Events of 1917

Formation of the Provisional Government and Petrograd Soviet | Mar 12, 1917: Both sides took up sides of the Tauride palace. The Provisional Government was a temporary measure until elections were held - this was made of middle-class liberals. On the other hand, the Petrograd Soviet, workers and soldiers unified to represent their interests, spawned a barrage of Soviets in various regions throughout Russia.  

THE PROVGOV

WAR

• couldn't surrender, as Germany would draw up treaties that were humiliating
• Russia had lasting commitments with its allies, which weren't fulfilled
• Therefore, the ProvGov had to remain in the war, despite the high desertion rate and fatality count

LAND

• Since they were a temporary measure, they didn't want to take any major decisions
• If they made any decrees, soldiers would desert even more in order to claim that said land

THE SOVIET

• representative of workers' interests
• Soviets sprang up all over the country
• Order No. 1: control over all armed forces

The Abdication of the Tsar | Mar 15, 1917: Stopped from entering Petrograd on a train fifteen kilometers away, the Tsar abdicated in favour of his brother Michael as his son was too ill to rule. However, Russians did not want royal continuation.

Lenin returns from Switzerland | April 16, 1917: Having been absent for the March revolution under pursuit from Tsarist police, Lenin returned to Russia via Germany - the Germans, Russia’s opponents, supported him as they believed he would cause chaos in Russia and weaken the already weak. They gave him passage in a sealed train, and after traveling to Finland he arrived in Petrograd. He spoke about severing cooperation with the Provisional Government and that the war had to be ended, with land given to the peasants and power to the soviets.

Publication of the April Theses | April 17, 1917: The four points in Lenin’s arrival speech were…