Downfall of the Tsar - Feb Rev

Question 1

Cause

Weak Autocracy

4 points

Answer 1

• Had been weak for some time with calls for a restricted monarchy since 1905 after ‘bloody sunday’ -creation of the state duma
• rather than embrace change the tsar reaffirms his autocracy via the passing of the fundamental laws - he also regularly dismissed the duma (we see this trend of dismissal continue up until his abdication)
• many all across russia had been becoming more and more disillusioned with the monarchy; The middle classes had been calling for a constitutional monarchy (with some even suggesting a republic),
  -the rural peasants wanted more land and were being radicalised by the socialist revolutionaries
  -the working population lived in incredibly poor conditions within the cities and they were the main targets of the mensheviks and the bolsheviks
• no one felt any real loyalty to the tsar and this feeling was only exacerbated by the war where his poor leadership really shined

Question 2

Causes

WW1/Tsar’s Leadership

4 reasons

Answer 2

Is what pulls the weak system over the edge
- Russia was never really fully prepared for the war and had only prepared for 6 months of warfare →the russian army had major Supply issues - 6.5 million men but only 4.5 million rifles, 100,00 hospital beds but nearly 4 million wounded
- huge losses even from the beginning of the war eg battle of tannenberg 200,000 mostly loyalists - massively effects morale
- the tsar sees the losses and becomes C-I-C of the armed forces. Placed the sole responsibility on himself -The tsar makes the additional mistake of rejecting the duma’s offer to share responsibility for the war
- tsarina was becoming increasingly unpopular- German so many thought that she may be sympathetic to enemy . the tsar would often leave the tsarina to run domestic affairs while he was away at the front , where she would often be advised by an increasingly unpopular figure; rasputin. (ladies man, spiritual healer, used his influence to gain positions of power)

Question 3

Causes

Economic reasons

3 reasons

Answer 3

• The war caused economic strife throughout Russia, with rumours of more bread queuing, inflation and a severe lack of supplies within the cities.
• conscription of young male peasants there was a dramatic drop in the rural workforce. Horses were also requisitioned to help with the war effort.
• With inflation growing, the value of wages of industrial workers had been cut by half in 1916. In response there were widespread strikes in Petrograd during February 1917.

Question 4

Causes

Popular discontent

4 points

Answer 4

• 1917 the russian people were becominging increasingly dissatisfied with the regime : the war had been going very badly militarily and conditions back home were not getting any better - leads to mass stikes mainly focused at the sytem
• focus shift towards the tsar ,especially on international women’s day where 100,000 people took to the streets in Petrograd to protest against the rumours of further bread rationing. The protests continued to increased in number over the course of a week with over half the petrograd population on strike
• addition of 66,000 mutinying soldiers from the volynskii regiment arming the protesters with 44,000 rifles
• The Tsar is informed on the unrest in Petrograd but he once again dismisses the duma, a few in the duma remain and form the progressive bloc to oversee the turmoil.

Question 5

WW1/Tsars leadership

example for Supply issues

Answer 5

Supply issues - 6.5 million men but only 4.5 million rifles
100,00 hospital beds but nearly 4 million wounded

Question 6

Economic reasons

how much had the value of wages decreased by 1916

Answer 6

the value of wages of industrial workers had been cut by half in 1916

Question 7

popular discontent

how many soldiers joined the protestors and what did they bring?

Answer 7

66,000 mutinying soldiers from the volynskii regiment arming the protesters with 44,000 rifles