During the war the Germans by means of bribery and plotting did all they could to weaken the authority of the Russian government.  There existed, moreover, much corruption and disloyalty among high Russian officials.  As the war dragged on a shortage of food added to the general discontent.  By the early months of 1917, conditions were very bad indeed, and dissatisfied crowds gathered in the streets of Petrograd.  Hunger and hardship had made them desperate, and they refused to disperse until the government should do something to relieve the situation.  Regiments of soldiers were summoned to fire upon the crowd.  They refused to do so and finally joined the mob.  Thus began the Russian Revolution.

At a meeting of the revolutionists a group of soldiers and working men was selected to call upon the Duma and ask that body to form a temporary government.  Another committee was sent to inform Nicholas II that he was deposed.  Messages were sent to the armies to notify the generals that there was no longer a Russian Empire and that they were to take their orders thereafter from the representatives of the Russian people.  Within a few days the revolution was complete.  On March 15, the Czar signed a paper giving up the throne of Russia.  Moderate reformers were placed in charge of the different departments of the government.  The new government was recognized by the United States, Great Britain, France, and Italy.  It looked as if the revolution had established a free government for Russia and that thenceforth, as a democratic nation, she would fight better than ever by the side of her allies.  In all the Russian provinces, elections were called for choosing delegates to an assembly that should make a new constitution for Russia.

RUSSIA UNDER KERENSKY.—­Meanwhile the extreme socialists began at once to make trouble for the new government.  These men for the most part owned no property and wanted all wealth equally divided among the entire population.  They considered the new government as tyrannical as that of the Czar had been.  They also favored an immediate peace.  Chief among the moderate leaders during this period was Alexander Keren’sky.  He saw the necessity of keeping the revolution within bounds.  For a while he was strong enough to maintain a moderate government in spite of the opposition of the extreme socialists.  The Germans, meanwhile, through spies and secret agents, had been spreading among the Russian soldiers the idea that Germany was really their friend and that it was to their interest to stop fighting and retreat.  Kerensky personally visited the battle front in Galicia, and for a time by means of his rousing speeches to the soldiers kept up their fighting spirit.  New advances were made, the Germans and Austrians being driven back many miles.  Lemberg itself seemed about to fall once more into the hands of the Russians.  But this success was only temporary.  Owing to the shortage of ammunition and the rapid spread of peace sentiments among the troops, the Russian army became disorganized and retreated from Galicia.