Make two lists: one with the main events and the effects of the February Revolution and the other with the main events and effects of the October Revolution. Write a paragraph on who was involved in each, who were the leaders and what was the impact of each on Soviet history.

Make two lists: one with the main events and the effects of the February Revolution and the other with the main events and effects of the October Revolution. Write a paragraph on who was involved in each, who were the leaders and what was the impact of each on Soviet history.

Ans.

(a) February Revolution :

(i) In February 1917, food shortages were deeply felt in the workers’ quarters. Parliamentarians wishing to preserve elected government, were opposed to the Tsar’s desire to dissolve the Duma.

(ii) On 22 February, a lockout took place at a factory. The next day, workers in fifty factories called a strike in sympathy. In many factories, women led the way to strikes. The strikes continued, with the workers surrounding fashionable quarters and official buildings at the centre of Petrograd - the Nevskii Prospekt. On 25 February, the Duma was dissolved. This resulted in ransacking of the Police Headquarter on 27th.

(iii) The cavalry refused to fire at the protesting crowed, and by evening, the revolting soldiers and the striking workers had gathered to form a ‘soviet’ or ‘council’ in the same building as the Duma met. This was the Petrograd Soviet.

(iv) Effects : The Tsar abdicated on 2 March. Soviet leaders and Duma leaders formed a Provisional Government to run the country. The February Revolution had no political party at its forefront and it was led by the people themselves. This revolution brought down the monarchy.

(b) October Revolution :

(i) The October Revolution arose out of the conflict between the Provisional Government and the Bolsheviks. Lenin feared the Provisional Government would set up a dictatorship.

(ii) On 16 October 1917, Lenin persuaded the Petrograd Soviet and the Bolshevik Party to agree to a socialist seizure of power. A Military Revolutionary Committee was appointed by the Soviet under Leon Trotskii to organise the seizure.

(iii) The uprising began on 24 October. Sensing trouble, Prime Minister Kerenskii had left the city to summon troops to prevent the situation from going out of control. In a swift response, the Military Revolutionary Committee attacked government offices; the ship Aurora shelled the Winter Palace. By nightfall, the city was under Bolshevik action. Thus, the October Revolution was primarily led by Lenin and Trotskii, and involved the masses who supported these leaders. It marked the beginning of the Bolshevik’s rule over the Soviet under leadership of Lenin.