Revolution!: A 1917 Russia Game (Gameplay Thread)

[KaiserDave]

[1]

Tsar Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of all the Russians calmly smoked and arranged the dominoes on his desk as the Imperial Train chugged towards Petrograd. Minister of the Court the bewhiskered Woldemar Freedericksz read back the Tsar's directions to General Ivanov on bringing order to the capital.

"Yes good, you can dispatch that to General Alekseyev at the next station." Nicholas nodded and put his cigarette back into his mouth.

"With respect your majesty, would it not be wise to wait until you've discussed this matter with the cabinet?" asked the Imperial Court Minister, trepidatiously.

"I have no wish Count, to arrive in Petrograd only to be arrested by a wild horde of drunken anarchists. Besides, I have my family to think of."

The train began to stop, as the gears of the great undercarriage began to grind and slow. "Why are we stopping, we've only just reached Pskov?" The Emperor looked out the window see two dozen cossack cavalry and a gaggle of infantry, with several suited men and officers with their tall sheepskin hats. He waited, calmly smoking and playing dominoes as Count Freedericksz went out to speak with the delegation. The men soon entered the train, and soon, the door to his car opened. An officer, who Nicholas knew, as Nikolai Ruzsky, and a few suited politicians, who Nicholas identified as Guchkov and V. Shulgin entered.

"General Ruzsky?" asked the Emperor. Ruzsky saluted, and soberly began to speak.

"Your Imperial Majesty, I am here your majesty I am here at the request of the delegates of the Duma, and the Cabinet of Ministers of the provisional government." Nicholas looked up from the dominoes, puzzled.

"But I gave orders for the Duma to be dissolved three days ago?" Ruzsky continued, in the same sober, serious tone.

"And the express command of General Alekseyev, in the view of the immense gravity of the political situation, and the grave threat of civil war, to request your majesty abdicate the throne immediately. Representatives of the government are here to present your majesty with the necessary documents."

Nicholas looked up, and after a silent pause, calmly spoke, slowly.

"I do not quite understand the position of a monarch who reigns but does not govern. I have sworn a duty before God to serve my country and accept responsibility for state affairs. If I agree to curtail or relegate that power, I may relinquish control of the country's affairs but I cannot evade responsibility for them, even if I wish it, even if I would wish it." Nicholas paused again, staring softly at the General, and put out his cigarette. "I cannot see to your request." Ruzsky, perhaps expecting an emotional or upset response, paused. And spoke again.

"Then sir, the Duma will not request, but demand." Ruzsky's heart dropped just to say the words out loud. Nicholas didn't speak, not for several seconds. He didn't clench his fist or slam anything, but he just sat in silence. He got up slowly and motioned his hand to the delegation.

"Exuse....excuse me..." Nicholas walked to his private compartment and went to the window, where he looked into the vast snowy expanse, and crossed himself.

The Russian Revolution was in full swing.



Welcome to Revolution!, let's get started, here are some helpful links, and I will reserve the next post, for reasons that will become apparent. You will need that post to be written before you can post much.

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[1] Wikimedia Commons

[KaiserDave]

This will be a routine post you'll see a lot, indicating a new turn. It will include questions and dilemmas for each character. You do not need to satisfy these, but they will help guide your character. You can do anything in your turn, naturally within the bounds of your character and the rules I outlined earlier.

TURN I: The Date is March 17th, 1917

The Tsarist older has fallen, and the revolution is underway. The future of Russia is more uncertain than ever. Questions abound everywhere on the future of the nation. These are the men and women who will prove crucial in the future of Russia.

Vladimir Lenin
Comrade Lenin, the revolution has finally begun in Russia! The only question know is whether Kerensky, Chernov, and there fellow bourgeois bunglers make it a liberal one, or whether a true proletarian revolution can occur as Marx laid out. The Bolsheviks in Russia are at work, but they can't do it alone. But here you are, stuck in Switzerland. An agent from Russia says that he has a plan involving Marxist businessman Alexander Parvus and sealed train through Germany, but would potential association with the hated Germans be worth a return to Russia?

