Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 08.djvu/193

RUSSIA reactionary officials, some of whom were descendants of the Germans, brought to Russia by the Empress Catherine, realized that the defeat of German Imperialism would also be a defeat for Russian autocracy. This group of traitors had the support of the German Czarina. Chief of these “dark forces” was a favorite of the Czarina, a monk by the name of Razputin, who had gained his ascendency over the weak-minded Czar and the Czarina because of his reputed healing powers over the little Czarowitch, who was constitutionally diseased.

Gradually it became generally realized that this inner court circle was working for the defeat of the Russian forces in the field. The Liberal elements in the Duma combined with the radical minority, and began to protest. This bloc gradually gained the support of even the more intelligent reactionaries, including several of the Grand Dukes, who attempted to warn the Czar of the danger from within, though without effect. Late in December, 1916, Razputin was assassinated by a group of those former reactionaries who had now joined the Liberal elements against the dark forces, one of the assassins being the Grand Duke Dimitri Pavlovitch, and another being A. N. Khvostov, formerly Minister of the Interior. But Razputin's removal was accomplished too late. His intrigues were taken up by Alexander Protopopov, Minister of the Interior, who now set to work determinedly to accomplish the disintegration of the Russian efforts against Germany. This he attempted to do by arousing revolutionary activities among the workers in the war industries, hoping that the blame would be placed on the radical elements. The latter, however, raised a protest, and were easily able to prove their innocence. Protopopov worked to create disorders which would have to be suppressed by the troops, creating a domestic situation which could be the pretext for a separate peace with Germany. One of his chief tactics to bring about the disorders was to withhold shipments of food from the capital.

In the first week of March, 1917, he had so far succeeded that the people began demonstrations in the streets against the government. The police and the troops were ordered to fire on the demonstrators. The troops, however, refused to do so, and then openly joined the uprising. Thus Protopopov's plan was completely upset. The Duma thereupon repudiated the government and proclaimed a new Provisional Government, which a few days later forced the Czar to abdicate. The radical elements at the same time organized the

Council, or Soviet, of Workingmen's Delegates, which shared with the Duma in the establishment of the Revolutionary Government. Prince George Lvov, and Paul Miliukov, both Liberals, were made, respectively, Premier and Foreign Minister of the Provisional Government, on March 15, 1917. On March 22 the United States formally recognized the Revolutionary Government of Russia,

The Provisional Government first declared Russia a republic, under a constitutional government, and announced itself as determined to continue the war against the Central Empires to a victorious conclusion. On May 13, 1917, the cabinet of the Revolutionary Government was reconstructed, and Alexander Kerensky, a Socialist, and previously Minister of Justice, became Premier and War Minister.

Kerensky attempted to reorganize the shattered Russian military forces and in the following July attempted an offensive against the Germans and Austrians. For a week this attempt seemed likely to succeed, then suddenly crumpled, because of the refusal of a large proportion of the troops to fight. The Russian peasants composing the Russian armies were exceedingly war weary and, moreover, under the encouragement of certain elements in the Council of Workingmen (and soldiers') Delegates, had begun to question the aims of the war.

It was this tendency in the minds of the soldiers which gave the ultra-Marxian Socialists, the extreme left of the Social Democrats, their opportunity, Under the leadership of Nikolai Lenin, leader of this faction of the extreme left, known as the Bolsheviki, an intensive propaganda was carried on among the soldiers for the overthrow of the Provisional Government and the establishment, in its place, of a Socialist Government which should be represented solely by the Council of Workingmen's and Soldiers' Delegates, better known as the Soviet. The Bolsheviki might not have succeeded in their plans, had it not been that in September General Kornilov, Commander-in-Chief, attempted to overthrow the Kerensky Government and proclaim a military dictatorship in its stead. Fear of a return of Czarism threw the rank and file of the army over to the Bolsheviki, and on Nov. 7, 1917, the Provisional Government was overthrown in Petrograd and the Soviet was proclaimed the supreme authority, with Lenin as Premier and Leon Trotzsky Minister of Foreign Affairs, Steps were at once taken to secure peace with Germany, at first a general peace, then, the Allies having refused to respond, a separate peace. On Dec. Rh