5 August 1917. Alfred Knox

Non-fiction

Project 1917 is a series of events that took place a hundred years ago as described by those involved. It is composed only of diaries, letters, memoirs, newspapers and other documents

Alfred Knox

After the rising of July 16th and 17th, General Polovtsev, the Gommander-in-Chief of the district, received a cipher telegram from Kerenski, who was at the front, telling him that he would return on a certain day and that he wanted the streets lined with loyal troops from the station to the Winter Palace. The little Socialist Minister wished, no doubt, to thank the men as he drove past in triumph. The order was issued, and, of course, instantly became known in the Sovyet, where it occasioned no small commotion. The Minister of Labour, Skobelev, hurried to the District Staff to implore Polovtsev to cancel instructions which he thought had been issued solely to curry favour with the Minister of War. When he saw the telegram, he drove at once to the Council of Ministers and whispered the news to Tseretelli, who was beside himself, as he had for long foreseen a Napoleon arising from every bush to destroy the “ beautiful fabric of the Revolution.” At length Prince Lvov was appealed to, and proved, as ever, accommodating. He wrote across the order : “ These instructions are not to be carried out,” and the situation was saved.

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Nikolai Wrangel

Petrograd, Russian Empire

Kerensky seems to be above the law, despite the fact that these winners fought for overruling anarchy with the Law.

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Joseph Stalin

Petrograd, Russian Empire

The victory of counter-revolution is fragile and short-lived. Our future lies with a new revolution. Only the rule of the people can give peasants their land, fix the country’s economy and secure the peace that all the suffering people of Europe need so much.

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Alfred Knox

Petrograd, Russian Empire

I had heard a lot about the “wonderful Russian spirit” since the Revolution, but that I thought less of it since I had seen crowds of able-bodied men lounging, chewing sunflower seeds every day, and watching women train to fight while they shirked their duty. I had never seen or heard of any tribe in India or elsewhere which allowed its women to do its fighting.

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Nicholas II

Tsarskoye Selo, Russian Empire

During the night it rained, and the day was considerably fresher. During the day we worked on the small path; we cut down and sawed up two small fir trees. Alix sat with us in the forest. After dinner, the Benckendorf couple visited us. During the evening The Luck of the Vails.

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Maria Feodorovna with Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna

Ai-Todor, Crimea, Russian Empire

My beautiful Chifu died last night. What grief! Both my Cossaks were very compassionate, they brought her to me in a basket. We buried my beautiful Chifu after tea.

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