Russian Revolution in 1917?

Question

What were the main causes of the Russian revolution in 1917? Thank you

Answer 1

The main causes-----how much time do you have?

World War I

The First World War was the key factor.
bullet

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.
bullet

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
bullet

The winter of 1916–17 was severe. Food shortages got worse – there was a famine in the cities.


3 Tsar’s Mistakes
bullet

The Tsar took personal command of the army – which did not help the war effort and meant he was blamed for the defeats.
bullet

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.
bullet

By February 1917 the government was in chaos.
bullet

Finally, in the crisis, Nicholas went to pieces and failed to do anything (see Source A).


4 Army abandoned the Tsar
bullet

On 8 March 1917, there were riots in Petrograd about the food shortages and the war.
bullet

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
bullet

On 13 March members of the Duma went to Nicholas to tell him to abdicate.


......................


Causes

The revolution was the culmination of a long period of repression and unrest. From the time of Peter I (Peter the Great), the czardom increasingly became an autocratic bureaucracy that imposed its will on the people by force, with wanton disregard for human life and liberty. As Western technology was adopted by the czars, Western humanitarian ideals were acquired by a group of educated Russians. Among this growing intelligentsia, the majority of whom were abstractly humanitarian and democratic, there were also those who were politically radical and even revolutionary. The university became a seat of revolutionary activity; nihilism, anarchism, and later Marxism were espoused and propagated.

The reforms of Alexander II brought the emancipation of the serfs (1861; see Emancipation, Edict of) and opened the way for industrial development. However, emancipation imposed harsh economic conditions on the peasants and did not satisfy their need for farmland. Industrialization concentrated people in urban centers, where the exploited working class was a receptive audience for radical ideas. A reactionary and often ignorant clergy kept religion static and persecuted religious dissenters. Pogroms were instituted against the Jews, which turned many radical Jews to Zionism. Non-Russian nationalities in the empire were repressed.

By 1903, Russia was divided into several political groups. The autocracy was upheld by the landed nobility and the higher clergy; the capitalists desired a constitutional monarchy; the liberal bourgeoisie made up the bulk of the group that later became the Constitutional Democratic party; peasants and intelligentsia were incorporated into the Socialist Revolutionary party; and the workers, influenced by Marxism, were represented in the Bolshevik and Menshevik wings of the Social Democratic Labor party (see Bolshevism and Menshevism).

Answer 2

The Russian Revolution of 1917 had been brewing since at least 1904. The Tsarist regieme did try to adapt a more western style of goverment, even forming a Duma (Parliment) but this was not enough for a number of groups that hated the ideas of Monarchy. The 1914 battles and subsequent loss of Land, the German interferance and finally the Finland Station action where the Germans introduced Lenin back from Exhile into the Russian State was the final act to an already destroyed country. Ironically the Russians where on the verge of creating the same situation the Germans found themselves in 1942, logistics stretched to full, insurgents creating problems in rear areas and no extra troops to spare.
If they had stayed in the War, then with the Actions on the Western Front and other theatres of conflict there woud have been a quicker defeat and no Kaiser Battles of 1918.

Answer 3

Ask the right question!!
There were 2 revolutions in 1917. The one that has been referred to in the answers so far did NOT bring to power the Soviels (Bolsheviks, Communists)
The Revolution that brought them to power happened in late 1917 and was largely due to the disorganised and divided parties of the Duma who were challenged from right and left wing alike. The left were able to organise better and they promised an end to the war which no others did. The governments of the period were keen to stay in the war. They also reneged on their promise to form a Constituent Assembly until it was too late.

Answer 4

In addition to the above there were other assassination attempts and abortive revolutions before WW1. Defeat in the Russo Japanese war in 1905 didn't help either.

Poverty and hunger during WW1, a very cold winter, riots and so on gave the opportunity for the Kerensky government. (Meanwhile Lenin was allowed by Germany to return to Russia in a sealed train.)

Marx expected an industrial country to be the first for revolution. Russia was, (and still is) quite a revolutionary country though and I don't think this can be discounted as a cause.

Answer 5

Nicholas (the Tsar) was very unpopular with the proletariat for whom life in turn of the (20th) century Russia was very hard.

Although attempts were made to get him to make reforms, he didn't and with a new ideology (socialism) at the forefront, the people were determined that something had to be done.

Hence the October revolution. The Tsar applied for sanctuary in Britain for him and his family but this was denied by the government who were afraid that it just might tip the balance and bring civil war here too.

Answer 6

The social conditions of the vast majority in Russia after a devastating war in which the ruling class had shown itself to be callous and incompetent towards its own people.

Answer 7

The people were starving and the army was ar war with 'Germany'.The Military would have stood between the revolution and success,had 'Russia' not been involved.

Answer 8

The losses in the Great war An autocratic monarch starvation prosecution of any dissidents .

Answer 9

poverty of the russian people, overwhealming power of the Tsar Nicholas, the social need for a change to try and overthrow the goverment's autocracy

Answer 10

you really must study for yourself. Go to the library. Once you know, you will be on the way to becoming educated.