AN AMERICAN JOURNALIST AT THE STORMING OF THE WINTER PALACE, ST. PETERSBURG, NOVEMBER 7, 1917: JOHN REED

• After a few minutes huddling there, some hundreds of men, the army seemed reassured and without any orders suddenly began again to flow forward. By this time, in the light that streamed out of all the Winter Palace windows, I could see that the first two or three hundred men were Red Guards, with only a few scattered soldiers. Over the barricade of firewood we clambered, and leaping down inside gave a triumphant shout as we stumbled on a heap of rifles thrown down by the yunkers [junior officers] who had stood there. On both sides of the main gateway the doors stood wide open, light streamed out, and from the huge pile came not the slightest sound.

DBQ-The above quote is from the perspective of someone on the outside of the Winter Palace during the November Revolution. Write a four sentence paragraph describing what it would be like on the inside of the Winter Palace as the Red Guard stormed in. You are writing from the perspective of a provisional government employee.

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NOVEMBER REVOLUTION [OCTOBER REVOLUTION]

• After the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II the Provisional Government tried to keep Russia in World War I. But the Bolshevik programme of ‘peace, land, and bread’ won popular support, and on November 7th a nearly bloodless Bolshevik coup seized government buildings, telegraph stations, and other strategic points.

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DIRECTIONS• Write your name and November

Revolution on the blank side of the index card.• Write your four sentence paragraph

on the lined side of the index card.

DIRECTIONS• In a minute, we will switch index cards with your partner.

• Read through your partner’s paragraph.

• Decide if the paragraph is from the perspective of someone inside the Winter Palace as the Red Guard stormed in.

• Write this on the blank side of the index card—one element they did well and one element they can improve upon.

• Share your thoughts with your partner.

• We are providing feedback and constructive criticism and using editing skills.

Trade-Read-Share

STUDENT EXAMPLES MODS 1/2• Panic ran through me as I dashed from my office

into the hallways. Other employees were just a panicked as I, perhaps more so. I could barely comprehend why I was so scared. I had seen the Red Guard enter the palace just a few minutes before. I decided not to put up a fight. I figured it would give them less to do and it would most likely keep me alive. I just want to go home right now.

STUDENT EXAMPLES MODS 1/2• I’m afraid and frightened of the Red Guard.

Hundreds of them came to seize our government. With the Bolsheviks in charge of this, I knew that fighting against them would not be the smart decision. We’d all be killed. Seeing the Red Guard and soldiers stand outside of the palace was enough to show us that they’d fight until they were in control. This was really happening. A Revolution that would change everything.

STUDENT EXAMPLES MODS 1/2• I can hear the Red Guard coming through the

door. Everyone is scared. Everyone fears that when they get to us that they will shoot us. The yunkers threw down their arms. I know for a fact that the Red Guard will take over the Palace. I need to find a way out of here. I don’t want to get hurt.

STUDENT EXAMPLES MODS 1/2• Today was crazy. Today, a whole bunch of

communists stormed in and took power. Everyone in the palace was terrified. It all happened so fast and easily. I’m not sure if this is real or if I’m dreaming.

STUDENT EXAMPLES MODS 1/2• Being on the inside of the Winter Palace was

terrifying. Everyone was scared of what was going to happen. We knew that it wasn’t very likely we would make it out alive. The Red Guard came to take the Palace.

STUDENT EXAMPLES MODS 1/2• It was very quiet when all of a sudden men

stormed in. Everyone was terrified. The men started looting the building. The men had overthrown the government. All of us surrendered and no blood was shed.

STUDENT EXAMPLES MODS 5/6• I see the Red Guard coming. They climbed the

wall. Our guards dropped their weapons. They marched in and took the palace from us. We were surrounded.

STUDENT EXAMPLES MODS 5/6• I sat in the room and I looked out the window

and saw hundreds of men flowing towards me. I see the yunkers throw down their guns and I saw a rebellion begin to happen. I start to run away, scared not knowing what’s going to happen. I make it out and now know our government has just changed.

STUDENT EXAMPLES MODS 5/6• All I could see were the hundreds of faces of

men, bitter and hateful, rushing to the front doors. They got them open with ease, and quickly. There was angry shouting and weapons were drawn.

STUDENT EXAMPLES MODS 5/6• As I look out my office window, I see them.

Hundreds of Red Guard trying to secure our palace. We threw down our weapons, because we knew that defending ourselves would only result in death. For we were outnumbered and knew there was no point in resistance, soon, they were there, at the door to my office.

STUDENT EXAMPLES MODS 9/10• Inside of the Winter Palace the Red Guard are

everywhere. From room to room the Red Guard are making a coup over people. Arresting people throughout the palace. There was hardly no noise throughout the Palace.

STUDENT EXAMPLES MODS 9/10• It started out as an average day on the job, that

didn’t last long. All of a sudden hundreds of men started running through the doors. No one knew what to do but we all knew what they wanted. The Bolsheviks wanted to take over our government and after what happened today, they got what they wanted.

STUDENT EXAMPLES MODS 9/10• All at once these men rushed in. I had no idea

what to do. I helped everyone try to stay calm, but I know they were all scared. We all sat there in silence waiting for what was going to happen.

STUDENT EXAMPLES MODS 11/12• All I see are angry Red Guard soldiers coming

towards us. I fear that they will kill me. We know that we do not have a chance against them, so we drop our rifles. The Red Guard continue to storm the palace.

STUDENT EXAMPLES MODS 11/12• As a provisional officer in the government, I was

scared to death to see the Red Guard storm into the palace with guns and the soldiers came in mobs. I did not know what they were going to do so I was scared. Nobody was hurt, but if we were to disagree with them it could have been worse.

STUDENT EXAMPLES MODS 11/12• Things are loud and confusing. The Red Guard

are pushing their way into the building left and right. A lot of us don’t even know what to do, since there are hundreds of men protesting or the Red Guard forcing their way into the Winter Palace. This whole situation is a huge, scary, confusing blur for everyone in here.

STUDENT EXAMPLES MODS 11/12• As I was sweeping the hallway floor I began to

hear foot steps. It sounded like a stampede of cattle charging after me. I quickly hid in the janitor’s closet and as I peaked through the small door window I saw maybe a 100 men sprint down the hallway. It reminded me of a large train.

STUDENT EXAMPLES MODS 13/14• The Red Guard is storming in now. We are all

crowded into the back of the building. Some even fled out the door. We are ready to surrender as soon as they enter. We have been overthrown.

STUDENT EXAMPLES MODS 13/14• As the Red Guard stormed inside the palace, I

had become filled with terror. Nobody knew what they were going to do to us. All we knew was that they were here to take over the government. But, we didn’t know if they were going to kill anybody.

STUDENT EXAMPLES MODS 13/14• We were thrown off guard by all of these men.

We didn’t know what to do. We readied ourselves as best as we could. When I looked outside, I saw a sea of men, and the first few hundred were the Red Guard. Then they stormed in.

STUDENT EXAMPLES MODS 13/14• I was sitting there peacefully working when I

started to here a lot of noise coming from outside. When I looked out my window, I saw thousands of people running into the capital building. I was very frightened because I knew this only meant bad things for us as a government. We as a government did only the possible, run and hide, however the outcome still wasn’t great or good at all!

STUDENT EXAMPLES MODS 13/14• This beautiful master piece, this palace should

not be wasted on housing hundred of soldiers. This is a real shame. Never in all my life would I expect humanity to waste something gorgeous like this.