Causes of the Russian Revolution

Question 1

WW1

Answer 1

War causes all contradictions in Russian life to be brought to the surface and intensified

Question 2

Incapable rulers

Answer 2

Tsar and his government incapable of leading the country

Question 3

Lack of resources for soldiers

Answer 3

Soldiers (sent to fight without weapons, food and hope) turned against their officers

Question 4

Hungry workers

Answer 4

Workers (driven by hunger) rose against their exploiters

Question 5

Citizens’ awareness

Answer 5

People became more aware of the inequality and unfairness during the war in Russia and started to revolt against the Tsar and his government who were incapable of leading the country.

Question 6

Duma meaning

Answer 6

Russian parliament

Question 7

Commodities meaning

Answer 7

basic items people need to buy

Question 8

Blockade meaning

Answer 8

when one country uses ships to stop another country trading

Question 9

Autocratic System meaning

Answer 9

rule by a single monarch

Question 10

State Censorship

Answer 10

limits on what could be published and said in public

Question 11

Serf meaning

Answer 11

peasants owned by noblemen

Question 12

Food

Answer 12

• inflation
• scarcity due to: cut off from Germany (war), bad transport system, terrible wheat harvest in Ukraine early on
• food hoarding became common
• strikes due to high prices
• bread riots, which turned to revolution
• troops joined angry crowds, commanding officers were killed, soldiers joined too, ministers were arrested, prisons were opened.
• trigger

Question 13

Failure in war

Answer 13

• Russia was struggling with social and economic problems when it initially joined the war
• their army was poorly equipped and lacked resources (weapons, ammunition, proper clothing, food)
• Tsar took personal control of the army in 1915. He was then blamed for military failures. It also left his German wife in charge of the country, who was very unpopular, causing the government to become chaotic and corrupt

Question 14

Fairness

Answer 14

• all power rested on Tsar. Only backed up by a small group of powerful nobles and the Russian church
• Tsar remained out of touch with people’s problems
• Many people treated like animals (little food, clothing, shelter). Most of money made/earned was taken away by taxes
• People were sent to prison or exiled for very small crimes
• Government could easily bribe officials
• Many peasants had to earn their livelihood with only 2.5 acres of land or less
• 70% of the population was illiterate and the social structure of the country had no education, medical relief or public health
• Many people were poor, hungry, diseased, ignorant and highly addicted to vodka
• Rapid industrialisation of Russia resulted in urban overcrowding and poor conditions for urban industrial workers. There was also no running water, and piles of human waste were a threat to the health of the workers.
• The lower class members of Russia realised the unfairness, causing them to revolt

Question 15

Freedom

Answer 15

• Absolute rule - people had no say in the goings on in parliament, so may be unhappy with decisions that had been made.
• Lower classes had been oppressed by the government for a long time, building up anger and desire for freedom.
• Some had to pay taxes to a government they had no say in.
• Terrorism became more of a thing in the lead up to the revolution and there were many strikes, despite being illegal.
  Many young people were unhappy with the Tsar’s rule and the Duma had limited powers.
• All these people longed for freedom and were unhappy with the rule, building up to a revolution