February 23
March
1
The Provisional Government restores some rights of the Seim of Finland.
March
2
March
2
March
2
March
2
March
3
March
4
March
7
March
12
March
16
March
23
April
2
April
3-4
April
18
April
24-29
May
5
May
2
May
4-28
The first meeting of the Provisional Government appointed General Lavr Kornilov Commander-in-Chief of the Petrograd Military District instead of General Sergey Khabalov, who had been arrested.
The Central Rada [council] is established in Kiev as a representative body of Ukrainian political, social, cultural, and professional organizations, chaired by Mikhail Hrushevsky.
April
29
The position of Minister of War and Navy in the first Provisional Government was taken by Aleksander Guchkov, the leader of the Octobrist Party.
Nicholas II signs the Manifesto on abdication (for himself and on behalf of his son Alexey) in favor of his younger brother, Grand Prince Mikhail Aleksandrovich (in Pskov).
The abdication of Grand Duke Mikhail Aleksandrovich (“refusal to take over the supreme power until the establishment of the way of government and new basic laws of the Russian state by Constituent Assembly”).
The death penalty is abolished in Russia. The order of the Army and Navy abolished previously established court-martials.
The Minister of War and Navy Aleksander Guchkov resigns.
The Provisional Government recognizes the right of Poland to independence on condition of a “free military alliance” with Russia.
The Foreign Minister Pavel Milyukov resigns.
The All-Russian Soviet (Congress of Soviets) of Peasant Deputies is held in Petrograd. Under the leadership of the Socialist Revolutionaries (SRs) the Congress expressed support of the coalition Provisional Government and its policies. At the end of the Congress, the SR Nikolay Avksentyev was elected Chairman of the Executive Committee of All-Russian Soviet of Peasant Deputies.
The first coalition Provisional Government is established, participated in by representatives of socialist parties: SRs (Minister of War and Navy Alexander Kerensky, Minister of Agriculture Viktor Chernov); the Mensheviks (Minister of Posts and Telegraphs Irakli Tsereteli, Minister of Labor Mikhail Skobelev); People’s Socialists (Minister of Food Supplies Aleksey Peshekhonov).
The Ukrainian Central Rada adopts the First Universal (basic law), which proclaims the autonomy of Ukraine.
The People’s Socialist Party and the Labor Group unite into the Labor Popular-Socialist Party.
Prince Georgy Lvov resigns, the post of Minister-Chairman of the Provisional Government is taken over by Alexander Kerensky (retaining the post of Minister of War and Navy).
The Provisional Government dissolves the Seim of Finland, which proclaimed the country’s independence during the July political crisis (July 5).
Alexander Kerensky forms the second coalition Provisional Government. Most of the posts in the new cabinet are held by representatives of moderate socialist parties.
The 6th Congress of the Bolshevik Party in Petrograd (outlines a course for an armed uprising, the slogan “All Power to the Soviets” is suspended).
The State Conference in Moscow, an all-Russian political forum, is convened by the Provisional Government to strengthen state power by relying on the organized forces of the country. The meeting was attended by deputies of the State Duma of all convocations, representatives of trade and industrial circles, soviets, city councils, zemstvos, cooperatives, trade unions, various public organizations. General Lavr Kornilov delivered a speech demanding to strengthen discipline in the Army.
The Polish National Committee based in Lausanne is founded in order to re-establish independent Poland. Soon, its headquarters moved to Paris. The organization relied on the Entente countries for support.
Lavr Kornilov, Commander of the 8th Army of the Southwestern Front, issues an order On the formation of the 1st Strike Force Detachment (from August, the 1st Kornilov Strike Force Detachment). Strike force units are beginning to form on a volunteer basis within the Field Army at the initiative of Commander of the South-Western Front, General Aleksey Brusilov. In the context of revolution, strike force units were to counteract the collapse of the front, the disintegration of the Army, fraternization, etc. Subsequently, many "strike force members" took part in the White movement.
General Aleksey Brusilov is appointed Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army instead of General Mikhail Alekseyev.
The offensive of the Russian Army (Supreme Commander-in-Chief Aleksey Brusilov). After the first successful days, the offensive ended in heavy defeats at the front.
The death penalty at the front is restored (one of the initiators is Commander-in-Chief of the armies of the Southwestern Front, Lavr Kornilov).
June
3–24
June
10
June
18
June 18
–
July 2
June
21-23
July
2
July
3-5
July
7
July
12
July
18
July
19
July
24
July 26
–
August 3
August
15
May
19
May
22
August
August
12–15
August
19-26
The “Unity” Congress of the RSDLP in Petrograd. As a result, the RSDLP included almost all social democratic groups in its composition, except for those that became part of the RSDLP (b). The party became known as the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party (United) – RSDLP (o).
Alexander Kerensky founds the Directorate ("Council of Five"), a temporary emergency body of the supreme power, entrusted with “the management of state affairs until the formation of the cabinet”.
Russia is proclaimed a democratic republic.
The Bolshevik Leon Trotsky is elected as chairman of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies.
The Constitution of the Kingdom of Poland (or the Regency Kingdom of Poland) (a puppet state founded by Germany and Austria-Hungary on the occupied Russian territory of the Kingdom of Poland) is adopted. The constitution provided for a monarchy, a bicameral parliament. September 18 saw the Regents’ Council formed as the interim government of Poland.
The All-Russian Democratic Conference is convened in Petrograd, a political forum of representatives of soviets, dumas, zemstvos, trade unions, and other public organizations in order to strengthen the democratic revolutionary power. The Conference resulted in the establishment of the Provisional Council of the Russian Republic (Pre-Parliament) as an advisory body under the Provisional Government.
