Causes of the revolution

Question 1

How did Tsar Nicholas II cause his own downfall?

Answer 1

• He witnessed the consequences of attempting reform through the political assassination of his reformist grandfather Tsar Alexander II therefore he was influenced to rule like his father through autocracy
• He was taught by Konstantin Pobedonustsev with the importance of autocracy
• He eventually believed heavily in the divine right
• He was a shy and awkward man making him ill - suited for his job as he was over - cautious and found political affairs boring
• Nicholas was stubborn often not allowing un - called for advice
• Whe was clearly aligned with autocracy by rejecting a state Zemstov when he first inherited the throne but he did make a state DUme in 1906
• To make his ministers weak, he placed them against one another
• Since he hated confrontation, he dismissed ministers behind their backs rather than speaking to them personally
• He compared himself to the muscovite rulers with a strong bond between himself and the masses
• His wife Alexandra told him to stand firm leading him to appear misguided
• Rasputin meddled in political appointments and policy making in Petrograd which damaged his reputation as Rasputin was awomansierand drunk. Hs role as a faithhealer further had an impact as he was a faith healer
• Nicholas was more concerned with the tertiary of the Romanov rule in 1913 compared to the 2000 strikes
• In June 1915, Zemstva and the municipal dumas formed Zemgor chaired by Princ Lvov and claimed the right to help the tsar’s government but Nicholas shunned it
• over half of the fourth fuma deputies formed into the progressive bloc demanded the tsar changed his ministers and establish a government of public confidence
• I September defeat in Galicia led the tsar to become commander-in-chief of the navy and army which was disastrous as the Russian general staff lost trust in him as he lacked military experience
• The tsar was warned b Mikhail Rodzianko of Rasputin’s damage and unpopularity but Nicholas ignored it

Question 2

Why was the tsar significant in his own downfall?

Answer 2

• People were patriotic towards the tsar because of the 300 year old position and were willing to support it but he rejected it due to his egotistical nature
• He was willing to make small changes due to the wear however the people during the war wanted radical changes which Nicholas was unwilling to make because of his belief in autocracy
• he created weaknesses in government
• the tsar’s actions disappointed the public as he didn’t consider their needs
• the government wasn’t united under a single cause because they were placed against one another
• He believed in his role as tsar too much as he didn’t want help from his government or people
• Through the role of Rasputin as faith healer, it demonstrated he was more concerned with his dynasty rather than his people as their interests were misaligned
• He lacked leadership in government and in battle encouraging strikes and riots

Question 3

How did the war contribute to the tsar’s downfall?

Answer 3

• Russia supported Seria in the war through mobilising the army as thy had land interests in the Balklands and European Russia was Pan-Slavism (uniting Slavic races)
• Anti - German sentiment encouraged the Russian people to go to war
• voting war credits (the raising of taxes and loans to finance the war) led to the Duma being dissolves
• The battle of Tannenburg in east Prussia in august 1914 left 300,000 dead and thousand captured as prisoners
• In September, the army was defeated at Masusrian lakes forcing them to retreat from east prussia
• 12 million men were mobilised between 1914 and 1917 mainly of conscript peasants who couldn’t provide for themselves
• Soldiers lacked basic warm clothing and properly fitting waterproof footwear
• In 1914, the infantry had only tow rifles for every three soldiers
• In 1915, there was a limit for 2 - 3 shells per day
• Military zones were set up where civilian authority was inferior compared to the military and Zemstva believed it was insensitive to the needs of the people
• There were 1.5 deserters

Question 4

Why was the war significant in contributing to the tsar’s downfall?

Answer 4

• People wanted to fight in the war as they were patriotic
• Men went of strike and were dying weakening the army providing the groundwork for revolution
• War credits were chosen by the people
• Without weapons, there was limited ability to make a significant impact making the army vulnerable to attack
• It exacerbated socioeconomic struggles

Question 5

How did the economy contribute to the tsar’s downfall?

Answer 5

• increase in taxes and loans at home and abroad producing mass inflation heightened by industrial and grain export damage
• salt inflated by 483%, meat by 232% and wags by 133%
• conscription left a shortage of men in the countryside leading to shortages in food causing peasants to store rather than sell food
• Poland and Western Russia was overrun ger Germans blocking industrial capacity
• Russian trade further stopped due to naval blockades in the black and baltic sea leading to rationing
• Railways were taken over by men and goods transport to the front leading to half the amount of locomotion productions in 1913 - 16 to halve
• Non - military factories in Petrograd and Moscow saw large unemployment forcing them to close as they lacked vital supplies
• 300% rise in the cost of living
• Rising death rates due to insanitary working lodgings and inadequate diets
• In January 1917, 30,000 people strikes in Moscow and 145,000 in Petrograd

Question 6

Why was the economy significant in contributing to the tsar’s downfall?

Answer 6

• Basic produccts and services couldn’t be afforded increasing struggles because of the war
• Lack of economic progress through the blocking of ports
• Continued striking from 1913 to 1905
• Impacted large cities the most
• Wages inflated less rapidly than food making living in Russia harder
• Without factories, there would be limited production to help the front line helping to exacerbate struggles

Question 7

How did social factors contribute to the tsar’s downfall?

Answer 7

• Many workers showned discontent by striking, rioting or being violent to landlords or employers
• In the army, there were outbursts of anger leading to desertion in the winter of 1916 - 1917 as soldiers had to operate in -35 degree temperatures
• Aleksandr Guchkow (progressive bloc founder) engaged in talks with senior army officers in 1916 about a possible coup to force the tsar to abdicate
• His colleague, Pavel Milyukow accused the tsar’s ministers of seeking peace with Germany behind the Duma’s back in November 1916
• In January 1917, Prince Lvov indirectly asked the tsar’s uncle, grand duke Nicholas if he would take the throne
• Little challenge from opposition leaders as they were in exile and they lacked support as Lenin calling for civil war had only 10,000 followers

Question 8

Why were social factors significant in contributing the tsar’s downfall?

Answer 8

• Little attempt made against the tsar
• The people were against the rulership of Nicholas not the powers of the tsar as they were willing to replace him with his uncle
• Little support from opposition groups dimishing the significance of riots and it only came from members of the publically representative state duma
• Still wanted wanted as they accused the ministers of seeking peace with Germany