n
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.

THE BOLSHEVIKI.--Bolsheviki (b[=o]l-sh[)e]v'e-kee) is the name given to the
extreme