The February Revolution

The uprising in Petrograd that brought down the Russian monarchy.

Background

By early 1917 the First World War had cost Russia millions of casualties, and food and fuel were scarce in the cities. The government of Nicholas II had lost much of its authority, even among elites and army officers.

Course of events

Protests began on International Women's Day, 23 February by the Russian calendar, and soon grew into a general strike. Soldiers in the capital refused to fire on the crowds and joined them. Nicholas II abdicated in early March by the Western calendar.

Legacy

A Provisional Government took charge, alongside the Petrograd Soviet of workers' and soldiers' deputies. This divided authority, known as dual power, set the stage for the further revolution later that year.