Pobedonostsev is Chief Minister. He is very conservative.
(1881-1905)
1853-56: Crimean 1896: Khodynka Tragedy
War
1898: Social Democrats party
formed
1861: Emancipation of the Serfs. Followed
three years later by the formation of the 1901: Social Revolutionaries
Zamstva (local councils) party formed
1903: SD party split into
Mensheviks and Bolsheviks
1881: Assassination
of Alexander II 1904: Union of Liberation
formed
1894: Nicholas II’s 1904-05: Russo-Japanese War
reign begins
1894-1906: Sergei Witte’s economic reforms
1881: Alexander III takes the and the “Great Spurt” of industrial growth .
throne. The “reaction” begins Railway increased from 21,000 Km in 1881 to
with the ‘Statute of State over 70,000 Km by 1913.
Security’. This included extending
the power of the Okhrana.
1879: People’s January: Father February: May: Russian June: The August October: Industrial unrest November: December: Moscow Up-
Will formed Gapon leads Russian sur- fleet destroyed Potemkin Mutiny Manifesto grew into a general strike Mortgage re- rising. SR, Bolsheviks and
the Bloody Sun- render of at Tsushima and joined those issued. and workers formed them- payments of Mensheviks join together
1870s: Populists on strike in the
day march Mukden selves into an elected the peasants in Moscow and seize a
formed. Paul Milyukov port of Odessa soviet. reduced number of key buildings.
Port Arthur leader of the Union leading to thou- They are crushed by
October Manifesto
lost to Japan of Liberation per- sands of civilian Tsarist forces. Over 1000
issued.
suaded many deaths. die.
groups to form the
‘Union of Unions’
and called for a
constitute Octobrists formed (Liberals who Kadets formed. (Liberals who rejected
assembly. accepted the October manifesto). the October manifesto.)
1906-1911: Stolypin as Chief 1912-1914: Fourth Duma (Social reform continued 26 Feb: Nicholas calls the Petrograd
Minister but this Duma was more prepared to criticise the garrison to restore order but the
government. It ends due to the War.) troops do not obey. The garrison is de-
18 Feb 1917: Putilov Factory
strikes begin in Petrograd serted.
June 1914: Franz Ferdinand
assassinated 27 Feb: Nicholas orders the Duma to dis-
1906: Fundamental
23 Feb: International Women’s Day. solve. 12 breakaway members of the Duma
Laws
1911: Assassination July: Full mobilisation or- Thousands of women protest for form a Provisional Committee. Kerensky
of Stolypin der given equality on the streets. calla for the Tsar to abdicate.
1906: First Duma. Petrograd Soviet also formed.
(Short lived and 1907-1912: Third Duma 25 Feb: General strike begins
achieves little) (Elections rigged by Stolypin to
produce a more cooperative 28 Feb: Nicholas prevented
Duma which achieves work in from returning to Petrograd
social reform)
1907: Second Duma. August: Germany declared 2 March: Provisional committee declares
(Dissolved in disor- war on Russia itself the Provisional Government. Tsar ab-
der, achieves little) dicates.
1912: Lena Goldfields Mas- December 1916: Raspu- 1 March: Petrograd Soviet issues Soviet Or-
sacre. The Tsarist police shot tin murdered by a group der Number 1 (The army would only en-
and killed workers on strike. of aristocratic conspira- force actions agreed by the soviet.)
tors
1906: Vyborg appeal June 1915: Duma reassembled and
fails in Finland and leads Progressive Bloc formed
to Stolypin’s policy of
fierce repression.
August 1915: Nicholas put himself
in charge of the military
Prohibition on Vodka
1907: Rasputin introduced to the Tsar
September 1915: Great Retreat
and his wife
1911-1914: Urban unrest continues 1915-1916: The government was in chaos. There were
leading to increased repression and a 4 different PM’s, 3 Foreign Secretaries, 3 ministers of
general strike in St Petersburg in July. defence, 6 interior ministers.
August, Kornilov Affair: General Kornilov (New Commander in
The Provisional Government secures amnesty for po- Chief) wanted to defeat Germany. However, the situation now
litical prisoners, recognises trade unions, replaces the threated Petrograd itself and Kornilov brought his troops into the
Okhrana with the People’s militia and makes prepara- city to defend it. Kernersky feared Konilov would attack and re-
tions for elections. leased and armed the Bolsheviks to defend the city. The railway
workers refused to help Kornilov and he gave up.
