sane, one wonders whether the
man was mentally well balanced at the time that he was in office. But
the Tsar has only himself to blame for his plight; he was warned against
this nominee of Rasputin, but he would not take advice.

Early in the week of March 5-12, 1917, the trouble began in the factory
districts. There were bread riots, car stoning, window smashing, and
other such acts, which are more or less common and no one paid much
attention to them. On Thursday, the disturbances spread to other parts
of the city and crowds began to gather on the Nevski, but the throng was
orderly and the police seemed to have little difficulty in keeping it
on the move. Friday the crowd was more bold: it marched up and down
the streets, calling for bread, singing revolutionary songs, and
occasionally waving a red flag and quickly snatching it back again.
This, too, did not make much impression for it is well known that
in Russia strikes and disturbances have in view political as well as
economic betterment. Late Friday afternoon, while I was walking on
the Nevski, a company of mounted police and a large number of Cossacks
dashed by on the way to disperse a procession that was coming towards
me. When I came up to the Fontanka Bridge I noticed the crowd was
gathered about the Cossacks; it patted the horses and cheered their
riders, while the police were nowhere in sight. I listened to what was
being said and heard that the police tried to use their whips and swords
on the people and this angered the Cossacks so much that they attacked
the police, killed the captain, and drove them all away. It was no
secret that there was bad blood between the soldiers and the police;
the former complained that while they were suffering and fighting at
the front, the latter were having an easy time, enriching themselves
by graft, and oppressing the soldiers' families. The soldiers and the
strikers started out with one idea--hatred of the police. When the
police had been dispersed, the Cossacks and soldiers begged the people
to move on, but they, especially the young women students who were
numerous, went up to them and pleaded with them to espouse their cause.
"Comrades," they would say, "come over on our side, our cause is your
cause." The rough, ignorant warriors were disturbed; they did not like
their jobs, and in a kindly way begged the men and women to go home,
but, as it did no good, for they massed again, the Cossacks rode in a
body into their