March 8, 1917: the February Revolution began in Russia

The revolution began when riots and strikes started in Petrograd over the shortage of food. Though it began in March, it was named as the February Revolution because of the Julian calendar that Russians still used at the time. The rule of the Czar was highly unpopular and by the start of 1917, many Russians had lost faith in the leadership qualities of the Czar. The Russian parliament was established after the Revolution of 1905; however, Czar Nicholas would dissolve it whenever it went against his will. But another significant cause for the start of the revolution was Russia’s involvement in WW1 which led to innumerable casualties and disruption of the economy.Finally, on March 8, 1917, the revolution began with protesters demanding bread and clashing with the police. The uprising began to spread and the army had to be called in. However, by March 12, the troops had begun to drift to the protesters cause.On March 15, just after a week since the revolution began, Czar Nicholas II abdicated the throne in favor of his brother, Michael. However, Michael refused to become the Czar and this brought an end to the centuries-old Czarist autocracy. You may also like : March 8 1010 – Persian Poet Ferdowsi Completes the Epic Shahnameh