3 April: Lenin returns to
Petrograd
October: Petrograd Soviet set up the Military
April Thesis: Following his return, Lenin sets
Revolutionary Committee (MRC)
out the future of the Bolshevik party, such
as promising “peace, land and bread’. September: Bolsheviks had the majority in the Lenin returns to Petrograd.
Petrograd soviet, although this was party be-
cause the attendance of other political parties 23 October: Kerensky fears a Bolshevik revolu-
June Offensive: Kerensky or- had dropped. Trotsky elected as Chairman of tion and attacks the Bolsheviks, closing Prav-
dered a massive offensive in the Petrograd Soviet. da. The Bolsheviks carry out a revolution in re-
the war but it failed badly. sponse.
March, Milyukov Crisis: Soviet issued
as ‘Address to the people of the whole
world’ calling for peace. However, it
became known Milyukov had prom-
ised to fight until Germany was de- July Days, 3-6 July: In the summer it appeared the gov- 25-27 October: Trotsky used his influence to have himself accepted as one of
feated. Violent protest break out in ernment were no longer in control. Demonstrations in the three leaders of the MRC and used this military force to take Petrograd.
response throughout April. Petrograd increase in scale, especially after the sailors He also directed the Red Guard. The Bolsheviks took the city in three days
and workers on the Kronstadt naval base set up their own with little fighting. And c. 6 deaths. There was no one defending the Winter
government. These demonstrations were not well organ- Palace.
May: Milyukov and Guchkov are forced to ised and easily crushed.
resign and Kerensky became war minister. Kerensky becomes PM after the July Days and immediate-
Leading Mensheviks and SR’s were given October 25-26: Kerensky fled Petrograd.
ly began attacking the Bolsheviks, closing down Pravda.
places in the government. It was hoped this Lenin flees to Finland.
would improve relations between the PG October 26: Bolsheviks establish Sovnarkom
and Soviet, but instead the new ministers
became isolated from the soviet.
1918-21: War Communism. Economic policy introduced including strict centralisation under the nationalisa-
The Bolsheviks faced immediate difficulties
tion of industry and grain requisitioning. This policy backfired leading to a drop in production and famine.
such as a broken transport system, inflation
and a food crisis.
February 1921: Kronstadt Uprising: Thousands of workers
1920-23 Famine. According to Pravda, 1 in 5 of who had once supported the Bolsheviks met at the Kron-
November 1917: Decrees on Land the population was starving. The American Relief stadt naval base and produced a manifesto of demands in-
and Workers’ Control . This abolished Aid sent help but Lenin ordered them to leave in cluding a call for elections and freedom of assembly, speech
private ownership and allowed work- 1923 after they had provided food for 10 million and press. Lenin had the Cheka and Red Army crush the up-
ers to take over factories. Russians. rising.
December: Vesenkha was set up to July 1918: Romanov’s murdered. 1920: Tambov Rising. There were several out- 1921: NEP introduced. It was sup-
‘take charge of all existing institutions breaks of fierce resistance to War Com- ported by Bukharin and did lead to
for the regulation of economic life’. It munism. A peasant army led by Antonov (SR) economic growth. E.g. grain har-
helped to secure the nationalisation formed in the Tambov region where they vest increased from 37.6 millions of Jan 1924:
March 1918: Treaty of Brest Litovsk was Death of
of rail and cancelling of all foreign were relatively successful., numbering c 20 tonnes in 1921 to 51.4 million in
signed ending Russia’s involvement in the war. 1924. Lenin
debts. 000.
September 1918: Red Terror . Period of politi-
cal repression and mass killings carried out by
1921: Ban on factionalism. Not all communists
the Bolsheviks.
approved of the capitalist NEP meaning Lenin
banned factionalism within the party to prevent
1918-20: Russian Civil War opposition.
Bolsheviks created the
Cheka. April– August 1922: Show trials to
January 1918: The Constitute As- The Reds won due to the disorganisation of the white forc- remove enemies of the state.
sembly was dissolved at gunpoint es, the lack of coordination regarding foreign intervention
by the Red Guard when it met. and the strong leadership of Trotsky. The Bolsheviks intro-
Lenin feared the Bolsheviks would duced to Politburo and Orgburo in 1919 to increase cen-
not win and therefore dissolved tralisation.
the assembly instead.
