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and announced its intention of creating a new representative form of
government for the country. With the assistance of the army, it was soon
in control.

Czar Nicholas was promptly compelled to abdicate the throne for himself
and his young son. At first the crown was offered to his brother, the
Grand Duke Michael, but inside of twenty-four hours he declined it, also
abdicating formally. The Czar and imperial family were confined, while
the former pro-German ministers were thrown into prison. The new
Provisional Government pledged itself to conduct the war against Germany
vigorously, and promised the people complete religious liberty and
freedom of speech, political amnesty, universal suffrage, and a
constitutional assembly to determine the form of the permanent new
government. Great Britain, France, and Italy were prompt to recognize
the Duma committee and it was also given enthusiastic support by the
Russian armies in the field.

By March 20 absolute quiet prevailed in Petrograd and throughout Russia.
The Allies were officially notified of the abdication of Nicholas II and
informed by Foreign Minister Milukoff that Russia would stay in the
war with them to the end. Prince Lvoff, one of the most popular men in
Russia, was placed at the head of the Government Constitute and general
political amnesty was proclaimed in a ukase which brought numbers of
political prisoners back to their homes from Siberia, and caused great
rejoicing throughout the country, no longer an empire of the Romanoffs,
who had ruled it for centuries with a rod of iron.

The United States recognized the new order of things in Russia on March
22. A few days later the grand dukes and royal princes of Russia jointly
informed the Government Constitute that they formally associated
themselves with the abdication of Grand Duke Michael and would turn over
to the new Government the crown lands and other state grants in their
possession, thus completing the total abdication of the Romanoff
dynasty and placing the seal of complete success on the most remarkable
revolution the world ever saw--accomplished almost without bloodshed,
for the troops in Petrograd had refused to fire upon the revolutionists
after the first few hours of disturbance in the streets of the capital,
and most of the casualties were among the soldiers themselves.

The Russian revolution, produced in the crucible of war, meant the
overthrow of Germanism in Russia, which had hampered t