him.

Trepov, who had shown his sympathy for the executioners of Rasputin,
was removed. So were the Ministers of War and Marine, who had declared
themselves for the people. Black reactionaries and pro-Germans were
placed in their posts. Then he began arresting all the labor leaders
who were agitating against strikes and demonstrations and in favor of
prosecuting the war, leaving his own hirelings, who were preaching
strikes and revolution, to continue their efforts unharmed. This was
about the most obviously significant act he had yet committed. Then
the food-supply trains arriving daily in Petrograd were deliberately
halted in the provinces and the population drifted on to the verge of
actual famine.

Then Protopopoff's efforts, in the early days of March, 1917, began to
bear fruit. In spite of the warnings of the few loyal labor leaders
still at liberty, the workers began to grumble and to talk revolt.
Their stomachs were empty. On February 27, 1917, when the Duma went
into session again, 300,000 workingmen had gone out on strike in
Petrograd. The air was charged with electricity. Everybody realized
that the critical moment was approaching: the final battle between the
dark forces and the people.

On March 1, 1917, the only two leaders of the labor organizations
which supported the Duma issued an appeal exhorting the workers to
return to work.

And this appeal in favor of order and law was censored by the
Government.

Further proof of the treachery of Protopopoff were not needed; this
was the most convincing which had yet appeared.

During the first week of March, 1917, the unrest among the populace
continued growing, and the Duma and the labor leaders felt themselves
regarding the situation helplessly. Small riots occurred and martial
law was immediately declared. Food was so scarce that even the wealthy
were starving.

But Protopopoff had made one mistake: he was also starving the troops
garrisoning Petrograd.

On March 9, 1917, the street railways ceased running on account of a
strike of the street railway men. The streets were full of excited
crowds, though as yet no violence had been committed. Cossacks and
soldiers also patrolled the thoroughfares, while squads of police were
on the housetops, covering the street corners with machine guns.
Protopopoff wanted revolution, but he did not mean to allow it to
succeed. All he wanted was a few days of violent disorder, a prolonged
Red Sunday, during which a