TIMELINE

// (Click on the link to visit the appropriate page at vcehistory.info. All dates are Old Style / Julian calendar) // February: [|Russo-Japanese War] begins July: Plehve, a government hardliner and opponent to reform, is killed by SRs, leading to public celebrations November: 104 delegates from //zemstvos// nationwide meet and propose a national representative assembly of //zemstvos// December: Tsarist decrees increase the authority of //zemstvos// and ease censorship, but do not allow an assembly January 3-8: More than 120,000 workers on strike in St Petersburg January 9: [|Tsarist troops open fire] on a peaceful demonstration of workers in the capitol, St Petersburg February 4: Grand-Duke Sergei, governor of Moscow and the tsar's uncle, is [|assassinated by an SR agent] February 18: Tsar promises to form a committee to investigate the possibility of forming a legislative assembly May: the Battle of Tsushima sees almost the entire Russian Baltic Fleet destroyed or taken captive in Asia June: a general strike in Lodz, Poland, brings industry to a halt; tsarist police shoot more than 300 striking workers June 14-24: Battleship //Potemkin// mutiny September: Treaty of Portsmouth ends the [|Russo-Japanese War] with a decisive victory to the Japanese October 1-November 26: Uprising of naval forces at Sevastopol in the Ukraine, eventually crushed by loyal troops October 12: Strike action in St Petersburg spreads to become a general strike October 13: A Menshevik-dominated council, the [|St Petersburg Soviet of Soldiers' and Workers' Deputies], is formed October 17: Nicholas II issues the [|October Manifesto], which is met by a combination of celebration, riots and fighting October 19: Witte announces the creation of a Council of Ministers, offering key posts to [|Kadets], who refused October 21: the St Petersburg Soviet orders an end to the general strike October 26-31: mutinies at Kronstadt and Vladivostok military bases; the Kronstadt sailors form their own soviet November 6-12: Peasants Union meets in Moscow and demands a representative assembly and land redistribution November 26: head of St Petersburg Soviet arrested by tsarist police; a trio elected to replace him includes Trotsky December 3: members of the St Petersburg Soviet are arrested after taking receipt of a large cache of weapons December 10: Moscow Uprising sees various political and revolutionary groups attempt to take control of the city December 15: tsarist troops finally crush uprising through killings and arrests, restoring order to Moscow January 9-19: another uprising in Vladivostok declares itself an independent republic, but is overrun by tsarist forces February 18: tsarist regime announces new punishments for anti-government propaganda or advertising April: [|Stolypin] becomes minister for the interior April 23: Nicholas II issues the [|Fundamental Laws], a constitution reasserting his autocratic power over the nation April 27: first Duma meets in St Petersburg but is boycotted by most socialist parties July 8: the tsar prorogues (dissolves) the first Duma, considering it to be too radical, disobedient and disrespectful July 17-29: mutinies at the military bases at Sveaborg and Kronstadt August 12: assassination attempt on Stolypin at his home kills 30 other people November: members of the St Petersburg Soviet are tried; most are sent into exile, including [|Trotsky] February 20: the second Duma opens and includes many socialist representatives, who end their boycott June 3: the second Duma is also closed by Nicholas II June: [|Stolypin alters the electoral method] for the Duma; land-owners and conservatives are now heavily represented July: Nicholas II appoints Stolypin prime minister November 1: third Duma opens, dominated by Octobrists, conservatives and loyalists after the electoral changes of June September 11: Stolypin dies after being shot while at the theatre; the investigation into his murder is closed by the tsar April 17: the [|Lena River massacre] in Siberia, hundreds of striking gold miners are shot by tsarist troops June-July: General strikes in St Petersburg July 19: [|Germany declares war on Russia], boosting patriotic fervour and temporarily dampening support for socialists July 30: Prince Lvov creates the All-Russian Zemstvo Union for the Relief of Sick and Wounded Soldiers August 18: St Petersburg is renamed Petrograd, due to the Germanic links to its original name September 2: Battle of Tannenberg ends; almost entire Russian Second Army is wiped out by a smaller German force September 9-14: Battle of the Masurian Lakes; decisive victory for Germany with 125,000 Russian