1. The February Revolution
By Shanaye Young

2. Short Summary:
The February Revolution started with people rioting over food prices in the capital Petrograd. When the soldiers wouldn't fire on the demonstrators, things got out of hand and it turned into a spontaneous mass uprising. The result of the February Revolution was that Tsar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate. He was very unpopular. The First World War was going very badly for Russia and people blamed the Tsar. After the February Revolution, Russia got a new government called the Provisional Government. This consisted of liberals and moderate socialists who wanted to turn Russia into a parliamentary democracy.
PS. THEY WANTED BREAD!!

3. What is International Women’s Day?
On February 23, 1917, a large gathering of working-class women convened in the center of Petrograd to mark International Women’s Day. The gathering took the form of a protest demonstration calling for “bread and peace.” While the demonstration began peacefully, the next morning it turned violent as the women were joined by hundreds of thousands of male workers who went on strike and flooded the streets, openly calling for an end to the war and even to the monarchy. Feeding on their outrage with each passing day, the demonstrations became larger and rowdier, and the outnumbered police were unable to control the crowds.

4. Friday 24th February, 1917
About 150,000 factory workers decide to march to the city centre. The mood for the demonstration was a kind of holiday mood and the day got better because the weather was very nice. The Cossacks attending didn’t disperse the crowds but the demonstrators were armed themselves with tools and other weapons. The crowds swells with students and other workers. In the huge rally in Znamenskaya Square a bunch of revolutionaries speak from the statue of Alexander III.

5. Saturday 25th February, 1917
This was a general strike and all of the major factories cease to function on this day. 200,000 more workers join the demonstration and there is no less calls for Bread and more calls for the Tsar to stand down from his power so it was harder for the police because demonstrations in the past have settled down once the bread arrived. The Cossacks brought the crowd to a halt and by then there people were very close to the site of ‘Bloody Sunday’. The crowd explained the situation to be the Police (Pharaohs)= Thiers and the Army= Ours. Suddenly a young girl appears from the crowd of demonstrators, she then presents a red rose to the Cossacks (the red rose represents peace and revolution). The officer happily smiles at the little girl and accepts the rose. After the the army starts to disobey orders and some of the soldiers open fire on the crowds that were against the mounted police. Then later the Tsar would give his orders to General Khabalo (the chief of the Petrograd Military District) to put down the demonstration using military force.

6. Sunday 26th February, 1917
This is when the centre of the Petrograd turned into a militarised camp. Crowds of workers form up again and begin tho march into the city centre, after this police and soldiers open fire (there were many incidents and casualties). There was a life or death struggle against the Tsarist regime. Demonstrators break into the military barracks and the first company soldiers begin to mutiny. People broke into the arsenal and stole about 30 rifles. Revolutionary crowd became more organised with strategic targets.

7. Photos:

8. The End!!
From Shanaye Young  please enjoy