Russia embraced WWI with patriotic enthusiasm and stood united behind Nicholas II.

Enthusiasm for the war waned as better-equipped German armies inflicted terrible losses on the Germans.

Parties ranging from conservative to moderate formed the Progressive bloc, which called for a completely new government.

Nicholas temporarily adjourned the Duma (Russian Parliament) and went to the front to rally the troops.

While her husband was away, Tsarina Alexandra dismissed loyal political advisors and relied on an uneducated priest, Rasputin, to guide political policies while the Tsar was on the front lines of WWI.

Heavy casualties, bad food, and concern for those at home resulted in tens of thousands of Russian soldiers deserting the military. This led to a breakdown in the economy at home, where cities were wracked with food and fuel shortages.

Violent street demonstrations broke out in Petrograd and engulfed the city, but the tsar ordered the army to open fire on the protestors, the soldiers refused and joined the revolutionary crowd.

The Duma declared a provisional government in March, 1917, and Nicholas abdicated three days later.

The provisional government established equality before the law, freedom of the press, religion, and assembly; and the right of unions to strike

Liberal and moderate socialist leaders of the provisional government rejected the political reforms of the provisional government and a new government was formed in May, 1917, with the fiery socialist Kerensky as prime minister.

The Petrograd Soviet (or council) of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies acted as a parallel government to Kerensky’s government. It enacted Army Order #1 in May, 1917, which stripped officers of their authority and placed power in the hands of elected committees of common soldiers—this led to a collapse of army discipline.

In the summer of 1917, Lenin, a German socialist, argued that a Marxian revolution could take place in an agrarian nation like Russia. Russian Marxists broke into two camps: – Mensheviks: “minority group” that wanted a more democratic party of mass membership; communism gradually through elections; supported the war – Bolsheviks: “majority group” ; communism now through violent working class revolution; opposed WWI

In July, 1917, Lenin and comrades traveled from Germany to Russia to try to oust Kerensky’s government; he promised “Peace, Land, and Bread” to the people. The Bolshevik attempt to seize power in July, collapsed, and Lenin went into hiding.

Popular support for the Bolsheviks continued to increase throughout the summer of 1917, and in October, Lenin’s supporter, Trotsky executed the Bolshevik seizure of power.