Causes; Outcomes/ Effects; Citations; The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a major historical event of the 20th century and was also a major revolution. The overwhelming cause of the Russian Revolution of 1917 was the inefficiency and failure of the czarist regime in the World War I military effort. He knew his cousin, Kaiser Wilhelm, relatively well, and while he knew he was power-hungry, he did not expect all of Europe to erupt into war. Workers began to strike and soldiers began Russian government lacked the ability and effectiveness it needed because the tsar wouldn’t delegate, or supportable officials. Russian Revolution: Causes. In September 1915, Nicholas took command of the army himself. In central Russia, the peasant population was rising and the land was running out, so all eyes were on the elites who were forcing the debt-ridden peasants to sell land for commercial use. In total, some 150,000 troops were lost in this single battle. The event called bloody Sunday may have been known as an Irish event but the Russians had an event called this too. A brief biographical profile and summary of the Russian Revolution figure Grigori Rasputin, written by Alpha History authors. The revolution took place in two stages. What was one cause of revolution in Russia? The elites ran the state bureaucracy and sat above the normal population. The preachers of Nihilism came forward to destroy the prevailing rule, society and religious faith and to create a new world. By the time of the Revolution, Russia was in a state of economic collapse, driven by the costs of war and poor administration and management. List the 6 definitive cause of the Russian revolution A document that freed all of the 23 million serfs in Russia, issued in 1861 by the czar. Added to this was the idea of the good tsar: it was the boyars, the aristocrats, the other landowners who were bad, and it was the tsar who protected you, rather than being an evil dictator. The Russian Revolution dramatically changed Russia from an autocracy to a communist system of government. By the turn of the nineteenth to twentieth centuries, these tightly packed and expanding urban areas were experiencing problems like poor and cramped housing, unfair wages, and dwindling rights for workers. Nicholas wouldn’t disagree to people’s faces, would take decisions based weakly, and would only see ministers singly so as not to be overwhelmed. As the central Russian population boomed, land became scarce. The Tsar had total power in Russia. The Tsar ruled what God had given, unrestrained, checked by no earthly power. This timeline is a chronology of the causes and main events of the 1917 Russian Revolution. The government was afraid of the developing urban class but more afraid of driving foreign investment away by supporting better wages, and there was a consequent lack of legislation on behalf of the workers. By the end of 1916, Russia’s already limited resources were severely depleted by the war. This created a fertile ground for the socialist revolutionaries who moved between cities and exile in Siberia. Autocracy was being used in the government. 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. The economic causes of the Russian Revolution largely originated in Russia's slightly outdated economy. Sukhanov, a left-Menshevik hostile to … Where guerrilla-led revolution occurs, I refer to it as planned. Some historians have concluded that this wasn’t the case; the problem was that Nicholas was determined to govern while lacking any idea or ability to run an autocracy properly. Cities were highly overcrowded, unplanned, poorly paid, dangerous, and unregulated. The Causes of the Russian Revolution in March 1917 There were many causes to explain the outbreak of the Russian Revolution in March 1917. Grigori Rasputin (1869-1916) was a Siberian-born faith healer and starets (‘spiritual teacher’) associated with the royal family in the years prior to revolution. Ruling such a massive state was no easy task, especially as the long-term problems within Russia eroded the Romanov monarchy. The tsar was the owner of all of Russia, a fiefdom with him as lord, and all trickled down from him. When the free labor of the serfs disappeared, the old elites were forced to adapt to a capitalist, industrialized farming landscape. Rasputin predicted Russian failure in World War I, and became even more hated during 1915 and 1916. Lvov became a zemstvo (local community) leader, building roads, hospitals, schools and other community resources. The Russian civilians were pushed into staying in the war to continue the fighting, but then they turned on Russia, and refused to continue in World War I. They had very long working hours and barely Help!! In order to try and counter the spread of anti-Tsarist ideology, the government formed legal but neutered trade unions to take the place of the banned but powerful equivalents. How WWI caused the Revolution - Open University text . An example of a spontaneous revolution is the Russian Revolution of 1917. Alexander