Ariadna Tyrkova 1914

Ariadna Tyrkova, the daughter of a landowner, was born in Novogorod in 1869. Tyrkova took no interest in politics until her brother was arrested and exiled for being a member of the People's Will.

Tyrkova had wanted to become a doctor but the policies of Alexander III made this an impossibility. She joined the illegal Social Democratic Labour Party and in 1903 was arrested and charged with smuggling radical newspapers into Russia. She managed to escape and fled to Germany.

In exile Tyrkova lived with Peter Struve and his family in Stuttgart. She returned to Russia after the 1905 Revolution. Over the next few years Tyrkova became one of the most important leaders of the Women's Liberation movement in Russia.

Tyrkova became disillusioned with the various revolutionary groups and joined the Constitutional Democrat Party (Cadets) party. She also married the English journalist, Harold Williams.

Aridna Tyrkova

1. Was highly critical of Nicholas II and the autocracy.

2. Wanted Russia to have universal suffrage.

3. Wanted the Russian government to allow freedom of expression and an end to political censorship of newspapers and books.

4. Thought Russia should support Serbia against the Triple Alliance.

5. Thought Russia should honour its obligations and support the Triple Entente against the Triple Alliance.

6. As the Russian Army was the largest army in the world she was convinced that Russia would defeat Austria-Hungary and Germany in a war.