Leon Trotsky
At last Comrade Trotsky, the revolution in Russia is in full swing. But in order for the proletariat to truly mobilize, Marxists like yourself must be there on the ground, with the people. But you alas, are in New York City, the veritable capital of global capitalism. So, I suppose, it's simply a question of buying a boat ticket?

Felix Dzerzhinsky
Your legs ache and cramp as you exit Moscow Butyrka at long last. The chains released, you are finally a free man. You've been in and out of Tsarist prisons forever, but now, it is over. The question is, what now? You have always planned to organize Polish refugees in Russia and return to your homeland with a red flag, but you are intrigued by this Bolshevik organization. It is up to you.

Josef Stalin
At last! The endless cycle of exile is over, and you are well on your way, via rail, to Petrograd, where the fervor of revolution awaits. Already, there are plans to start printing the Bolshevik paper, Pravda, with fellow former exile Lev Kamenev to agitate the people and gain support in the Soviet, now the only question is, what to print?

Julius Martov
It is cruel that when the red banners are finally flying in Russia, you are in bourgeois Zürich. With your old friend but bitter ideological opponent Vladimir Lenin and over two dozen other socialists of all stripes. Already you are horrified by other Mensheviks like Nikolay Chkheidze and Irakli Tsereteli (both influential in the Soviet) advocating for continuing the war "against German imperialism." Have they read any Marx? Any war carried out by a capitalist power is imperialist! Surely you must return to Russia before they hijack the revolution and your party. There is a potential plan to return to Russia with German help, but until then, you are left to right articles and editorials as always.

Maria Spiridonova
The sun shines with freedom, not oppression, on you, as you are released from the Akatuy prison on Lake Baikal. It will be a long journey back to the west, but it is an essential one to partake in the revolution. Until then, enjoy the view from the train Comrade Spiridonova. Do not worry about food at Siberia's small stations, the local peasantry revere you almost as a Saint for your services to them.

Viktor Chernov
At last, the revolution! Now the question of land can finally be resolved. You have been the principal theoretician behind the SRs for years, now it is time to implement policy. The Agriculture Ministry is filled for now, but it is likely that Prince Lvov will seek you to secure SR support for his government. Now the question is for you, what land policies are you to propose. The Provisional Government has declared the land question must be solved by legislation, not coercive force. So...what legislation?

Alexander Kerensky
Your fearsome condemnations of the Tsar and his government of toadies and lackeys has finally borne fruit. The revolution has begun. You have already earned more supporters for signing the orders releasing thousands of political prisoners and establishing new rights and liberties that would have been utterly shocking under the old order. But already cracks are showing in the new order between the power of the Petrograd Soviet, and the power of the government. You are the only member of the government who is also active in the Soviet. How will you approach this division, on land, on the future constituent assembly, and on the war?

Pavel Milyukov
You were the last one who wanted to see the monarchy abolished. But here we are, with the chance of another Romanov Emperor increasingly slim. But you have always been a dedicated reformer, so much so that it was you and your party the Tsarist police often feared most, not the socialists. But now you are Foreign Minister, and power is in your hand. The primary question for your office is the issue of the war. What will Russia say to her allies, will she continue to fight the war?

Georgy Lvov
So you are the one put in charge of managing the new government. Unlucky, unlucky indeed. Russia is in quite the situation. Famine, violence, a war going disastrously, and chaos and revolution everywhere. A Soviet of Worker's and Soldiers Deputies has arguably more power than in the capital than the government! There are cries for land reform, cries for peace, cries for bread. It will be up to you to resolve these questions and preserve the stability of the government. Fortunately, for the moment you have goodwill and much respect. For your sake, and for Russia's, let's hope you keep it. May God be with you.

Alexander Guchkov
Oh dear. It's been a difficult few days. The Tsar abdicated, and you, arrested and threatened with execution by rabid mutineers and revolutionaries. Fortunately, your position in the government has allowed you to free yourself. But things remain difficult, the Octobrist Party has effectively ceased to exist, and conservatism is on the run. But you are Minister of War, and from there you can continue to fight for a strong Russia.

