Summary
The
First World War placed an unbearable strain on Russia's weak
government and economy, resulting in mass shortages and
hunger.
In the meantime, the mismanagement and failures of the war
turned the people - and importantly the soldiers - against the
Tsar, whose decision to take personal command of the army
seemed to make him personally responsible for the defeats.
In March 1917, the Tsar lost control first of the streets,
then of the soldiers, and finally of the Duma, resulting in
his forced abdication on 15 March 1917.
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The
February Revolution
In March 1917 crowds rioted on the
streets.
The soldiers
joined them.
Then the
members of the Duma joined the rebellion; they forced the Tsar to
abdicate.
1
Weakness
of Russia
Underlay
everything (see weaknesses 1–7)
2
World
War I
The
First
World War
was the key factor.
The army was badly led and poorly equipped.
Russian defeats at Tannenberg and Masurian Lakes – the
Russians lost 200,000 men – lost the government the support of the
army.
The war took 15 million men from the farms and
trains had to be used for the war (so they could not bring food to the
cities) so there were food shortages and food prices rose, all of
which created anger and unrest in Petrograd
The winter of 1916–17 was severe.
Food shortages got worse – there was a famine in the cities.
3
Tsar’s
Mistakes
The Tsar took personal command of the army
– which did not help the war effort and meant he was blamed
for the defeats.
He left the Tsarina in charge. She was incompetent (she let
Rasputin run the
government), and (because she was a German) rumours circulated that
she was trying to help Germany to win.
By February 1917 the government was in chaos.
Finally, in the crisis, Nicholas went to pieces
and failed to do anything (see Source A).
4
Army
abandoned the Tsar
On 8 March 1917, there were riots in Petrograd
about the food shortages and the war.
On 12 March the Army abandoned the Tsar – the
soldiers mutinied and refused to put down the riots.
The government lost control of the country.
5
Duma
abandoned the Tsar
On 13 March members of the Duma went to Nicholas
to tell him to abdicate.
Source A
On 12 March 1917 Rodzianko, the President of the Duma, telegraphed the
Tsar:
The situation is getting worse.
Something has to be done immediately. Tomorrow is too late.
The last hour has struck.
The future of the country and the royal family is being decided.
The Tsar read it and said:
Again, that fat-bellied Rodzianko has written me a load of nonsense,
which I won’t even bother to answer.
On 13 March the Duma forced Nicholas to abdicate.
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Links
HOW did
the Causes cause revolution? - important matching game
Textbook accounts:
PJ
Larkin, Revolution in Russia (1965)
Peter
Moss, History Alive (1967)
Reed
Brett, European History (1967)
Chris Culpin, Making
History
(1984) - recommended reading; analyses the cause into
long-term and short term
Norman
Lowe, Mastering Modern World History (1988) - a
difficult text which looks at the impact of WWI
Weblinks:
The
February Revolution
- Spartacus
questgarden - interesting general information
Think Quest - simple and chatty
BBC Bitesize -
long-term,
short-term and
summary of causes
Wikipedia - harder; analyses the causes into economic,
social and political
How
WWI caused the Revolution - Open University text
Powerpoint:
ppt from Redruth school - big file, takes a while to download.
Podcast:
-
BBC debate-podcast on the Causes of the Russian Revolution of March
1917
Kirsten's Thesis - good
idea
Frank
E Smitha - narrative account of the February Revolution -
quite hard
Collapse of the Tsarist Monarchy
Did
You Know?
In
1917, the Russian calendar had not yet been reformed, so it was 13 days
behind other countries.
This is why we call 8–15 March:
The
February Revolution,
and
the Bolshevik coup d’état of
6–8 November: The October Revolution.
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Events
of the Revolution
7
March
Steelworkers go on strike.
8
March
International Women’s Day – demonstrations/ bread riots.
9–10
March
More demonstrations/strikes – Tsarina calls in the army.
11
March
Troops fire on crowds.
The Duma urges action – Tsar dissolves the Duma.
12
March
Soldiers mutiny and join riots.
Soldiers and workers set up the ‘Petrograd Soviet’ of 2,500
elected deputies
(i.e.
the Tsar’s government had fallen/ Russia had 2 governments)
13
March
Duma sets up a ‘Provisional Government’, led by Kerensky.
The Tsar gets on the train to Petrograd, but (on
14 March)
is arrested on the way and (on 15 March) abdicates.
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Extra:
1.
Find out
more
about:
a. Rasputin
b.
Rodzianko
2.
To what extent was the Tsar responsible for his own fall from power?
3.
Which was more important
as a cause of the revolution – the underlying weaknesses of the monarchy
or the First World War?
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