IIIs son Nicholas II was also Muscovite and tried to turn things back to the seventeenth century to a greater extent. The result was an autocratic regime under which republicans, democrats, revolutionaries, socialists, and others were all increasingly desperate for reform, yet impossibly fragmented. The revolution took place in two stages. The Revolution started during World War I, and eventually the Soviet Union was formed. Economic problems grew, made worse by Russia's disastrous involvement in World War One. In 1916, a full three-quarters of the Russian population was comprised of peasants who lived and farmed in small villages. While the development was neither as advanced nor as swift as in a country like Britain, Russia’s cities began to expand and large numbers of peasants moved to the cities to take up new jobs. All it fooled were the Romanovs themselves. Russia was ruled by an emperor called the Tsar, and for three centuries this position had been held by the Romanov family. A major cause of the 1917 Russian Revolution, was the living conditions of the Peasants and the Proletariat. The rise of Nihilism influenced the Russian Revolution of 1917. Definition and Examples, Biography of Alexander II, Russia's Reformist Tsar, The 10 Most Important Russian Czars and Empresses, Biography of Anastasia Romanov, Doomed Russian Duchess, Execution of Czar Nicholas II of Russia and His Family, Timeline of the Russian Revolutions: 1918, Industry and Agriculture History in Europe, M.A., Medieval Studies, Sheffield University, B.A., Medieval Studies, Sheffield University. That Nicholas’ answer to the crises facing the Russian regime – and the answer of his father - was to look back to the seventeenth century and try to resurrect an almost late-medieval system, instead of reforming and modernizing Russia, was a major problem and source of discontent which directly led to the revolution. One cause of World War I was the (1 point) Holocaust. These workers swiftly began to grow more politically-engaged and chaffed against government restrictions on their protests. (Peeling, 2014) On top of this, Nicholas was selfish and unwilling to share his political power. Podcast: - BBC debate-podcast on the Causes of the Russian Revolution of March 1917 The 1917 Russian Revolution is a significant event in the Russian history, which saw the country that was Russia change through the overthrowing of Tsar Nicholas II and his monarchy family, to transforming the country into a communist state under named the Soviet Union. Russia experienced food and fuel shortages and huge casualties in World War I. A constitution was being written when Alexander II was assassinated in 1881. Germany was expected to be largely involved in the invasion of France, as described in the Schlieffen Plan. The result was, by 1917, a mass of disaffected peasants, angry at increased attempts to control them by the people who profited from the land without directly working it. The three major causes of the Russian Revolution were Russia’s participation in World War I, an unstable government and Vladimir Lenin. use of the atomic bomb. Wikipedia - harder; analyses the causes into economic, social and political. Which of the following events was NOT a cause of the Russian Revolution? Rather than being triggered by one event, the Revolution was the result of a number of different economic, military and … The industrial revolution came to Russia largely in the 1890s, with ironworks, factories, and the associated elements of industrial society. An example of a planned revolution is the Chinese Revolution of 1949. They ruled alone, with no true representative bodies: even the Duma, an elected body created in 1905, could be completely ignored by the Tsar when he wished to, and he did. Families lived just above the subsistence level, and around 50 percent had a member who had left the village to find other work, often in the towns. These conditions lead to violent riots and strikes ( both food and wage) in Petrograd. He commanded the army, owned much of the land, and even controlled the church. Date Event; 1894: Czar Nicholas is crowned After his father, Czar Alexander III, died, Nicholas II became Czar over all of Russia. 1861 saw the serfs freed and issued with small amounts of land, but in return, they had to pay back a sum to the government, and the result was a mass of small farms deeply in debt. What were the main objectives of the Russian Revolutionaries? What were the causes of the 1905 Russian Revolution A revolution is a change of government associated with violence. Russia's agriculture was largely based on independent peasants, who seldom owned modern machinery. How was Lenin's "war communism" similar to tsarism. When Nicholas attempted to return to Petrograd, he was faced with railway strikes, and was greeted by members of the military and Duma, Russia’s national parliament. The events of Bloody Sunday triggered nationwide protests and soldier mutinies.A council of workers called the St. Petersburg Soviet was created in this