Tsarist Russia

Background Information Russian Autocracy: The Russian emperor was an absolute autocrat. He didnt have to consult anyone about any decisions he made and he could appoint or sack ministers whenever he wanted, without giving a reason. He believed that God had placed Russia in his hands to rule as he saw fit He had the divine right to rule. The Tsar had people carry out tasks to collect taxes for him. Top jobs usually went to aristocrats and the rest of the bureaucracy was run by Russias middle classes. Many officials were corrupt and got rich by accepting bribes, making the system inefficient. Russias huge size didnt really help either. There was a lot of censorship, which involved: The limiting of reporting on events in western Europe, banning of criticism about social conditions and the control of expression of any kind of literature. Most of the population respected the Tsar, they thought of him as their Father, but he had ways to deal with those who didnt. The army used violence to remove any threats. The Tsar could also rely on his secret police, the Okhrana to arrest opponents and send them to Siberia.

Agrarian Problems
Russia was huge, but most of the land was unable to be farmed. Most of the population were peasants and only 13% of the population lived in towns or cities. Land was in short supply Population was quickly growing and they could not gain more land. Most peasants lived in village communes, the mir, to which many were bound by the legislation of 1861. In many cases, the commune regulated their activities and redistributed land allotments to peasant households.
Redistribution system of land tenure and usage. Primitive farming techniques. Rapidly growing rural population. Lead to Agricultural underproduction Land shortage. Occasional famine when harvest failures occurred.

Other problems:

Government policy of maintaining low bread prices meant low prices for farmers. Population growth and increase in family size increased pressure on landowners to produce food. Government tax payments were difficult to make. Grain taxes and taxes on everyday items (salt, alcohol) were very high. There was a consistent lack of direct financial investment in agriculture Peasants were still using primitive farming methods. o Russia produced a lot of food because of the amount of land they had, not because of the efficiency of production.

The governments idea was squeeze the people hard and put all of that money into industrial development. Emancipation of the peasantry from serfdom in 1861 didnt solve the countrys agrarian problems. The government took initiatives to look for economic solutions: Formation of an improved Land Bank (1886) o It encouraged purchase of land at cheap prices and with low interest rates (as low as 4%) Settlement was encouraged in land to the east, mainly Siberia. o 1896: The government founded the Resettlement Bureau to stimulate migration to Siberia. As an encouragement, shipment of criminals to Siberia was suspended in 1900 to improve its image. The total amount of land owned by peasants increased by 26 million hectares and 750,000 peasants migrated to Siberia in the last 4 years of the 19th century. However, this was too little in comparison to the enormous peasant population of 96 million.

Industrialization
Economic Policy and Industrialization Sergei Witte, minister of Finance (1892-1903) proposed industrialization. Wittes economic policy promoted rapid industrialization and had political, economic and social consequences: Leading role taken by the government in planning and finance. Emphasis on capital goods instead of consumer goods industries. Increased taxation of peasants to generate capital. Massive foreign investment Mainly French, Belgian and British. Protective tariffs to guard infant Russian industries against destructive competition from larger western industries. All of the capital generated would stimulate Russian industry and protect government against social unrest by creating full employment, higher wages and cheaper goods. By Russian standards, progress had been made in heavy industries, such as the production of coal, petroleum, iron and steel. Textile production continued to dominate. In 1910 it was 40% of Russias industrial output. Industrial development in Russia increased greatly, but not at world standards. This period of development also included a major economic slump (1899-1902). Foreign investment in Russia did increase during Wittes period. About half of this investment went into mining and metallurgy industries. By 1900, about 90% of the capital behind these industries came from foreign investment. The investment funds came from France 33%, Great Britain 23%, Germany 20%, Belgium 14% and USA 5%. Railway development was rapid by Russian standards but not world standards. A major achievement was the construction of the 7,000km Trans-Siberian Railway (opened in 1904). This made enormous demands on metallurgical and coal industries, thus boosting Russian economy.

Other forms of communication were very inadequate. Only major inter-city roads were up to European standards. Urban Proletariat:
Proletariat = Working classes

Steady industrialization of the Russian economy meant that social structures within Russia were breaking down. Industrialization combined with the agricultural problems meant that rural-urban migration increased. Horrible countryside? Move to the city! By 1900, 2.5 million workers were new to industry and 10-13 million Russians were now dependent on industry earned wages. However, this was still less than 10% of the total population. With rural-urban migration, the workforce of the average factory grew. However, it also led to urban overcrowding Living and working conditions deteriorated.
Problems:

Overcrowding in cities and factory barracks. Extremely low wages. Lack of safety controls. Strict labor laws which controlled industrial discipline. Trade unions and political parties were banned. The deterioration of living and working conditions led to mass discontent, which led to strikes and an increase of propaganda of revolutionary activists. Strikes (illegal until 1905) were frequent. Employment of children under 12 was forbidden (1892) Female labour was banned in mines (1892) Working day was set to eleven and a half hours (1896). However, this law was widely ignored by employers. Factory inspectors were introduced in 1903.

Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905

Why did the war start? Russia and Japan wanted to expand in the same regions. Russia demanded a 25-year lease on Port Arthur and the Liaotung Peninsula from the Chinese government. The Chinese resisted, so Russian troops occupied the area. Japan was disturbed by Russian territorial gains and attempted to resolve the conflict through diplomatic means. The Russians didnt respond. Why didnt they respond? Russian industrialists had investments in the region. Kaiser Wilhelm II encouraged the Tsars eastern activities to distract him from European affairs. Asian events would be a good distraction from the growing political problems in European Russia. The Tsar thought that victory against Japan was easy. I mean, look, Russia is huge. Japan is tiny. If they won, it would lessen the amount of complaints about his government. So Why did they lose?

Russians had a greater population and much more territory but Japan had greater access to the field of war. Russia depended on the Trans-Siberian railway to transport supplies and Russian forces. Due to their large territory and dependency of a single railway, it would take longer for Russia to have their army ready (a total of 100,000 men). Meanwhile, Japan immediately had an army of 180,000 men available and could be reinforced through a short sea route. A lot of men had to be stationed in European Russia due to the hostilities that were becoming common. Japanese more motivated by a nationalistic and semi-religious fanaticism. Russians had incompetent officers and administrators. Meanwhile, Japan had a lot more effective modern equipment.

Consequences of defeats: With the peace treaty (Treaty of Portsmouth) Russians gave up Port Arthur and the Liaotung Peninsula. Russian ambitions in Asia were now limited, so they would now concentrate in European affairs. After initial patriotism, the war became unpopular. People misunderstood its motives. Prices of consumer goods rose due to shortages. Factories closed due to lack of industrial material. Unemployment increased. Russia was humiliated. Japan was a small country in comparison to Russia. Complaints about the Tsars government increased. The Tsars popularity decreased.

Problems ruling Russia

Size Russia was a huge empire covered over 4,000 miles from west to east and 2,000 miles from north to south. This would cause problems when transporting supplies and in communication. Topography Most of the land in Russia was unable to be farmed. The main agricultural areas, such as the Black Earth region, were in European Russia. This meant that most of the population was concentrated in European Russia.

Communications There were few paved roads. Travel by road was slow. Railways were the most comfortable form of travel. Most of the railways were found in European Russia and the only line of communication which crossed all of the eastern territory was the Trans-Siberian railway, which was opened in 1904. It took more than a week to cross Russia from west to east in this railway. The fact that it was the only railway that did so made it impractical when supplies or armed forces needed to be transported to Eastern Russia. Population Russia contained about 130 million people. Most of them lived in European Russia. Less than half of the population was actually Russian. The rest had been conquered by the Russians, so many of them had a desire of independence and a feeling of nationalism. Many of them didnt even speak Russian, making it more difficult to govern them. Discontent among the masses Peasants: 80% of Russians were peasants. For most of them, life was hard. When the harvests were good they have enough food to go around. When they were bad, there was starvation and disease. In 1891 there was a crop failure: 400,000 people died and cholera spread through the countryside. They average life expectancy was less than 40 years. It was a life of poverty. Most families only produced enough food for themselves. Some peasants would earn extra money by making clothes, furniture or articles, which they could sell. Their main problem was land. There wasnt enough for all the peasants. Until 1861, most peasants were had been Serfs, owned by their masters. They were then freed and each peasant was given a share of land, which they could buy with money loaned by the government. However, this land was usually barely enough to survive on, so they couldnt pay off loans. Most peasants just wanted enough of land to farm and were angry that the landowners (nobles) kept so much of the land after 1861. Despite being freed, many peasants had to work on the nobles estates to earn extra money. Things got worse by 1900 The population was growing fast. Peasants were competing for the land available.

How Russia was governed

Government
Tsar Nicholas II was an autocrat. He believed he had the divine right to rule, that he had been chosen. He had complete and absolute power and could do whatever he wanted without consulting anyone. He had a council of ministers who ran the various government departments. They all reported to the Tsar. There were thousands of civil servants, from top officials down to tax collectors and custom officers. The wages of the people at the bottom were very low, so there was a lot of bribery and corruption.

There was no parliament to represent the views of the people and there was no way they could get their views heard. Newspapers and books were censored. They needed to be sent to the government for approval before they could be printed. Opposition was not tolerated. The okhrana (secret police) dealt with those who criticized the government. Dissidents (political opponents) were imprisoned or exiled to Siberia. In case of strikes, protests or riots, the soldiers, the Cossacks, were used to restore order with the use of force.

The Orthodox Church

The Orthodox Church was very important in Russia. Holy men, starets, were held in special regard. There was a great gap between the poor parish priests on one side and the rich bishops and higher clergy on the other. The Church was closely linked to the Tsar and supported his way of ruling. They taught that the Tsar was Gods chosen representative on earth. This was why many peasants and workers thought of the Tsar as their little father, their protector.

