The War and the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies in February-March 1917 Cover Image

Война и Петроградский Совет рабочих и солдатских депутатов в феврале–марте 1917 г.
The War and the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies in February-March 1917

Author(s): V. A. Ratchkovsky
Subject(s): History
Published by: Издательство Исторического факультета СПбГУ
Keywords: Petrograd Soviet of Workers ‘and Soldiers’ Deputies; February revolution; World War I; historiography

Summary/Abstract: The article gives a historiographical analysis of the way in which the war figured into the activity of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputes in February-March 1917. The author gives a detailed picture of this controversial issue by identifying the main stages in the emergence of historical works concerning this subject, especially focusing on the historiography of the “perestroika” period and the post-Soviet era. He pays special attention to poorly-understood aspects of Petrograd Soviet military affairs, particularly the resolution “Greetings to the Polish People”, the appeal “To the People of the World,” and others. Also it should be noted that the article discusses the opinions of direct participants of these events, for example, Nikolai Sukhanov. Similarly treated are the opinions of the chief rivals of the Mensheviks and Socialist-Revolutionaries who dominated in the Petrograd Soviet — the Bolsheviks and their leader Vladimir Lenin. The special aim of the article is to compare and evaluate the positions of participants in these events with those of major Soviet and Russian experts on the history of the revolutionary events of 1917. Special attention is likewise paid to the relationship between the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies and the Provisional Government, primarily in the context of the “war question” and the problems of peace.

  • Issue Year: 5/2015
  • Issue No: 12
  • Page Range: 39-47
  • Page Count: 9
  • Language: Russian