The third coalition Provisional government is formed by Alexander Kerensky.
The All-Russian Committee for the Salvation of the Motherland and the Revolution is established.
Soviet power is established in Ivanovo-Voznesensk (October 25), Revel, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Ufa, Ryazan (October 26), Vitebsk, Vladimir, Yaroslavl, Samara, Saratov, Tsaritsyn, Izhevsk (October 27), Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Tver, Syzran (October 28), Krasnoyarsk, Kostroma (October 29), Voronezh, Krasnovodsk (October 30), Smolensk (October 31), Pskov, Tashkent (November 1), Minsk, Baku (November 2) and other towns and cities.
Ataman Aleksander Dutov issues order on non-recognition of the Bolshevik power in the territory of the Orenburg Cossack Host. On the next day, Dutov announced that he would take over “the entire executive state power” until the “restoration of the powers of the Provisional Government”.
The Vikzhel issues an Ultimatum [Vikzhel is the All-Russian Executive Committee of the Railway Workers’ Trade Union] demanding to form a “homogeneous” socialist government under the threat of a general railroad strike. October 29 saw conferences of the Bolsheviks and other socialist parties, which proved a failure after a few days.
August
26-31
August
30
September
1
September
1
September
9
September
12
September
14-22
September
25
October 24–26
October
25-27
October
25-26
October 25
–
November 2
The end of October
–
the beginning of November
October
29
October
27
General Lavr Kornilov and his closest associates are arrested at the Stavka [Headquarters] (those arrested were sent to Bykhov town prison of Mogilyov governorate, where they were held until November 1917).
The failed Junker mutiny in Petrograd, organized by the Committee for the Salvation of the Motherland and the Revolution.
October
26
October 26
–
November 1
Soviet power is established in Irkutsk (November 9), Gomel (November 17), Mogilyov (November 18), Chelyabinsk (November 20), Petropavlovsk (November 22), Perm, Novgorod (November 23), Orel (November 25), Kursk (November 26), Kaluga, Samarkand (November 28), Saratov, Vladivostok (November 29), Omsk (November 30).
The Council of People’s Commissars (SNK) adopts the Declaration of Rights of Peoples of Russia proclaiming the equality and sovereignty of the peoples of Russia, their rights to free self-determination including the right to secession.
The Don Ataman General Aleksey Kaledin declares non-recognition of the Bolshevik authorities by the Don Host Government. The Don Host Oblast is proclaimed independent until the formation of a legitimate Russian government.
The Central Rada in Kiev establishes the Ukrainian People’s Republic (UPR).
The All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK) and the Council of People’s Commissars (SNK) adopt “Regulations on workers’ control” to extend the power of factory committees to production.
The anti-Bolshevik Transcaucasian Commissariat (coalition government) is formed in Tiflis to organize resistance to the Bolsheviks in Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.
The Bashkir central Shuro (regional council) adopts a resolution on the autonomy of Bashkurdistan (“the Bashkir territories of Orenburg, Ufa, Samara, and Perm governorates” are declared “an autonomous part of the Russian republic”).
The 1st (founding) Congress of the Party of Left Socialist Revolutionaries (PLSR) in Petrograd.
The Union for the Defense of the Constituent Assembly is formed in Petrograd.
The independence of Finland is proclaimed by the Finnish Seim.
The Turkestan (Kokand) autonomy is proclaimed by the 4th All-Turkestan Kurultai [Congress] of Muslims in Kokand.
November
November 2
November 7
November 7
November 12
November 14
November
15
November
15
November
19-28
November
20
November
23
November 23 (December 6)
November
27
The Decree of the Council of People’s Commissars (SNK) on the arrest of the leaders of counter-revolutionary civil war (aimed against the Constitutional Democratic Party).
Soviet power established in Novorossiysk, Vyatka (December 1), Ashkhabad (December 5), Tomsk (December 6), Skobelev (Fergana), Tula, Barnaul (December 7), Kharkov, Simbirsk (December 10), Khabarovsk (December 12), Novonikolaevsk (December 13), Sevastopol (December 16), Penza (December 22), Kustanay (December 25), Akmolinsk (December 27), Yekaterinoslav (December 29), Irkutsk (December 30).
The Left SRs’ representatives enter the Council of People’s Commissars (approved by VTsIK on December 12).
November
28
December
Early December
The Supreme Council of the National Economy (VSNKh) is established as the supreme governing body of Soviet Russia's economy.
The Moldavian Democratic Republic (Moldavian People’s Republic) as part of the future Russian Federal Democratic Republic is proclaimed by the Sfatul Țării (National Council) on the territory of the former Bessarabian governorate of the Russian Empire.
The Council of People’s Commissars (SNK) recognizes Ukraine's right to self-determination and the formation of the Ukrainian People’s Republic.
The 2nd Congress of the Alash Party. Alash autonomy is declared as the Kazakh national-territorial autonomy.
The All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counter-Revolution and Sabotage (VChK) is established under the chairmanship of Felix Dzerzhinsky.
The Ukrainian People’s Republic of Soviets is proclaimed by the 1st All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets in Kharkov.
The Decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK) on the nationalization of banks.
December
2
December
4
December
5-13
December
14
December
7
December
11
Rostov-on-Don is captured by Aleksey Kaledin’s Don Cossacks and armed formations under the command of General Mikhail Alekseyev.
December
2
December
18(31)
The Council of People’s Commissars (SNK) recognizes the independence of Finland.
December
18
Generals Aleksey Kaledin, Mikhail Alekseyev, and Lavr Kornilov conclude the so-called “triumvirate”, which took the helm at the Don Civil Council (Novocherkassk) established to lead the White movement and claiming the position of the All-Russian government.
