Unit 3 Test Flashcards
Feb. 1917
The month of the February Revolution, which was a mass, spontaneous revolution that resulted in the abdication of the Tsar.
International Women’s Day
First day of the protests in February, which would eventually grow to become the February revolution. On this day, Feb. 24 for the Russians, women went out onto the streets to demand bread and they were later joined by other workers
Provisional Government
The Provisional Government was the government set up by members of the Duma- the elected representatives sent by the people to represent their views- to replace the Tsarist government after it was overthrown. It was first led by Prince Lvov, then by Alexander Kerensky, and it lasted until October. The government promised land reform and a constituent assembly, but did not do either, and it also continued participation in WWI, which turned the people against them.
Soviets
The soviets were the councils set up originally during the 1905 revolution by the petrograd workers. They were shut down by the Tsarist regime and grew back around 1917, this time not only smong petrograd workers but also soldiers and sailors. Throughout early 1917, soviets spread throughout the country, and people elected delegates to an all russian congress of soviets which eventually hained enough power to start the october revolution.
Dual Power
The governmental system that existed from Feb-October 1917, where both the soviets and the provisional government held the power. The bolsheviks, which had a majority in the central coviets in Petrograd, advocated for all power to the soviets, as well as peace, land, bread, and down with the provisional government.
Constituent Assembly
The provisional government promised to create a constituent assembly, in which popularly elected officials would assemble. However, they failed to do this, and their failure to do so along with failure of doing land reform increased anger against them.
Military Order 1
This was a military order issued by the Petrograd Soviet in March 1917, in which privilege due to rank was abolished- an exercise of dual power.
Constitutional Democrats
The Kadets, one of the more moderate political groups that saw a shift to the “right” as the bolsheviks increased in power. They were a major presence in the Dumas and Provisional Government
Socialist Revolutionaries
Largest Revolutionary group in Russia; believed the peasantry to be the key to successful revolution to overthrow the Tsar, creating a russian form of peasant socialism- many had big roles in the PG as they too moved to the “right”.
Kerensky
Alexander Kerensky was a “trudovik”- similar to an SR- who joined and later ruled the provisional government up until its overthrowal bc of the bolsheviks. A major figure in russian revolution.
RSDLP
The main marxist group in Russia, founded in 1898, believed workers would be revolutionary force- later split into the Bolsheviks and Menshoviks, disagreement over what the nature of the revolutionary party should be
Bolsheviks
The Majority party of the RSDLP, led by lenin. It believed that the revolutionary party should be made up of professional, disciplined revolutionaries. They took power in oct 1917
Menshoviks
Minority of the RSDLP, who believed the russian revolutionary party should be a mass organization. They continued to adhere to the idea of a capitalist revolution in 1917, when they join the PG and oppose their overthrowal in oct 1917.
