100 Years Ago - Russia

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/register/siege-of-the-winter-palace-z2cd3h5cv

november 10, 1917

Siege of the Winter Palace

The Smolny Institute is the headquarters of the Petrograd Soviet, and of the Revolutionary Military Committee which sprang from it. Lenin, on making his appearance there, received an enthusiastic ovation. He was accompanied by his lieutenant, Zinovieff, who was wanted by the late Provisional Government. Both of them were unrecognizable. Lenin had shaved off his moustache, while Zinovieff had grown a beard.
Towards 5 o’clock the Soviet, which has become master of the whole city, began to isolate the Winter Palace, where practically the whole of the Government remained. Detachments occupied all the routes giving access. On the quays, in the Millionnaya, the Nevsky Prospekt and the Admiralty Gardens, and even beyond the Marie Palace barricades were speedily erected. The trams were stopped on this part of the route, but a short distance beyond they are running as usual. Ordinary life is going on, with almost a tinge of indifference.

At 8 o’clock the besiegers requested the Ministers to leave the Winter Palace, giving them 20 minutes in which to make their departure. The latter, however, refused to leave. The first detachment of troops attempted to approach the Palace along the Millionnaya, but the machine-gun fire of its defenders stopped it. Owing to the resistance of the Guards of the Palace, which was being defended by officer cadets and the Women’s Battalion, two destroyers, anchored in the Neva, fired four shells. At the same time armoured cars from the archway of the Morskaya leading into the Palace Square, also shelled the building. The guns of the warships and the armoured cars continued to fire at intervals until nearly 1 o’clock in the morning. During the evening four destroyers, a minelayer, and several minesweepers with landing forces were brought from Helsingfors and took part in the operations against the Palace. Finally, about 2am, the forces of the Soviet succeeded in entering the Palace.
While the rifle and artillery fire was continuing in the vicinity of the former Imperial Palace a performance was given as usual at the Narodny Dom, where a large audience assembled to hear Chaliapin.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/register/palestine-for-the-jews-pffxjvm78

november 9, 1917

Palestine for the Jews

Mr Balfour has sent the following letter to Lord Rothschild in regard to the establishment of a national home in Palestine for the Jewish people: I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of his Majesty’s Government, the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to and approved by the Cabinet: “His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.”

I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation.
Coup d’etat in Petrograd
The Extreme wing of the Petrograd Soviet, under the leadership of the pacifist agitator Lenin, announces that it has deposed the Provisional Government of M Kerensky, and that it has assumed power. M Kerensky is said to have taken flight, and an order for his arrest has been issued. The text of the Extremist document was as follows: To The Army Committees of the Active Army, and to all the Soviets of the Soldiers’ Delegates. The garrison and proletariat of Petrograd have deposed the Government of Kerensky, which rose against the Revolution and the people. The deposition of the Provisional Government was accomplished without bloodshed. The Petrograd Soviet of the Workmen’s and Soldiers’ Delegates solemnly proclaims the authority of the Military Revolutionary Committee until the creation of a Government of Soviets. Officers who do not join the accomplished revolution must be arrested at once as enemies. The Petrograd Soviet considers as the programme of the new authority: 1. An immediate democratic peace. 2. An immediate handing over of large proprietorial lands to the peasants. 3. Transmission of all authority to the Soviets. 4. An honest convocation of the Constituent Assembly. Soldiers! For Peace, for Bread, for Land, for the Power of the People!


https://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2017-11-08/register/the-meaning-of-passchendaele-b5h6ghqk0

november 8, 1917

The meaning of Passchendaele

By capturing the village of Passchendaele Sir Douglas Haig has practically completed his long fight for the ridges east and north-east of Ypres. Their possession gives him a dominating position in the province of West Flanders. A few outlying spurs, which are strongly held, still remain to be won, but with these exceptions the work is done.
Eight times since September 20 units of the British Army have advanced to the attack in this area, sometimes with the French on our left. On each occasion fresh ground has been gained. First the cockpits of Inverness Copse and Glencorse Wood were wrested from the enemy. Polygon Wood was cleared on September 26. Advances were made, yard by yard, over the heavy country which lies between Langemarck and Poelcappelle. Then the battered village of Zonnebeke was seized. The Australians got astride the Passchendaele Ridge at Broodseinde, and looked across the Flanders plain at the dim towers of Bruges. We pushed northward across the Ypres-Staden railway, and with the French reached the verge of the great Houthulst Forest. Finally, the French took a large tract of half-flooded country east of the Yser Canal.

Then there developed the final struggle for Passchendaele, when the advance had to be made across ground rendered almost impassable by overflowing brooks and deep shell-holes and liquid mud. Every bit of the way up the western slopes of the low ridge had to be fought for under an intense bombardment, and against a solid array of cemented “pill-boxes” and interminable nests of machine-guns. The pressure was never once relaxed. According to prisoners, Hindenburg had ordered that the village was to be held at all costs. If so, the order proved futile. On Tuesday at dawn the Canadians attacked again, and this time Passchendaele passed completely into our possession.
The larger meaning of the operations of the last three months is not sufficiently clear to the general public. The weight of our military resources is not being thrown into this local struggle merely for the possession of a few ridges. Their capture is the first and probably by far the most difficult step. Whenever we choose, we should be able to utilize with infinitely greater profit the positions we hold today.


https://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2017-11-07/register/how-to-save-food-7l5qwpwwl

november 7, 1917

How to save food

Sir Alfred Newton presided at a meeting at Harrod’s yesterday, when Sir Arthur Yapp, Director of Food Economy, gave the first of a series of lectures on “Food Ways and Means in War-Time”. He made the following practical suggestions for food saving: No cream should be used except for infants and children; as little milk should be used as possible; no sugar taken in tea; as little tea as possible should be used, and the morning cup given up. No more than one egg should be taken in any form in one day. No bread eaten at midday or evening meals. Bacon and ham, essentially the foods of the poor and the working classes, should be used sparingly. He wanted to see all banquets and public dinners given up.

Sir Arthur Yapp said that the war was likely to drag on for a long time, and we could not afford to leave anything to chance. It was the long last mile which was the hardest to travel. It was necessary that people at home should be convinced that economy in food must be practised by all if we were to win the war. There must be self-denial and self-sacrifice in all classes. Rich people said it was the poor and poor people said it was the rich who should be rationed, but there was waste and extravagance in all classes, which must be voluntarily suppressed. We were only being asked now to do what German people were ordered to do in the first year of the war. We had to help our Allies as well as our people in the matter of food and when the great American Army got to work we could not expect the help from the States and Canada which we were receiving.
All waste in food and unnecessary consumption must mean less efficiency at the battle fronts. The deficiency of freight and food might seriously hamper the progress of the war. A mighty effort, such as he believed the people would make if they realised the true position, could alone ensure national safety. There is no bluffing. I am speaking of what I know, and for the success of this great difficult campaign entrusted to me by the Government I depend absolutely upon the backing of the Christian people of this country, and on others as well. We must win through with this by Christmas, or else in all probability we shall have compulsory rationing, and we don’t want that if we can help it.”