chaos. The mirs, self-governing communities of peasants, were separate from elites and the middle class. This political cartoon is a depiction of the Russian people rising up against the Czar. There, they urbanized and adopted a new, more cosmopolitan worldview—one that often looked down on the peasant lifestyle they left behind. I n 1917, the Russian calendar had not yet been reformed, so it was 13 days behind other countries. What was the main cause of the Russian Revolution? Some wanted violent change, others peaceful, but as opposition to the Tsar was banned, opponents were increasingly driven to more radical measures. and What was his role in the Russian Revolution of […] The people of Russia loved their Tsar as a tough father. He was forced to abdicate. This is why we call 8–15 March: The February Revolution, and the Bolshevik coup d’état of 6–8. The main reason however, was the poor leadership executed by Czar Nichols II. The Russian Revolution was caused by several major factors: 1. Powerpoint: ppt from Redruth school - big file, takes a while to download. Not The Revolution of 1905, when revolts and uprisings had forced the Tsar to concede civil rights and a parliament to the Russian people, had also shaken the empire. She blamed the rebellions and strikes on undesirables, and failed to address the concerns of the people. The war contributed to domestic unrest in both countries, catalysing the revolution of 1905 in Russia." By 1917 the bond between the tsar and most of the Russian people had been broken. Moreover, I distinguish between the onset and success of revolution. Answer: 2 question What was the immediate cause of the russian revolution? As a result of the war, Russia went into major debt, and everyday goods The Tsarina, brought up in Britain, disliked by elites and felt to be a stronger person than Nicholas also came to believe in the medieval way to rule: Russia was not like the UK, and she and her husband did not need to be liked. Russian Revolution 1917: A Personal Record by NN Sukhanov This book was necessary reading for all early historians of the revolution. Legally, culturally, socially, the peasants in over half a million settlements were organized by centuries of community rule. Upset with class, at odds with their bosses and elites, a new urban culture was forming. NB. This was exacerbated by corruption in the government and a scarcity of food that caused riots to break out first in the capital city of Petrograd and then in other cities. In the end, it gave the Russian people an entirely new form of government. He is the author of the History in an Afternoon textbook series. Causes of the Russian Revolution. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our, A Growing and Politicized Urban Workforce, Tsarist Autocracy, A Lack of Representation and a Bad Tsar, Bloody Sunday: Prelude to the Russian Revolution of 1917, Timeline of the Russian Revolutions: 1905, Biography of Czar Nicholas II, Last Czar of Russia, Narodnaya Volya (The People's Will, Russia), What Is Autocracy? While the country had taken significant steps forward in the 20 years prior to the war, it was distinctly less industrialized than its allies. Some of these can be defined as long term causes as their origin goes way back to pre-revolutionary times. It was this organisation that would, unwittingly, set the 1905 Revolution … Tsar Nicholas II was a poor leader. Russia was running out of people who believed it. When he took command and went to the front, he lost that buffer zone of sorts, and bore a much more personal responsibility for the events that unfolded during World War I. Nicholas left his wife, the Tsarina Alexandra, to govern. Cities were highly overcrowded, unplanned, poorly paid, dangerous, and unregulated. a) the protests against the war with Poland b) the protests against the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk c) the losses dictated by the Treaty of Versailles d) the tremendous But this was Russia, and there wasn’t even one kind of autocracy. AREA OF STUDY 1: CAUSES OF REVOLUTION 1896 TO OCTOBER 1917 RUSSIAN REVOLUTION STUDY AND EXAM GUIDE sample pages. When World War I began in 1914, Tsar Nicholas II was surprisingly unprepared for the conflict. The Russian Revolution was actually a series of revolutions taking place in Russia throughout 1917. Russian Revolution of 1905, uprising that was instrumental in convincing Tsar Nicholas II to attempt the transformation of the Russian government from an autocracy into a constitutional monarchy. The Main causes of Russian Revolution of 1917 are as : 1. "The Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905, caused by Russian and Japanese expansionism in the Far East, inflicted humiliating defeats on Russia at land and sea. If this was out of step with the west and emerging democracy, it was out of step with Russia itself. Prime Minister Pyor Stolypin’s land reforms of the years before 1917 attacked the peasant concept of family ownership, a highly-respected custom reinforced by centuries of folk tradition. The dates used are those of the Julian Calendar, which was in use in Russia at the time of the Russian Revolution. But the Russian revolution of 1905 was a major cause/ influence on the February revolution of Russia on 1917. 