The overthrow of the Romanov Dynasty of Russia in 1905 shook the world. In the following collapse of the Russian Empire and civil war between Revolutionary and Royalist forces from 1905 - 1907, would lead to land grabs by Japan, China, and the Ottoman Empire. During this conflict, the people of Poland and Finland attempted to break away to form their own states, but after most Royalist forces were defeated, the Revolutionaries dealt with them in kind. After the war, Viktor Chernov was elected the first President of the newly proclaimed Democratic Republic of Russia.
Revolutionary propaganda poster, 1906.
Royalist troops inside the city of Kiev after capturing it during the chaos following the Revolution, 1905. Kiev would remain the
de jure capital of the Royalist Faction until it was captured by the Revolutionaries in late 1906.
Revolutionary troops enter Moscow, 1906. Due to its historical position, the Revolutionaries declared the city as the new capital of the New Democratic Republic of Russia.
Wolna Polska Armia (Free Polish Army) Commander Józef Piłsudski speaks with Edward Rydz-Śmigły, 1906. Piłsudski would flea to Germany after Revolutionary forces crushed the last remnants of the WPA at the 1907 Battle of Łódź.
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim reviews new recruits in Helsinki, 1906. Unlike Piłsudski, Mannerheim would be captured by Revolutionary forces, and was executed in 1908. In the modern day, Mannerheim is remembered as a hero to the Finnish people, while a traitor in Russia.
Viktor Chernov, first president of the Democratic Republic of Russia.