime had been simmering for years.
But the country's disastrous involvement in World War I was the tipping point.
On March 8, 1917, the people of Petrograd had had enough. Demanding food, they took to the streets in a massive protest that quickly turned violent.
Police stations were destroyed, and the workers' strike spread to encompass the city.
The Petrograd Soviet, a council of workers' committees, was formed, and within days, the army garrison was called in to suppress the uprising.
But the protesters were not deterred. Despite facing gunfire and violence from the army, they refused to back down.
Their numbers only grew as more and more soldiers defected to their cause.
The czar dissolved the Duma, Russia's parliament, but it was too late. On March 15, 1917, Nicholas II abdicated the throne, and centuries of czarist rule ended.
The provisional government that took over hoped to restore order and stability to the country, but it was an uphill battle.
Food shortages, economic instability, and political chaos continued to plague Russia.
Amid all this, Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the Bolsheviks, returned from exile to take control of the revolution.
The February Revolution of 1917 was a turning point in Russian history.
It set the stage for the Bolsheviks to seize power later that year and marked the beginning of a new era for the country.
It was a time of great upheaval, uncertainty, hope, and possibility.
The Russian people had shown they were unwilling to be oppressed any longer, and the world would never be the same again.
#ThisDayInHistory
March 8, 1917