11 October 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

Petrograd, Russian Republic

Rogosin told me a story of Kerensky. One day, some weeks ago, the little Tsarevitch was playing at Tsarskoe Selo with a toy gun that the Cossacks had presented him with in the old days and of which he was passionately proud, when an officious soldier took the toy from him “lest he should shoot the sentries.”

The boy cried bitterly, and a few days later when Kerensky and Polovtsov, then Commander-in-Chief of the Petrograd Military District, were visiting Tsarskoe and were being entertained to lunch by the Commandant, the latter asked what he should do in the matter. Kerensky allowed Polovtsov to reply first. Polovtsov said: “Give it back. After all, the child has no cartridges!” The great man Kerensky then spoke. He said: “No. That would be dangerous, for the feelings of the soldiers are aroused. It is better not to give the rifle back. The soldiers might not like it.

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John Reed

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10 October

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Map of the Royal dynasties of Europe

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Death of Rasputin. Murder conspiracy and its consequences

in Petrograd

+10

in Moscow