Mikhail Rodzianko
You did everything you could for the salvation of Russia. You counseled the Tsar against the company of the charlatan Rasputin, you advised the Tsar to keep the Duma open, you urged him to undertake necessary reforms, but he did not listen. Now the monarchy is all but dead. You are no longer Chair of the Duma or Prime Minister. But you still have a role to play, Alexander Guchkov is War Minister, and if Russia turns against the excesses of the revolution, perhaps you two can turn the tide back, and build a stronger Russia.

Aleksei Brusilov
Your offensive, while praised by many for it's innovation and precision, was the last breath of the Russian Army. What could have been a drive all the way to Vienna was instead a bitter pyrrhic victory. Nevertheless you find yourself highly respected, and one of the highest generals in Russia. You encouraged the Tsar to abdicate for the good of the country, but the state of the country remains quite bad. The front remains in disarray, the army in mutiny, and the major cities in chaos. With Russia on the brink, you may be called to do your duty to the motherland. What will that be?

Lavr Kornilov
Nobody could have predicted how fast you would be thrust into the center of revolutionary politics. You have been put in direct command of all the troops in and around Petrograd, you have already taken measures to place the Imperial Family under arrest at the Alexander Palace, under guard by revolutionary soldiers. Your power in the capital is great, and you may be at the center of key decision making, who knows how far you could go. But for now, the troops in the capital are ill-disciplined, and caught up in the revolutionary spirit. Before anything can be done, they must be brought in line. But the government will need to help.

Roman von Ungern-Sternberg
Horror. That is the word. Horror as Great Rus' falls into anarchy. Horror as her Holy Tsar is humiliated and betrayed. Horror as her proud army is turned into a gaggle of drunken mutineers. But what can you do? You are a lowly cavalry officer fighting the Turks. Luckily, fellow cavalryman cossack Captain Grigory Semyonov agrees with you, and has been theorizing about organizing a Christian Assyrian regiment as an example to the rest of the army. After that, who knows what comes next?

Vladimir Purishkevich
What a disaster. Holy Russia, your beloved motherland betrayed and attacked by an insane coalition of British agents, socialists, liberals, and Judeo-Masonics. The Petrograd Soviet openly dictating policy. Your proud Black Hundreds, sponsored and supported by the government for so long, now paralyzed. Countless Black Hundredists have been arrested, or worse. The main newspapers have been shutdown. Fortunately, you have been tolerated by the new government. Hopefully you can worm your way into government and work to end this disaster. The main Black Hundredist newspapers have been shut down, so perhaps the first question will be rebranding and restarting you media operation.

The Cabinet of the Provisional Government of the Russian Empire (players in bold)
Prime Minister: Georgy Lvov (Kadet)
Minister of the Interior: Georgy Lvov (Kadet)
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Pavel Milyukov (Kadet)
Minister of Justice: Alexander Kerensky (SR-Trudovik)
Minister of War and Navy: Alexander Guchkov (Octobrist)
Minister of Transport: Nikolai Nekrasov (Kadet)
Minister of Trade and Industry: Aleksandr Konovalov (Progressist)
Minister of Finance: Mikhail Tereshchenko (Independent)
Minister of Education: Andrei Manuilov (Kadet)
Minister of Agriculture: Andrei Shingarev (Kadet)
Minister of Labour: Vacant
Minister of Food: Vacant
Minister of Post and Telegraph: Vacant
Ober-Procurator of the Most Holy Synod: Vladimir Lvov (Progressist)

All photos from Wikimedia Commons

[KaiserDave]

You do not need to satisfy these, but they will help guide your character. You can do anything in your turn, naturally within the bounds of your character and the rules I outlined earlier.

TURN I: The Date is April 17th, 1917

The dust is starting to settle on Russia with the aftermath of the fall of the Tsar. But there is an unbelievable amount of intrigue under the surface, as rival factions vie for power. Now we ask, what comes next?