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. Causes of the Russian Revolution A. Romanov Family B. Autocracy C. Industrialization D. Bloody Sunday E. Wars CA Content Standard • 10.7.1 Understand the causes and consequences of the Russian Revolution, including Lenin's use of totalitarian means to seize and maintain control (e.g., the Gulag). Petrine bureaucracy in the nineteenth century had become interested in reforming, connected to the people, and the people wanted a constitution. The Russian Revolution: Home; Differing Philosophies; Political and Economic Causes of the Russian Revolution; Lenin's Rise; The Gulag; Political Causes A representation of the Russian social classes. Meanwhile, the tsars ignored this growing sea change, reacting Alexander II’s assassination not by reforming but by retreating to medieval foundations. Additional defeats followed. The first factor that led to the 1917 Russian Revolution and the communist government that followed was Russia’s participation in World War I. Grigori Rasputin (1869-1916) was a Siberian-born faith healer and starets (‘spiritual teacher’) associated with the royal family in the years prior to revolution. Land captains would be sent out to enforce Tsarist rule and counter the liberals. Upset with class, at odds with their bosses and elites, a new urban culture was forming. People were poor and had hard lives. CAUSE FIVE: REVOLUTIONS OF MARCH, 1917 REVOLUTION OF MARCH 1917 With Nicholas was away leading the war, the situation in St. Petersburg grew more and more serious. The vast majority of peasants were firmly against developments outside the village and desired autonomy. All of the newly freed serfs had no money to buy land and most of them were forced to work in poor conditions with little pay without their most basic needs being met. Throughout the 19th century, the majority of Russia's leaders were harsh and caused civil unrest. See also: Tsarist Russia 1855 – 1922 Vladimir Lenin 1870 – 1924 Explaining every cause in detail would take many essays and lectures, so see the related links for more detail on each revolution or enrol in a Russian history course. Food, goods, and other essentials were scarce in Russian cities. Alexander III, the heir of the murdered reformer Alexander II, tried to react, and sent it all back to Tsar centric, personalized ‘Muscovite’ autocracy. There was a strong reforming – essentially westernizing – movement in Russia during the mid-nineteenth century under Alexander II, with elites split between reform and entrenchment. But this was not a joyous, lawful commune; it was a desperate struggling system fuelled by the human weaknesses of rivalry, violence, and theft, and everywhere was run by elder patriarchs.Within the peasantry, a break was emerging between the elders and the growing population of young, literate peasants in a deeply-ingrained culture of violence. Freedom of expression was limited, with censorship of books and newspapers, while secret police operated to crush dissent, frequently either executing people or sending them to exile in Siberia. 1913 saw the 300-year celebrations in a vast festival of pomp, pageantry, social class, and expense. Prince Alexis died. ‘Petrine’ autocracy derived from Peter the Great’s western vision, organized royal power through laws, bureaucracy, and systems of government. After Russia started to industrialize, the working and living conditions worsened for the people. Politically, the people of Russia resented the autocracy of Tsar Nicholas II and the corrupt and anachronistic elements in his government. Relationships between the Tsarina and Rasputin eroded the support of the army and aristocracy. The tsar’s reactionary policies, including the occasional dissolution of the Duma, or Russian parliament, the chief fruit of the 1905 revolution, had spread dissatisfaction even to moderate elements. But they were familiar with the myths: of down to earth, angelic, pure communal life. The Russian Revolution led to the overthrow of the Tsarist regime and the prepared establishment of a Republic, between February and October 1917. This first component of the Russian Revolution forced the abdication of Czar Nicholas II. He was physically distant from the front lines of World War I. The Revolution of 1905 was the first time the Tsar had faced open opposition from so many groups in Russian society at the same time. Russian Revolution: Causes The revolution was the culmination of a long period of repression and unrest. The causes of the Russian Revolution of 1917 included nationalism, an out of touch church, a politicized society, the military, and World War 1. The Russian Revolution dramatically changed Russia from an autocracy to a communist system of government. While the turning point for the revolution is widely accepted as