casualties November 5: [|Bolshevik] deputies in the Duma are arrested and sent into exile in Siberia July 9: mass retreat of Russian forces; most withdraw to behind Russia's borders August 9: the Kadets, Octobrists and other //bourgeois// parties form a loose alliance in the Duma, in order to seek reforms August 23: the tsar prorogues the hostile Duma, assumes control of the military and shifts to headquarters at Mogilev February 6: Duma reconvenes in Petrograd February 29: the government conscripts striking workers at the Putilov steel factory and takes over production June 20: Duma prorogued on the orders of the tsar; Russia now effectively governed by the [|tsarina] and [|Rasputin] November 1: Duma is reconvened December 17: Rasputin is killed by three conspirators, led by Prince Felix Yusopov December 30: Tsar is warned by his advisors that the army would no longer support him if there was a revolution January 9: more than 140,000 workers strike in commemoration of the 12th anniversary of [|Bloody Sunday] February 14: more than 100,000 workers still on strike; Duma attacks the government for food shortages February 19: [|February Revolution] begins; government announces food rationing, leading to panic buying in the cities February 23: demonstrations for International Women's Day are joined by striking workers and socialist agitators February 25: strikes continue with now more than 200,000 workers involved; clashes between protesters and police February 26: tsar orders troops to fire on the protesters, dozens are killed; he also orders the Duma to be prorogued February 27: troops ordered to fire on the crowd shoot their officers; Duma refuses to disband; [|Petrograd Soviet] reformed February 28: tsar attempts to return to Petrograd but is delayed in Pskov; Duma and Soviet begin discussing action March 1: leaders of France and Britain recognise the [|Provisional Government] as the official government of Russia March 2: tsar met by delegates from the Duma's Provisional Government committee; he abdicates in favour of his brother March 3: Nicholas' brother refuses the throne unless it is offered to him by a constituent assembly March 8: Provisional Govt issues a liberal political manifesto, including civil rights and amnesties for political prisoners March 9: [|Nicholas II] and his family are detained under house arrest March 12: Provisional Govt issues a decree abolishing the death penalty April 3: [|Lenin] returns to Russia with the help of the German government; the following day he delivers his April Theses April 18: Milyukov informs the Allies that Russia's war intentions remain unchanged May: Milyukov resigns. Menshevik and SR delegates join the Provisional Govt June 3-24: First All-Russia Congress of Workers' and Soldiers' Soviets opens; it is dominated by [|Mensheviks] and [|SRs] June 17: Russian military offensive against Austria-Hungary launched, on [|Kerensky's] orders; 400,000 Russian casualties July 4: [|'July Days'] : workers and soldiers in Petrograd unsuccessfully demand the Soviet take power; Lenin flees Russia July 8: liberal coalition in the Provisional Govt collapses; Kerensky forms a new coalition and becomes prime minister July 12: Provisional Govt reintroduces the death penalty for deserting or mutinying soldiers at the front July 19: Kornilov replaces Brusilov as commander-in-chief of the Russian forces in Europe August 25: [|'Kornilov affair'] ; the general marches on Petrograd to eradicate the socialists and liberate the government August 30: Kornilov's advance is stopped by the Soviet, given arms by the Provisional Govt, fearful of a militaristic coup September 1-4: strikes escalate, more than 700,000 railway workers on strike; leading Bolsheviks released from prison September 14-25: Provisional Govt calls a conference of all parties to discuss the crisis; Bolshevik delegates walk out September 25: [|Bolsheviks hold a voting majority] in the Petrograd Soviet; Trotsky elected as chairman October 9-12: [|October Revolution] begins; Petrograd Soviet creates Military Revolutionary Committee (MRC) October 10-23: Petrograd Soviet and Bolsheviks pass motions for and debate the issue of seizing power October 24: Provisional Govt troops attempt to close Bolshevik printing presses, prompting the MRC to act October 25: Lenin assumes power, outlines plans for a Soviet government; Mensheviks and moderate SRs walk out October 26: MRC arrests Provisional Govt members in the Winter Palace, except for Kerensky, who has fled
 * Timeline - Area of Study One **
 * 1904 **
 * 1905 **
 * 1906 **
 * 1907 **
 * 1911 **
 * 1912 **
 * 1914 **
 * 1915 **
 * 1916 **
 * 1917 **