March Revolution 1917

Question 1

Core reasons for revolution

Answer 1

• Leadership
• War
• Socioeconomic strife

Question 1

Leadership

Answer 1

• 1914 - D self suspended (b not vote)
• 1915 - T CIC Eastern Front
• Tsarina - Ras = app. of Min = incompetent Klyst - bad rep.
  = Prog Bloc = 236/422 D
  = Zemgor 1915 - LVOV / union of municipal c / union of zem. = aid russian ppl.
• 1916 = Ras assassinated by nobles

Question 2

War

Answer 2

• 1.7 dead - 1/3 army injured
• masurian lakes / Tannenburg / Brusiolv offensive (1916)
• General Samsonov = ‘shells crisis’ = logistics
• Sukhomlinov = favoured
• 2.5 m captured

Question 3

Socioeconomic strife

Answer 3

• Transport = food rotted - requisitioned - hoarded
• P = conscripted = shortages
• 1916 1st 3m = 25% rationing than normal
• Inflation = 400x price rise by 1917 - doubled expenditure 3bn - 1.5 in 1913
• Vodka not traded / sold = major tax imposition lost
• loss of territory = loss of access to Baltic / Black sea = lacks trade = less ability for factories / shops to run
• Tsarist institutional crisis

Question 4

Mini-conc / conc for essay

Answer 4

• leadership = worsened impact of war greatly ‘institutional crisis’ resulted in Tsarist state not being able to cope with effects of war = led to creation of external bodies that would ascend to the Soviets / PG
• could blame war but Tsar presented himself / Rasputin presented the nobility as a clear and evident scapegoat - resulted in frustration being directed towards them

Question 5

Summary

Answer 5

war = leadership cannot cope - social impact is massive and not dealt with - tsarists easiest to blame

-1.7 / Zemgor / so on.