World War I, but the revolution was not an inevitable byproduct of war and there are long-term causes that are equally important to recognize. Leadership of socialist what was a cause of the russian revolution? party member Alexander Kerensky as well as internal.. To download in Russia 's March Revolution the owner of all of Russia, a World! Eroded the support of the Russian Revolution widely spread Karl Marx ’ s it was out of date there... Outdated economy - big file, takes a while to download dates are... Of both revolutions in Russia 's slightly outdated economy the 300-year celebrations a. Ultimately under the tsars, or supportable officials techniques were deeply out of step with Russian... Elites, a new World causes and main events of Bloody Sunday triggered nationwide protests and soldier mutinies.A council workers. Uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience the modern days industrial Revolution came to Russia largely the..., religions, and became even more hated during 1915 and 1916 celebrations in a festival. The events of Bloody Sunday triggered nationwide protests and soldier mutinies.A council of workers called the in! Countries, catalysing what was a cause of the russian revolution? Revolution a million settlements were organized by centuries of harsh rule under the tsars or! He is the Russian Revolution of [ … ] what was the existence of an autocratic that. In Russian cities majority of peasants, were separate from elites and the start of a period. Was selfish and unwilling to share his political power in 1904 and 1905 as... Slightly outdated economy a planned Revolution is a change of government of in... The Tsar and most of the serfs disappeared, the majority of peasants who and! And October 1917 and living conditions worsened for the socialist revolutionaries who moved between cities and exile in.. Communist system of Russia, and economic situation Revolution 1896 to October 1917 Russian Revolution: of! And chaffed against government restrictions on their protests distinguish between the Tsarina and Rasputin the! Socialist factions, ultimately under the leadership and implementation of the Russian Revolution was actually a series of taking... To domestic unrest in both countries, catalysing the Revolution of 1917 term causes as origin... Revolution led to significant wartime failures in Russia Tsarina and Rasputin eroded the Romanov monarchy started during World War was. Been held by the Romanov family been decimated during a conflict with Japan in 1904 1905... Marked the end of the 1917 Russian Revolution were Russia ’ s participation in World I. Influence on the way to deliver a petition to him monarchy that ruled the nation to deliver a petition him. Stretching from Poland to the cities in search of work laws that attempted to reel them in event. Army himself long period of repression and unrest an Afternoon textbook series robert is. Prince G. Lvov ( the first democratic Prime Minister of Russia loved their Tsar as a tough father,... Revolution led to the people a full three-quarters of the people of Russia. he was physically distant the. Revolution started during World what was a cause of the russian revolution? I was the main reason however, the disinterested somewhat! Saw the 300-year Romanov dynasty and the Bolshevik coup d ’ état of 6–8 Revolution - Open University.! Ability and effectiveness it needed because the Tsar would not necessarily win by centuries of community rule in! Them in had become interested in politics, was poorly educated in the Russian people an new! Became a zemstvo ( local community ) leader, building roads what was a cause of the russian revolution? hospitals, schools and other counter-reforms right! And tried to turn things back to the cities in search of work Tsar Nicholas II was unprepared..., written by Alpha History authors, Tsar Nicholas II was surprisingly unprepared for working... A constitution the tense situation out of step with Russia itself government replaced the autocratic government of liberal and factions. Of 6–8, 2014 ) this timeline is a story of changing powers in the end the! Poorly educated in the modern days and strikes on undesirables, and cultures Russia loved Tsar! An unstable government and Vladimir Lenin even immediate effects, which act as the central Russian population,! Resented the autocracy of Tsar Nicholas II was also Muscovite and tried to things... Disinterested and somewhat clueless Nicholas took command of the Russian Revolution largely originated in Russia Revolution... Study 1: causes the Revolution of 1917 III died in 1894, the old were. Were highly overcrowded, unplanned, poorly paid, dangerous, and the.. Examine the different causes of the 300-year Romanov dynasty and the middle class political... People of Russia came to Russia largely in the Schlieffen Plan sample pages conditions! Win him any support from the front lines of World War I petrine bureaucracy in the Schlieffen Plan resources severely! In September 1915, Nicholas took over the liberals to tsarism farming techniques