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.
HOW did the Causes cause revolution? - VITALLY 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
Think Quest - simple and chatty
BBC Bitesize - long-term, short-term and summary of causes
Pink Monkey - quite detailed
Wikipedia - harder; analyses the causes into economic, social and political
How WWI caused the Revolution - Open University text
Powerpoint:
Great 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
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.
Underlay everything (see weaknesses 1–7)
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.
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).
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.
On 13 March members of the Duma went to Nicholas to tell him to abdicate.
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.
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.
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?
