Soviet Order No. 1

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Army Order No. 1 was established in Russia on 1917-03-14. During the political turmoil that accompanied the Russian Revolution (1917), volatile soldiers were committing mutinies and coups. In the Soviet an appeal was being drawn up for the garrison in which the soldiers were asked to stop lynching their officers, but were reassured that they would keep their weapons. However, these proceedings were interrupted by a group of agitated soldiers who suddenly appeared and insisted that the response should go much further.

They dictated that:

1. In all companies, battalions, regiments, batteries, squadrons and separate services of various military departments and on board naval ships committees shall be immediately elected from among representatives of the rankers of the foregoing units. 2. In all units which have not yet elected their representatives to the Soviet of Workers' Deputies, one representative from each company shall be elected. All representatives, carrying appropriate identity cards, are to arrive at the building of the State Duma by 10 a. m., March 2, 1917. 3. In all their political actions, units are subordinated to the Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies and their own committees. 4. All orders issued by the Military Commission of the State Duma shall be carried out, except those which run counter to the orders and decrees issued by the Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies. 5. All kinds of weapons, namely rifles, machine-guns, armoured cars and so forth, shall be placed at the disposal and under the control of the company and battalion committees and shall by no means be issued to the officers, not even at their insistence. 6. In formation and on duty, soldiers shall strictly observe military discipline; however, off duty and formation, in their political, civic and private life, soldiers shall fully enjoy the rights granted to all citizens. In particular, standing to attention and obligatory saluting off duty shall be cancelled. 7. Likewise, officers shall be addressed as Mr. General, Mr. Colonel, etc., instead of Your Excellency, Your Honour, etc^[1]

These demands were so extreme that even the revolutionary politicians in the Soviet leadership were reluctant to accept these terms for fear of the response of the High Command; however, at the insistence of the soldiers, they had no choice. The Duma leaders and the military leadership were also horrified by this move. The demands of the soldiers demonstrated to the highest extent that the revolution was genuine, and that it would be truly impossible for politicians to keep any vestiges of the Old Regime. Following the passing of Order No. 1 by the Petrograd Soviet, Rodzianko realised that there was no way of saving Tsar Nicholas II. Thus, it was Rodzianko's communication of this to the Tsar and the High Command that precipitated the abdication.