Concise Russian history for a traveler

Then , on Jan 9, 1905 the St. Petersburg workers, led by the priest Gapon, marched on the Winter Palace to present Emperor Nicholas with a loyal petition containing demands in favor of a popularly elected legislative assembly. They were met by troops who opened fire on them, and about 130 were killed. News of this massacre, known as Bloody Sunday, spread out quickly, and the revolutionary movement reached its climax in October 1905.

Throughout the period of 1905-07, disorders swept over all the regions of Russia.

The assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand in June 1914 placed Russia in a very ticklish situation. Russia intervened into the conflict, but the result was the World War I and the destruction of the monarchy. The economic effect of the war was a shortage of food. The February revolution of 1917 began among food queues in St. Petersburg and ended with an abdication of Nicholas II, that he dictated in his train, attempting to reach the capital. A year later the emperor and his family were assassinated in Ekaterinburg.

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