Vladimir Lenin
Comrade Lenin, crowds and bands cheer and play as you arrive in Petrograd's Finland station. Parvus's plan has been pulled off to perfection. You, the other Bolsheviks and Mensheviks, have all arrived in Petrograd healthy and unharmed. So now you have arrived in Petrograd, and what have you found? A Provisional Government of bourgeois liberals, and a Soviet dominated by defencists who want to continue the war, this cannot continue. You must not let it!

Leon Trotsky
Back in Russia! Yes, back in Russia. Despite trouble in Nova Scotia, you have returned to the homeland. Now the question is whether to further ingratiate yourself with the Bolshevik faction in the Soviet, or return back to your old comrades in the Mensheviks. But these days the line between the two is blurred more than ever since 1903. So must you pick a side?

Felix Dzerzhinsky
Same as last turn

Josef Stalin
Your articles are the talk of the city. Readers of Pravda are engaged in intense discussion over your writings, which many view as inflammatory. Others view it as a needed call for revolution. Your writings continue to be important, but now that Lenin is back, you will need to more closely coordinate with him, especially in regards to the internal politics of the Soviet.

Julius Martov
It was a bit strange to be so chummy with Lenin at Finland station, given your past, but for better or worse the crowds loved it, and word is out that the schism is being mended (regardless of the truth of claim). Now the question is, keep working with Lenin, or draw lines between the two of you? There is also the problem of the Defencists. The problem being that they are everywhere! And people still aren't using the phrase "Left-Social Democrat" instead of Menshevik. Much to do!

Maria Spiridonova
The road to Moscow is long, but it is not infinite. Your train has passed Samara, and it will soon enter the city. The Congress of the SRs is soon, and it will be your job to help lead the more militant, truly revolutionary Social Revolutionary faction. In that job, there are many placing their trust in you to represent the true spirit of the revolution. The spirit of peasants, so long toiling and so long oppressed, and the spirit of the radicals who brought down an Emperor.

Viktor Chernov
Fortunately, Foreign Minister Milyukov has interceded on your behalf and asked the British government to send you to Russia. And they have. You have arrived, safe and healthy in Petrograd. It's a wonderful feeling to be back in the Russian homeland, but there is much to work to do. The Congress of SRs is coming, and your pressure campaign on the issue of land must be waged. As the leading thinker of the SRs, much is up to you.

Alexander Kerensky
As Justice Minister, you have already taken positions well to the left of many in the government, including the Chairman. However the government still relies on you as a liaison to the Soviets. You must continue to balance between the Soviet and the government, and make sure the Government doesn't stray too far to the right, nor the Soviet too far to the left. The upcoming Soviet elections may prove crucial in this struggle.

Pavel Milyukov
Your new war aims have been meet with a mixed reception. Many see through it as a clumsy attempt to disguise a continuance of Tsarist policy, others believe it is an earnest call to defend the revolution from a deeply reactionary German regime. In any case, there is no widespread condemnation, aside from the non-defencist left, which remains a minority in the Soviet. Now, you must actually work towards your promises. Or....not? There are always other matters.

Georgy Lvov
You face a gargantuan task before you, of stabilizing the vast Russian Empire, but you are not without success. The Church has agreed to (conditionally) support your government, and the Zemstvo are providing key institutional support. But there remains the problem of the Soviets, and of the Army. The front is a disaster, and the arrival of Lenin and Martov means that even more left-radicals are in the city. Kornilov is demanding discipline, and without a doubt Lenin and Martov will be demanding revolution. The tasks ahead are daunting Mr. Minister President. Indeed they are daunting.

Alexander Guchkov
Your unfettered support for the war isn't hardly compatible with the left, but that would make sense, you are not a leftist! The good news is the government largely agrees with the need to fight the war, but the front is a disaster, and you will need to work the Generals to change that, or else a new German offensive could perhaps go all the way to Holy Moscow.

