This would lead to the army losing their faith in the Tsar which was extremely vital, for as long as the army remained loyal to the him, they were able to put down any threat of revolution however, the poor conditions eventually led to them refusing to fire upon rioters. For these reasons, the First World War contributed majorly to the downfall of Imperial Russia. After his downfall, the War became increasingly unpopular. Popular demands for peace were growing intense, especially within the army. The Provisional Government attempted to regain the support of both the Russian
* Lost terriorty in Poland & Western Russia – PG were blamed for losses just like the Tsar was when took charge. * War made finical problems – Inflation still a problem and food shortages were high. * Russia expected these things to be stored out – PG short-lived because they were full of empty promises. Promised land reform to the peasants ( made up a large amount of the population , Bolshevik priority was to keep them on their side) no action was taken * Couldn’t guarantee food supplies as because soviet controlled the railways. * Political reform also promised political reform in an attempt to stop the revolutionaries but no action was taken.
However, although these factors were important in contributing to the decline of the Provisional Government, it was ultimately their internal decisions, one deciding to continue fighting in the war, that lead to the failure of it. Actions made by the Provisional Government towards the continuation in the war can be the seen as the main reason for their failure in 1917. Many within the Provisional Government believed that it was Russia’s duty to stay in the war, in particular, the foreign minister, Paul Milyukov, strongly believed that Russia’s future lay with victory over Germany. This sparked conflict between the Soviet and the Provisional Government, as the Soviet only accepted the continuation of war to stop Germany taking over, where as the the Provisional Government had other aims to claim territory. This clash of aims created trouble for the government, as in April 1917 demonstrations in Petrograd began to stop the war.
His army also consisted of millions of poor, starving peasants with bad equipment, poor supplies of rifles and ammunition. In 1916, two million soldiers were killed or seriously wounded, and one third of a million taken prisoners. The Russian population was horrified. They considered the Tsar irresponsible for taking over the army and held him responsible for everything; as a result instability was growing at an alarming rate for the Tsar who had once held himself so assuredly in power. Nicholas II took this course of action to assure himself he still had complete control of Russia.
Although the conditions of the agreement seemed extremely severe, the allied countries had no sympathy for the Germans. They were forced to pay excessive amounts of money as reparation fees to make up for all the damage and destruction that was caused during the war. 13% of German territory was given away and many important industrial areas were controlled by western allies. This caused a major impact on the economy and had many affects to not only the government, but German citizens as well. Many people became unemployed and were no longer able to support their families.
Russian train infrastructure was relatively new and underdeveloped, when war broke out the rail lines were used to transport troops and supplies for war, food shortages in cities were afflicting the masses, this caused discontent at home. The decision of Tsar Nicholas II to lead his troops on the front line is a debateable one, however I believe that due to his lack in military training and knowledge on how to lead troops, coupled with the fact he left the Tsarina to rule in his absence with the assistance of Rasputin , that this decision was a terrible one. Tsar Nicholas II dismissed his uncle as the head of the military and made the fateful decision of leading his troops himself. He believed that his presence would inspire the troops, however his lack of military expertise proved disastrous for the Russian war efforts. The Tsar left his wife to rule in his stead with the aid of Rasputin who was an advisor to the Romanov family.
It was clear that the Tsar was not fit to run the country and no longer had the support of the public. On the 28th of February 1917 Nicoloas II train to Petrograd was stopped and representatives of the old duma and a group of generals from stavka boarded and told the Tsar that it would be futile and dangerous for him to return, it was then that they advised him to abdicate. On the former day Nicolas II abdication was publically announced. In conclusion, World war one was a major factor in the fall of the Romanovs, the war caused many problems for the people of Russia including Inflation, food supplies, transport and the army. These issues were meant to have been dealt by the Tsar but he failed to meet his people’s needs, resulting in people disliking him and him being convinced to abdicate.
Causes of the Russian Revolution, Feb 1917 With a complex dynamic such as that of 1917 Russia there cannot be one single cause, we must examine whether it was the long term, medium term or short term causes that was the biggest catalyst in causing the revolution. The Tsarist Autocratic system had failed to industrialize Russia and prevented it from becoming a major European power. In 1905 the Russian people were not happy with every aspect of their life, which caused social unrest leading to a year of “revolution”. The war was not going well for Russia and with the Tsar in charge of the army, leaving the Tsarina to rule at home matters were only made worse. The War also had massive social and economic impacts on Russia that resulted in a strike that ended with a revolution.
A crucial quantity of Russians had lost their faith on Czar Nicholas II leadership, believing that ceding his command would lead them for more efficacious war outcomes. In January 9th, 1917, over 14,000 workers decided to strike in Petrograd, immortalizing the Bloody Sunday. The situation became worse in February 22nd, 1917, when more than 100 thousand workers decided to strike in the Petrograd, and the Duma reassemble, deciding to be in favor of the population and attack the government. It became known as the February Revolution, in behalf of more and more people joining the cause; in order to reorganize Russia to an enfranchised and fair
DBQ: Evaluation of Stalin’s Leadership Loved and hated by many, Joseph Stalin is one of the most controversial leaders in world history. Joseph Stalin transformed the Soviet Union into a modern superpower between 1928 and 1941. His rule is characterized by the creation of Collectivized Agriculture, Rapid Industrialization like the Five Year plan, and the many aspects of life under a totalitarian regime like purges, censorship, propaganda, and the cult of personality. In 1917, Russia was crumbling into pieces. The World War I was draining all of Russia’s resources.