Teamwork

Russia was in a profound social, political and moral crisis by the end of 1916 and some form of revolution became inevitable. By 28 February, most of the local militia had joined the striking workers and others on the streets of St Petersburg.  The revolution started in Moscow.  Efforts by the chairman of State Duma, Mikhail Rodzianko, to implement constitutional government get no traction.  A few days' earlier, he wrote to the Tsar warning that, "The situation is serious. The capital is in a state of anarchy .. there must be no delay.  Any procrastination is tantamount to death."  Nicholas response: " .. again, this fat Rodzianko has written me lots of nonsense, to which I shall not even deign to reply."  Bad move.

The French ambassador, Maurice Paleologue, captured the moment when events started turning: “I heard a strange, drawn-out rumbling that seemed to be coming from the Alexandrovsky bridge,” he wrote. “I looked: the bridge, usually so full of life, was empty. But almost immediately a rowdy crowd with red banners appeared on the right bank of the Neva as a regiment of soldiers hurried towards them from the other end. It seemed as if they would clash. But instead both masses merged into one. Soldiers fraternised with the rebels.”