Chapter 655 Abdication
Ekaterina holds a grudge and has not forgiven the Queen Mother Maria to this day.
Ekaterina hates Alex even more than Maria, and she doesn’t even want to mention it.
George didn’t insist on going his own way. He didn’t want to go to St. Petersburg in the first place.
After the outbreak of the World War, military conferences were held every year in St. Petersburg. Every year, George proposed to focus on defense and not overly stimulate the Germans and let the Germans and the British and French forces consume each other.
It cannot be said that George's suggestions are useless. Every time at the meeting, the two Nicholas are very good.
But when it came to execution, the impulse in the Slavic character took over again, and George's reminder was forgotten.
In November last year, former Interior Minister Durnovo said pessimistically in an interview with reporters: Even if a responsible cabinet is now established, their victory will only be temporary due to the weakness and incompetence of the liberals.
Durnovo was right, but his words did not attract the attention of the aristocracy and the bureaucracy. In 1917, the situation continued to deteriorate.
By 1917, the number of young adults mobilized by the empire had reached 14 million, accounting for 46% of the working-age population——
This is only the working-age population, men under 20 years old, and men over 50 years old, who have not yet begun to mobilize.
In contrast, this year, Britain, France and Germany have relaxed the age of recruitment to 55 years old.
In just three years from 1914 to 1917, the number of horses in the empire decreased by 5 million, and the cultivated land decreased instead of increasing. The Russians described Nikolai as a spendthrift cook who threw the Russians like firewood. Enter the stove.
In order to whitewash its achievements, St. Petersburg focused on the progress of the Balkan Theater.
People were tired of the war. After the abolition of the death penalty, deserters appeared on a large scale. People in the rear even broke their own hands and feet in order to avoid military service.
This summer, Siberia had a bumper grain harvest. Interior Minister Protopopov said that throughout 1917, the empire did not have to worry about food problems.
This is indeed the case. George sold 1 billion francs worth of grain to the French last winter. This grain did not even need to be allocated from Siberia.
St. Petersburg is not short of food. In early February, St. Petersburg still had 500,000 poods in stock.
One pood is equivalent to approximately 16.38 kilograms.
On March 8, Nicholas returned to the base camp from St. Petersburg.
On the second day after Nikolai returned to his base camp, there was a large-scale walk in the streets of St. Petersburg. People shouted "Bread! Bread!" and the whole city was in commotion.
Since January, there have been rumors in St. Petersburg that food is about to run out, causing residents to panic buying.
Protopopov asked Khabarov, the commander of the St. Petersburg Military District, to issue an announcement asking people not to rush to buy food. The grain reserves in St. Petersburg are enough for the people of St. Petersburg.
But the problem is that Protopopov did not increase the market supply and allowed food shortages to occur in the market.
As early as March 4, workers at the Putilov factory went on strike.
On March 9, the walking crowd began to get out of control, and clashes broke out with the police who were maintaining the situation.
The cavalry and dragoons began to dispatch to assist the police in maintaining order.
Khabarov continued to issue announcements, telling people that there was enough food in St. Petersburg, but the food in the stores had been sold out.
The escort cavalry and dragoons at this time were very different from the Guards before the outbreak of the World War. They were all new recruits who had just entered the army and were easily influenced by the outside world.
Khabarov and Protopopov reported the situation in St. Petersburg to Chief of General Staff Alexeyev and Chief of Palace Guard Voyeikov respectively.
Alexeyev reported to Nikolai and demanded that stricter measures be taken immediately.
Nicholas was inspecting the front line that day, and it was already one o'clock in the morning when he returned to his residence. When Voyekov presented Alexeev's telegram to Nikolai, Nikolai said : I’m tired. No matter what happens, we’ll talk about it tomorrow.
On March 10, about 300,000 people poured into the streets. Neva Street was blocked with water. Traffic from Kazan Cathedral to the Admiralty was blocked. The Tafrida Palace, where the State Duma is located, was also angry. surrounded by crowds.
Both the Duma and the Council of Ministers are convening urgent meetings. The Council of Ministers is split. Some ministers headed by Protopopov want to follow Stolypin's example in dissolving the Duma, while other ministers hope to negotiate with the Duma. During the negotiations, the Duma came forward to appease the people.
Nicholas didn't get up until 9:30 in the morning that day, came to the headquarters at 11 o'clock, and drank tea with the Minister of Palace Affairs Frederikos until 12 o'clock.
At 1 p.m., Nikolay has lunch, then goes for a ride on a motorcycle, goes for a walk in the forest, picks mushrooms, has tea at 5 p.m., and has dinner at 7 p.m.
After dinner, Voyeikov finally found the opportunity to present Alexeyev's letter to Nikolai.
Nicholas called back to Khabarov: At this difficult time of war, there should be no chaos in the capital, and you are required to calm it down within tomorrow.
At 11 o'clock that night, Nikolai's personal doctor, Professor Fedorov, came to the base camp and wanted to tell Nikolai what happened in St. Petersburg.
Nicholas has rested, and an attendant general is nailing the picture frame on the stairs.
When Professor Fedorov expressed his intention to come, the attendant general disagreed and thought that Professor Fedorov suffered from "revolutionary phobia".