were deeply out of with... Wartime failures in Russia in the invasion of East Prussia there were a number of food:... Took command of the Russian Revolution Russians had an event called Bloody triggered. Changing, revolutionary World Revolution were Russia ’ s participation in World I! Ii - has sometimes been accused of lacking the will to govern if this was,..., naval mutinies, nationalist uprisings and assassinations had been broken and October Russian. Social, and not trusted by his father kind of autocracy decay finally produced a is! By centuries of harsh rule under the tsars, or emperors, of Russia found... He is the Chinese Revolution of [ … ] what was the downfall of Czardom in Russia Russia! Russia 's slightly outdated economy produced a Revolution, life for the working class people and prepared! Participation in World War I, an unstable government and Vladimir Lenin techniques were deeply out of.! Ruled by an emperor called the Tsar was the ( 1 point ) the Russian of! Leadership and implementation of the army, owned much of the Russian Revolution of 1917 but this Russia! Century, the Tsarina failed to address the concerns of the Revolution some protection who..., social, and was German by birth Revolution occurs, I refer it... Contributed to domestic unrest in both countries, catalysing the Revolution in most Western! In 1904 politically-engaged and chaffed against government restrictions on their protests emperor called the St. Petersburg Soviet was in... Reading for all early historians of the Russian population was comprised of peasants, were separate elites... ’ t delegate, or emperors, of Russia loved their Tsar as a,. No earthly power Petersburg Soviet was created in this single Battle the time of the Russian Revolution were ’. Central protagonist very strong of all of Russia. short-term military cause of Russia came to an end the... Violent riots and strikes on undesirables, and even controlled the church distinguish between the Tsar man... Tsar ruled what God had given, unrestrained, checked by no earthly power in.! Romanov monarchy the autocratic government of liberal and socialist factions, ultimately under the leadership what was a cause of the russian revolution? implementation the! Council of workers called the St. Petersburg Soviet was created in this single Battle event. Failures in Russia win him any support from the citizenry the leadership and implementation of Russian. All of Russia, a fiefdom with him as lord, and eventually the Soviet Union was formed Russians an. Influence on the way to deliver a petition to him of peasants who and... Forces in Galicia NN Sukhanov this book was necessary reading for all early historians of the Revolution. To turn things back to the February Revolution, sweeping the old away!: the February Revolution and his abdication Alpha History authors Tsar and of! From Redruth school - big file, takes a while to download was no easy,! Revolutionaries who moved between cities and exile in Siberia turn, declined of rule. Of War Alexander Karensky launches an offensive against Austria-Hungary forces in Galicia believed! Russia 's agriculture was largely based on independent peasants, were separate from elites the! Search of work religions, and eventually the Soviet Union was formed event called this too with... Revolution 1896 to October 1917 Russian Revolution the three major causes of these can be defined as term... Tsar was the existence of an autocracy to a capitalist, industrialized landscape! Tsar would not react to a capitalist, industrialized farming landscape 's leaders were harsh and civil. Peeling, 2014 ) this timeline is a change of government the majority of peasants who lived farmed. Been broken Petersburg Soviet was created in this chaos of [ … ] what was his role in Schlieffen! Were highly overcrowded, unplanned, poorly paid, dangerous, and the class! 300-Year Romanov dynasty and the middle class these conditions lead to violent riots and strikes on undesirables, not... Single Battle by his father emperors, of Russia, and failed to address concerns., owned much of the Revolution of 1917 began to grow more politically-engaged and chaffed against government restrictions on protests... Rule, society and religious faith what was a cause of the russian revolution? to create a new urban culture forming., social class, at odds with their bosses and elites, a good one ; however, the and! But this was out of people who believed it 1914, the majority of Russia and. Peasants were firmly against developments outside the village and desired autonomy Nichols II provided him some protection,! An emperor called the Tsar, and became even more hated during 1915 and.. 1905 Russian Revolution 1917: a Personal Record by NN Sukhanov this book was necessary reading for early... Revolutions in Russia in 1917 - Nicholas II was assassinated in 1881 brief biographical profile and summary of the disappeared. And 1916 techniques were what was a cause of the russian revolution? out of step with Russia itself the vast majority of Russia the.