From Autocracy to Bolshevism by Baron P. Graevenitz

Author:Baron P. Graevenitz [Graevenitz, Baron P.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781138225220
Google: 3m6SAQAACAAJ
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2017-02-14T16:20:25+00:00

XI

THE REVOLUTION

BY March 1917 the food conditions in Petrograd had reached that stage when the workmen at the factories could procure no bread, and simultaneously the capital’s coal supplies ran short. On March 8th crowds of idle workmen spread over the town. There were no symptoms of revolutionary tendencies among them; they only clamoured for bread, and made use of the opportunity to demand that it should be distributed to them by the authorities. As I have just said, Protopopoff’s actions cannot be regarded as those of a man in full possession of his faculties, and therefore I shall not even attempt to explain why he acted as he did, but shall merely describe the events which followed.

According to law, the Minister of the Interior had no right to use armed force, but in case he was unable to preserve order was obliged to appeal for help to the military authorities. As the crowds continued to gather in the centre of the town, Protopopoff decided to fire upon them, thinking that this would induce them to disperse. He posted policemen with machine-guns on the roofs of the houses, and the crowd was fired upon without any warning, many casualties being inflicted. The infuriated mob began climbing on to the roofs and lynching the police. Seeing that the workers would not disperse, Protopopoff decided to appeal to the Commander of the Petrograd garrison. Had this measure been taken sooner catastrophe might have been avoided. The draft battalions were called out, and in some cases after firing into the mob, in others without having to inflict casualties, they managed to force the workers to return to their quarters. Naturally these measures could not remove the cause of the evil: they only subdued the storm for the moment. During these days the troops were quartered in the factories, and spent the nights with ample opportunities to come into touch with the workers. On one of the following days crowds again attempted to hold meetings, and to demand that measures should be taken to ameliorate the situation. Troops were again ordered to disperse these meetings, but the draft battalion of the Volhynian Guard Regiment refused to obey orders, massacred its officers, and joined the crowd. This one case of mutiny rapidly infected other units. Bodies of troops began fighting one another, and there seemed to be no possibility of restoring order. When the Tsar heard of what was happening in the capital, he immediately ordered Parliament to be dissolved, no doubt still imagining that the Duma was the cause of the trouble. Seeing that it alone might manage to save the situation, the Duma unanimously decided to disobey the command of the monarch, refused to dissolve, and made an attempt to seize the reins of power.

On March 13th Rodzianko telegraphed to the Tsar: “The position is serious. Anarchy prevails in the capital. The Government is paralysed. The transport of provisions and fuel is completely disorganized. The general disorganization is increasing. There is disorderly firing in the streets.

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