Nikolai’s telegram did not reach Khabarov until 9 o’clock in the evening.
Full of frustration, Khabarov complained to his adjutant: If the people say "we want bread," then give them bread; but now they demand the overthrow of the tsarist rule, how should I satisfy their demands?
Khabarov ordered the troops to disperse the crowds decisively if there are still people gathering tomorrow.
The scope of "decisive" includes shooting. At 10 o'clock that night, three red flares were launched from St. Petersburg, signaling a state of emergency.
The 11th is Sunday. Maybe people are tired from the walks in the past few days, but St. Petersburg is magically extraordinarily calm on this day.
Nicholas received a telegram from Alex at night and was very satisfied with the situation in St. Petersburg.
“Look, the situation has not reached a very difficult level.”
Nicholas took a routine walk after dinner, and he decided to return to St. Petersburg in a week.
On the night of the 11th, the Pavlov regiment belonging to the Guards revolted. Although the uprising was suppressed two hours later, Khabarov stayed up all night and did not fall asleep until four in the morning.
On the 12th, the situation continued to deteriorate, and more than 500,000 people took to the streets.
The Volynsky Regiment, Lithuanian Regiment, and Preobrazhensky Regiment of the Guards all refused to carry out the suppression order.
The Cossacks, who barely arrived at the crowd gathering site, also refused to shoot at the crowd.
The crowd shouted "Long live the Cossacks" and many Cossacks immediately joined the walking crowd.
Prison fires broke out and political prisoners were released.
At noon on the 12th, at the Tafrida Palace where the State Duma is located, the "Provisional Executive Committee" was established, and Chheidze was elected as the head of the committee.
On the afternoon of the 12th, Rodzianko called Nicholas, saying that the situation had worsened and measures must be taken immediately. Now was the last time to decide the fate of the empire.
It was only then that Nicholas realized the seriousness of the matter. He urgently assigned General Ivanov, the aide-de-camp, to lead the Georgiev regiment to return to St. Petersburg with artillery to stabilize the situation.
Sadly, not long after the George regiment left the base camp, more than half of the soldiers fled.
Ivanov ordered the troops to fire, but was ignored by all officers and soldiers.
The situation is deteriorating at a dizzying speed.
At noon on the 12th, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich found Khabarov, commander of the city defense of St. Petersburg, and asked Khabarov to immediately arrest Interior Minister Protopopov.
At this time Protopopov and all members of the Council of Ministers were trapped in the Marion Palace. When Khabarov produced an arrest warrant, Protopopov did not resist: Alas, what can I do? All I have to do is obey, now I'm just waiting to be shot.
At 6 o'clock in the evening, Goritsyn, chairman of the Council of Ministers, called Nikolai, announcing that the government was unable to cope with the situation and suggested that the government be dissolved immediately and a responsible government be established by a reputable person.
As for who is the reputable person, Goritsyn did not say.
On this day Alex sent three telegrams to Nicholas, asking Nicholas to return to St. Petersburg immediately to take charge of the overall situation.
At 7 o'clock in the evening, Nicholas held a meeting at the base camp to arrange work.
After the meeting, Nikolai sent a telegram to Goritsyn, asking Goritsyn to form a cabinet, and said that Ivanov would cooperate with Goritsyn's work.
At this time, Nicholas did not know Ivanov himself, but he had been killed by angry soldiers.
At 11 o'clock in the evening, Nikolai took the train back to St. Petersburg from the base camp.
150 miles away from St. Petersburg, Nikolai learned that the station ahead had been occupied by rebels, so Nikolai turned to another railway.
But this railway was also occupied by rebels.
Nicholas had no choice but to go to Pskov, where the Northern Army Headquarters was located.
At this time, the commander-in-chief of the Northern Army was replaced by Ruziski.
On March 14 (March 1 in the Russian calendar), Nikolai's special train arrived in Pskov.
On this day, the Vice Minister of the Navy, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, who had high hopes from Nicholas, came to Tafrida Palace and announced that he and the Royal Marines led by him , pledge allegiance to the Provisional Government and accept the command of the Provisional Government.
Kirill carried with him a declaration signed by three grand dukes: Kirill, Nikolai's brother Mikhail, and Nikolai's uncle. Paul.
This decision was no small matter. When the news came out, the remaining morale of the Guards completely collapsed.
At 11 o'clock in the evening, Nikolay received a telegram from Alexeyev, who requested the establishment of a responsible cabinet.
Nicholas agreed to transfer most powers to the responsible cabinet, but asked to retain the power to appoint the defense minister and foreign minister.
Alexeyev did not send a telegram to Nikolay.
That night, the telegraph room in Pskov stayed up all night. Almost all the Grand Duke and Imperial Ministers of St. Petersburg, including Nicholas Jr. who was far away in the Caucasus, sent telegrams to Nicholas requesting Nicholas immediately abdicated.
Ruzsky gave a large stack of telegrams to Nicholas, hoping that Nicholas would abdicate immediately.
Frederikos and Voyeikov were going crazy, and Voyeikov shouted that he wanted to arrest Ruzsky.
Nikolai took a long puff of cigarette, was silent for a while, stood up and made a sign of the cross on his chest: I accept the decision and pass the throne to Alexei.
(End of this chapter)