February Revolution Historiography
Liberal historians believe the revolution took place because of the people. It was
unorganised (ordinary people were protesting about different issues) and spontaneous
Soviet historians before Glasnost believed it was the growing pressure from the
proletariat and peasants that led to the collapse of Tsarism. They believe the peasants
and workers were acting in the name of Bolshevism
Revisionist historians believe in the revolution from below, that it took place
because of the workers, peasants and soldiers
Robert Service (Revisionist) “It was the workers and soldiers and not the
administrators, generals, ambassadors and businessmen who took action and a
revolution needs action”
Orland Figes (Revisionist) “The soldiers not the workers of Petrograd proved
decisive in the outcome of the February Revolution”
Edward Acton (Revisionist) “what assured the victory of the insurrection was not the
workers movement but the soldiers mutiny”
Beryl Williams (Revisionist) “Ten days of popular demonstrations, political
manoeuvring and army mutiny developed into a revolution which no-one expected,
planned or controlled”
Orland Figes “the mutiny of the soldiers turned disorder into revolution”
Richard Pipes “The true protagonist, the army”
Dmitri Volkogonov “The two chief causes of the February Revolution were an
unsuccessful war and a weak government