Ten Days That Shook the World · Chapter
The British Fleet (etc.) explained
This chapter discusses the perception among Bolsheviks and Provisional Government ministers that the British Fleet deliberately abandoned the Baltic during the naval battle of the Gulf of Riga, reflecting a broader British attitude that Rus
What happens
This chapter discusses the perception among Bolsheviks and Provisional Government ministers that the British Fleet deliberately abandoned the Baltic during the naval battle of the Gulf of Riga, reflecting a broader British attitude that Russia was finished. It also highlights the controversial reception of General Gurko, a reactionary and pro-German figure, by King George in London, which coincided with Russia's naval defeat.
Themes in this chapter
Counterrevolution and Civil War
The reception of General Gurko, a reactionary figure, by the British monarchy highlights foreign sympathy for counterrevolutionary elements.
Characters to notice
- Alexander Kerensky
Mentioned in relation to an interview regarding the British Fleet's abandonment of the Baltic.
- General Vasily Gurko
Former Chief of Staff under the Tsar, exiled after the Revolution for his political and personal record; received publicly by King George in London during the naval defeat.
Key passages
“At the time of the naval battle of the Gulf of Riga, not only the Bolsheviki, but also the Ministers of the Provisional Government, considered that the British Fleet had deliberately abandoned the Baltic, as one indication of the attitude so often expressed publicly by the British press, and semipublicly by British representatives in Russia, 'Russia’s finished! No use bothering about Russia!'”
During the Gulf of Riga naval battle, both Bolsheviks and Provisional Government ministers believed the British Fleet intentionally left the Baltic, reflecting a common British sentiment that Russia was beyond help.
Highlights the shared perception of British abandonment across political divides.
“The Russian naval defeat in the Gulf of Riga coincided with the public reception, by King George in London, of General Gurko, a man whom the Russian Provisional Government considered dangerously pro-German as well as reactionary!”
The Russian loss at sea happened at the same time as King George publicly welcomed General Gurko, a figure the Provisional Government viewed as both pro-German and reactionary.
Emphasizes the symbolic clash between Russian revolutionary interests and British royal hospitality toward a controversial figure.