Coming Up

The one hundred years ago, plus three, anniversary of the Russian Revolution is coming up. I’ll be posting highlights, hopefully at least weekly, this coming year, starting next month. 

It’s good to recall that Russia was still on the old style calendar in 1917. The old style calendar was then 13 days behind the new style calendar. So the principal events of what is called the February Revolution occurred 103 years ago this March, just as the October Revolution occurred 103 years ago this coming November.

Decrees of the Congress of Soviets

One hundred years ago today, plus two, the October Revolution, assembled as a body in the Congress of Soviets, formed a government and issued decrees on peace and land. Read about it all in the blog by following the links that begin here.

Or read the whole story from the beginning by following this link.

Red October

One hundred years ago today, plus two, Red October began. Lots of people know about the “Hunt for” Red October, fewer know Red October for what it really means, though many claim to know the event it refers to, only by another name. Fewer still, perhaps, know why it is “October” rather than November, even though it was 102 years ago today. 

The physical events leading up to the result began the day before with a struggle for the bridges over the River Neva in Petrograd. Read about it here.

Or read the whole story from the beginning by following this link.

The Bolsheviks Vote for Insurrection

One hundred years ago today, plus two, a quorum of the Bolshevik Central Committee met and took a vote for armed insurrection. Find out who voted for, and who against, and what disguise Lenin wore in order to attend here.

Or read the whole story from the beginning by following this link.

The Democratic Conference of Compromisers

One hundred years ago today, plus two, the right-socialists, that is, socialist parties to the right of the Bolsheviks (a.k.a. Compromisers), convened a Democratic Conference to discuss what they ought to do about the Coalition Government. The Bolsheviks read their recommendations into the record too. 

Read about it here. Or read the whole story from the beginning by following this link.

Kornilov’s Insurrection

One hundred years ago today, plus two, Kerensky’s choice for overall command in the war against Germany and her allies, General Kornilov, turned his forces instead in the direction of Petrograd. His manifesto, also issued that day, made it sound as if, not the Bolsheviks, but the Provisional Government itself was the target of the move.

Of course, Kerensky, head of that government, did not think particularly well of Kornilov’s plans. Read about it here.

Or read the whole story from the beginning by following this link.

Kerensky’s State Conference

One hundred years ago yesterday, plus two, Prime Minister Kerensky convened a state conference in Moscow. It was political theater, in which he played the role of the indispensable man between the bourgeois Cadets on the right and the (uninvited) Bolsheviks on the left. Read about it here.

Or read the whole story from the beginning by following this link.