Proclamation by the Military Revolutionary Committee of the fall of the Provisional Government of Russia, issued the night of November 7 (October 25, Old Style), 1917. From the 1967 Signet edition of Ten Days that Shook the World by John Reed.

[From the Russian]

To the Citizens of Russia!

The Provisional Government is deposed. The State Power has passed into the hands of the organ of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies, the Military Revolutionary Committee, which stands at the head of the Petrograd proletariat and garrison.

The cause for which the people were fighting: immediate proposal of a democratic peace, abolition of landlord property-rights over the land, labor control over production, creation of a Soviet Government—that cause is securely achieved.

Long live the revolution of workmen, soldiers and peasants!

Military Revolutionary Committee

Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies.

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In early 1917, Central Power forces had confined the Romanian Army to Moldavia, Romania's northeast. Disease sickened and killed a large part of the Romanian army in the year's first months. German General August von Mackensen, commander of the Central Power Danube Army in the Romanian invasion in 1916, prepared to defeat what remained of Romania's army.

Romania held its battle front with Russian aid and troops, and its position was directly affected by events in Russia, particularly the February Revolution, the Kerensky Offensive, and the Bolshevik Revolution.

At the end of May the head of the French Military Mission to Romania reported that Romania's young officers were ready to lead increasingly well supplied troops. The Romanians had more machine guns per division than the Germans they faced. They had automatic rifles and heavy artillery, neither of which they had in 1916.

On July 1, Russian Minister of War Alexander Kerensky launched an offensive. After initial success, the Austro-Hungarians drove the Russians back collapsing the Russian line. By month end, Russian troops were refusing to fight, retreating, and deserting in large numbers.

To support Kerensky, the two Romanian armies, still with Russian support, struck the German line on July 24 in the Battle of Mărăşti, taking its objectives the first day. Preparing to continue the attack, the Russian commander received orders from Kerensky suspending offensive action. The Romanians resumed the fight, but halted their offensive on August 1.

On August 6 and 8, German and Austro-Hungarian forces attacked near Mărăşeşti and Oituz, the first a Romanian victory.

Russia's Bolshevik Revolution and the armistice with the Central Powers made Romania's defeat inevitable, and on December 9, Romania suspended operations to begin armistice negotiations.

Start Date: 1917-01-01

End Date: 1917-12-09

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