William Tyler
1917: Two Revolutions, One Year
Summary
The explosive year of 1917 witnessed the communist October Revolution in Russia that brought Lenin to power, which followed an earlier February Revolution which for a short period looked as though it would usher in a democratic Russia. Could a democratic Russia ever have succeeded or was Lenin always destined to win?
William Tyler
William Tyler has spent his entire professional life in adult education, beginning at Kingsgate College in 1969. He has lectured widely for many public bodies, including the University of Cambridge and the WEA, in addition to speaking to many clubs and societies. In 2009, William was awarded the MBE for services to adult education, and he has previously been a scholar in residence at the London Jewish Cultural Centre.
Yes, but they wanted Russia out of the war, because remember, in 1917, America enters the war, and so Germany is anxious to take Russia out of the war, or it can see it will be defeated. That’s why.
Well, because they simply got rid of it. They closed it down. This is not democracy. When the constituent assembly met, they accused it of being against, they accused it of being counterrevolutionary and closed it. And nobody could challenge them, why? Because they had armed groups on the streets. It’s a coup d'etat.
Some were shot as were the imperial family, others escaped, including his mother, Maria, Empress Dagmar, who was the sister of Alexandra. She was brought out by a British warship from the Black Sea. She came to London and she was such an appalling menace that George V got shot at her back to her family in Denmark. Well, in order to keep her there, George V provided money to his relatives in Denmark so that this woman would not come back to Britain.