Mikhail Rodzianko
Same as Last Turn

Aleksei Brusilov
You are without a doubt one of the most respected Generals in the army. Both by the common soldier and by the politicians. You are perhaps one of the only men in the Army who has beaten the Central Powers on their own, and badly. Unfortunately the respect the soldiers have for you, and the quality of your writing cannot turn the Russian Army into a capable force. So, the question of strategy is, should the Army launch a new offensive? Should it wait? Should a truce be sought? These questions must be solved with the government.

Lavr Kornilov
It appears that your pleas for order and discipline among the troops in Petrograd have gone unnoticed by the Ministers. These same Ministers negotiate with the anarchists in the Soviet, and try to come sort of negotiated settlement. Such a thing is of course a farce, the government can only be firm with those traitors. You are doing what you can to bring order to your troops, but it is not enough. You are prepared to request a transfer to the front, specifically the 8th Army, where great victories can be won, and glory attained. It is up to you.

Roman von Ungern-Sternberg
You and Semyonov have done good work, recruiting local Godly folk, among the Assyrians, and keeping your own Russian soldiers united and well fed and armed. The war against the Turks is stagnant, but in what fighting there is, it can be said your troops are performing well. You have spoken to them on the subject of the political situation, on how the Jews and the Masons are turning Russia away from God and Tsar. Many agree, especially on the question of the cosmopolitan and un-Russian Judaic elite that runs affairs in Petrograd. Now...what to do with these soldiers?

Vladimir Purishkevich
Your writings are hardly popular with anyone outside of reactionary circles. But the only thing left to do is keep writing, contact government officials, and hope to get something of importance achieved, worm your away into key affairs somehow, and when the winds change, perhaps they will ultimately need you.

The Cabinet of the Provisional Government of the Russian Empire (players in bold)
Prime Minister: Georgy Lvov (Kadet)
Minister of the Interior: Georgy Lvov (Kadet)
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Pavel Milyukov (Kadet)
Minister of Justice: Alexander Kerensky (SR-Trudovik)
Minister of War and Navy: Alexander Guchkov (Octobrist)
Minister of Transport: Nikolai Nekrasov (Kadet)
Minister of Trade and Industry: Aleksandr Konovalov (Progressist)
Minister of Finance: Mikhail Tereshchenko (Independent)
Minister of Education: Andrei Manuilov (Kadet)
Minister of Agriculture: Andrei Shingarev (Kadet)
Minister of Labour: Vacant
Minister of Food: Vacant
Minister of Post and Telegraph: Vacant
Ober-Procurator of the Most Holy Synod: Vladimir Lvov (Progressist)

All photos from Wikimedia Commons

[KaiserDave]

The Petrograd Soviet

The Soviet is divided into essentially, two houses. The Executive Committee, or Ispolkom, is made up purely of loyal members of political factions, where the decisions are made in long discussion heavy meetings where many a cigarette is smoked and put out. Then there is the actual Soviet, where thousands of workers, soldiers, and sailors make long screaming speeches in revolutionary euphoria, and hold hours and hours of committee meetings. Here the faction lines are quite loose, and you should consider them to be loose ideological bubbles rather than partisan battle lines. The main body of the Soviet doesn't do much in the way of decision making, but they have strength in numbers, and in enthusiasm. Getting loyalists into the main body, and winning over it's members will influence the Ispolkom. The number of how many deputies there are in the Soviet is always changing as more mutineers return home, and more workers engage with the revolutionary cause.

Composition of Ispolkom (Executive Committee)

Chairman: Irakli Tsereteli (Menshevik-Centrist)
From Left to Right: Menshevik-Defencist (2), Menshevik-Centrist (9), Menshevik-Internationalist (4), Social Revolutionary (4)

Composition of the Soviet (Main Body)

Chairman: Nikolay Chkheidze (Menshevik-Centrist)
From Left to Right: Menshevik-Defencist (129), Menshevik-Centrist (1195), Menshevik-Internationalist (679), Social Revolutionary (201), Bolshevik (726)

Felt as if this was necessary for people to know what was going on, especially given I provided the government cabinet, and this is the other side of the dual power

All images either Wikimedia Commons or custom made