The St Petersburg Soviet takes shape

Printing workers in the capital entered the growing strike wave, helping turn separate economic disputes into a broad political confrontation. The source date is 2 October Old Style.

Worker representatives in Moscow created a council to coordinate the strike movement. It developed into the Moscow Soviet. The source date is 3 October Old Style.

A railway stoppage expanded rapidly into a political general strike demanding civil liberties and representative government. The source date is 7 October Old Style.

A congress of railway workers appealed for coordinated action across the empire, accelerating the spread of the October general strike. The source date is 9 October Old Style.

Industrial, transport and other workers brought much of Moscow to a halt as the political strike gained momentum. The source date is 10 October Old Style.

At a large public meeting, political and professional organizations recognized the Soviet as a central representative body of the strike. The source date is 14 October Old Style.

Authorities barred people who were not students from university meetings, attempting to close important centres of revolutionary assembly. The source date is 15 October Old Style.

Rail traffic across much of the empire stopped, linking local movements and placing enormous pressure on the government. The source date is 16 October Old Style.

Nicholas II promised civil liberties and a legislative Duma after the general strike paralysed the empire. Liberals welcomed the concessions, but many workers and socialists continued to demand deeper...

Demonstrators gathered at prisons and government buildings following the October Manifesto, pressing authorities to free political detainees. The source date is 18 October Old Style.