April 28: Bolsheviks organize Red Guard.
Early Apriclass="underline" All-Russian Consultation of Soviets convenes in Petrograd, constitutes All-Russian Central Executive Committee of Soviets (VTsIK or CEC).
May 1: CEC allows members to join Provisional Government.
Night of May 4–5: Formation of Coalition government under Lvov, with Kerensky Minister of War; six socialists enter cabinet.
May: Trotsky returns to Russia from New York.
June 3: First All-Russian Congress of Soviets opens.
June 10: Under CEC pressure, Bolsheviks give up idea of putsch.
June 16: Beginning of Russian offensive against Austria.
June 29: Lenin flees to Finland, where he remains until morning of July 4.
July 1: Provisional Government orders arrest of leading Bolsheviks.
July 2–3: Mutiny of 1st Machine Gun Regiment in Petrograd.
July 4: Bolshevik putsch quelled by release of information about Lenin’s dealings with the Germans.
July 5: Lenin and Zinoviev go into hiding, first in Petrograd, then (July 9) in the countryside near the capital, and finally (September) Lenin goes to Finland.
July 11: Kerensky Prime Minister.
July 18: Kornilov appointed Commander in Chief.
End of July: Sixth Congress of Bolshevik Party in Petrograd.
July 31: Nicholas and family depart for Tobolsk.
August 9: Provisional Government schedules elections to Constituent Assembly for November 12 and its convocation for November 28.
August 14: Moscow State Conference opens: Kornilov accorded tumultuous reception.
August 20–21: Russians abandon Riga to the Germans.
August 22: V. N. Lvov meets with Kerensky.
August 22–24: Savinkov in Mogilev, transmits to Kornilov Kerensky’s instructions.
August 24–25: Lvov sees Kornilov.
August 26: Lvov conveys to Kerensky Kornilov’s alleged “ultimatum”; Kerensky’s wire conversation with Kornilov; Lvov placed under arrest.
Night of August 26–27: Kerensky secures dictatorial powers from cabinet, dismisses Kornilov.
August 27: Kornilov pronounced traitor; Kornilov mutinies, calls on armed forces to follow him.
August 30: Provisional Government orders release of Bolsheviks still in prison for the July putsch.
September 10: Opening of Bolshevik-sponsored Third Regional Congress of Soviets in Finland.
September 12 and 14: Lenin writes Central Committee that time is ripe for a power seizure.
September 25: Bolsheviks win majority in Workers’ Section of Petrograd Soviet; Trotsky elected chairman of Soviet.
September 26: CEC, under Bolshevik pressure, agrees to convene Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets on October 20.
September 28–October 8: Germans occupy islands in the Gulf of Riga, threatening Petrograd.
September 29: Lenin’s third letter to Central Committee on power seizure.
October 4: Provisional Government discusses evacuation of Petrograd.
October 9: CEC, on Menshevik motion, votes to form military organization to defend capital (soon renamed Military-Revolutionary Committee).
October 10: Critical nighttime meeting of Bolshevik Central Committee in Petrograd, with Lenin present, votes in favor of armed power seizure.
October 11: Opening of Bolshevik-sponsored Congress of Soviets of the Northern Region in Petrograd; forms “Northern Regional Committee,” which issues invitations to Second Congress of Soviets.
October 16: Soviet approves creation of Military-Revolutionary Committee (Milrevkom).
October 17: CEC postpones Second Congress of Soviets to October 25.
October 20: Milrevkom dispatches “commissars” to military units in and near Petrograd.
October 21: Milrevkom convenes meeting of regimental committees, has it pass innocuous resolution, which it presents to Military Staff as calling for its countersignature on any orders issued to troops. Demand is rejected.
October 22: Milrevkom declares Military Staff to be “counterrevolutionary.”
October 23–24: Milrevkom carries on deceptive negotiations with Military Staff.
October 24: Units loyal to the government occupy key points in Petrograd, shut down Bolshevik newspapers; Bolsheviks react, take over much of Petrograd.
Night of October 24–25: Kerensky requests help from the front; Lenin, in disguise, makes his way to Smolnyi, where Bolshevik-sponsored Second Congress of Soviets is about to meet; Bolsheviks, using Milrevkom, complete occupation of the capital.
Morning of October 25: Kerensky escapes from Winter Palace to front in quest of military support; Lenin, in name of Milrevkom, declares the Provisional Government deposed, passage of power to soviets.
October 25: Unsuccessful attempts by Bolsheviks to capture Winter Palace, where government ministers await relief by loyal troops; in the afternoon, Trotsky opens Extraordinary Session of Petrograd Soviet; Lenin makes first public appearance since July 4; in Moscow, on Bolshevik motion, Soviet forms Military-Revolutionary Committee.
October 26: Troops of Moscow Milrevkom seize the Kremlin.
Night of October 25–26: Winter Palace falls, ministers arrested; Bolsheviks open Second Congress of Soviets.
Evening of October 26: Congress of Soviets passes Lenin’s decrees on Land and on Peace; authorizes formation of new Provisional Government: Council of People’s Commissars (Sovnarkom) with Lenin as chairman (Prime Minister); new, Bolshevik-dominated CEC appointed.
October 27: Second Congress of Soviets adjourns; opposition press outlawed (Press Decree).
October 28: Pro-government troops recapture Moscow Kremlin.
October 29: Union of Railroad Employees gives Bolsheviks ultimatum to broaden party composition of government; Kamenev agrees. Government announces it will issue laws without prior approval of Soviet Central Executive Committee. Union of Government Employees declares strike.
October 30: Clash between Cossacks and pro-Bolshevik sailors and Red Guards near Pulkovo; Cossacks withdraw. Union of Railroad Employees demands Bolsheviks quit government.
October 31–November 2: Fighting in Moscow, which ends with surrender of pro-government troops.
November 1–2: Bolshevik Central Committee rejects Union of Railroad Employees’ demands; Kamenev and four other commissars resign to protest Lenin’s refusal to compromise on broadening cabinet.
November 4: Critical encounter between Lenin and Trotsky and Central Executive Committee of Soviets: by manipulating vote, Sovnarkom obtains formal authority to legislate by decree.
November 9: Bolsheviks transmit their Peace Decree to Allied representatives, whose governments reject the call for an immediate armistice.
November 12: Elections to Constituent Assembly begin in Petrograd; they continue throughout unoccupied Russia until the end of the month. Socialists-Revolutionaries gain largest number of votes.
November 14: Bank employees refuse Sovnarkom’s requests for money.
November 15: First regular meeting of Bolshevik Sovnarkom.
November 17: Bolshevik troops break into State Bank, remove 5 million rubles.
November 20/December 3: Armistice negotiations begin at Brest-Litovsk; Soviet delegation headed by Ioffe.
November 22: Decree dissolving most courts and the legal profession; creation of Revolutionary Tribunals.
November 22–23: Establishment of Union for the Defense of the Constituent Assembly.
November 23/December 6: Russians and Central Powers agree on armistice.
November 26: Peasants’ Congress convenes in Petrograd.
November 28: Rump meeting of Constituent Assembly.
December: Supreme Council of the National Economy (VSNKh) created.
December 4: Bolsheviks and Left SRs break up Peasants’ Congress.
December 7: Cheka established.
December 9–10: Bolsheviks reach accord with Left SRs; Left SRs enter Sovnarkom and Cheka.
December 15/28: Brest talks adjourn.
December 27/January 9: Brest talks resume; Trotsky heads Russian delegation.