Russification
This policy had been applied throughout the 19th century; Nicholas II did not invent it. Russification made non-Russians speak Russian, wear Russian clothes and follow Russian customs. It intended on spreading Russian characteristics to all of the Tsars subjects. Russian officials were chosen to run the government of non-Russian areas, such as Finland, Poland and Latvia. Russians were given the important jobs in non-Russian areas. Russian language had to be used in schools, law courts and local government. Some national groups deeply resented the policy of Russification. They saw this as an attack on their way of life. The Jewish population was largely affected due to the official religious antiSemitism of the Orthodox Church. They began to respond with militant nationalism and revolutionary agitation.

Political Opposition
Socialist Revolutionaries They were formed in 1901. They believed in a revolutionary movement, which would unite all the people who were suffering under the Tsar. They thought peasants would start the revolution. They were sometimes called the Peasants Party. Aims: Get rid of the Tsar and his government. Give all land to the peasants to farm collectively in communes. Support: They appealed to the peasants. Tactics: Propaganda to encourage revolution. Violent action to bring the collapse of the government. o They killed several important government officials.

o They believed that violent and radical action would be the answer to peoples problems. Social Democrats Founded in 1895 and followed the teachings of Karl Marx. They believed workers concentrated in large cities would start the revolution. Aims: Overthrow the Tsar. Form a socialist state The government controls the means of production and distribution for the collective good of all. Support: Appealed to students and workers in cities and large towns. Tactics: In 1903 they split up into 2 groups. Mensheviks: The party should be a mass organization that all workers could join. This mass party would grow until it eventually took power. It would work with other groups like trade unions to improve wages and working conditions. Bolsheviks: They believed in a small, secret, tightly disciplined party of professional revolutionaries who would seize power when the time was right. They thought a large party could easily be infiltrated with spies. They planned revolutionary cells with 3 or 4 people who would enter factories and organize strikes. Liberals They believed it was time the people had an opportunity to run the country through a parliament. In 1905, they formed the Constitutional Democratic Party, the Cadets. Aims: Free elections and a parliament to run the country. The Tsar should be a constitutional monarch, like in England. Civil rights Freedom of speech, worship and conscience. Support: Appealed to middle and educated classes (teachers, doctors, lawyers and some industrialists). Tactics: Peaceful and democratic. Meetings, speeches, discussions, publishing articles and books, which called for change.

The 1905 Revolution

Why was there a revolution 1905? People had been dissatisfied with the government for a long time. Peasants and workers lived in intolerable conditions, the government was bureaucratic, slow to take action and corrupt. It was about time there was a revolution. Economic problems: Russia needed to industrialize to change from a backward agricultural country into a modern industrialized one. To do so, the government invested a lot of money in improving Russias industries. Even though a lot of money came from foreign investment, the main source was the Russian people TAXES! Peasants had to pay heavy taxes on grain. Taxes on everyday items (alcohol and salt) were increased. Workers wages were kept low. o Taxes go up, wages go down =( The governments idea was to squeeze the people hard and put all the money into industrial development. Once industry got going, everybody would become better off Thats not quite what happened, though Things were going well Railways grew and so did Industry, especially iron and steel. 1902: Industrial slump. Thousands of workers lost their jobs. Strikes and demonstrations were more frequent. There were poor harvests in 1900 and 1902. The peasants had been squeezed to a point where they could barely survive. The government would use military force to crush any disturbances, but demonstrations and violence continued throughout 1902 and 1903. The Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905 If victory was achieved in this war, people would stop criticizing his government. But the war only made things worse. Shortages of food and other goods Prices of consumer goods rose. Lack of industrial materials Factories closed More unemployment and hunger. To make things even worse Russia was constantly losing battles. This was humiliating, since Japan was a very small country compared with Russia. People began to protest about the incompetence of the Tsar and his government. Spark of the Revolution Bloody Sunday Sunday 22 January 1905 At the beginning of 1905, conditions were bad in St Petersburg and tension was high. A priest, Father Gapon, organised a march to deliver a petition to the Tsar, asking for his help.
The petition (key points):

They contained both complaints and demands. To reduce the working day to eight hours. To provide a minimum wage of a rouble a day. Complained about the conditions they were in. o They said that even death would be better than the prolongation of our
intolerable sufferings.

Protested about the war. Pointed out the Tsars lack of communication with his people.

 Protested that they have no voice in the way all of their taxes are spent. The people treated the Tsar with respect in the petition, however they demonstrated discontent towards him. Sunday 22nd January, 1905: 200,000 people marched towards the Winter Palace to deliver the petition to the Tsar. As they approached the palace they were met by troops. The petitioners meant no harm, however the soldiers, seeing such a huge amount of people walking towards them, got nervous and opened fire. The estimated number of casualties has varied from thousands to less than 100. The government wanted to hide the real amount of casualties.
Summary Why was there a revolution 1905?

Long-term: Dissatisfaction with the government for a long time. o Peasants and workers lived in intolerable conditions. Government was slow to take action and corrupt. A revolution was bound to occur. Economic: Government policy of industrialization. o Taxes on grain and everyday items increased greatly. The government wanted to squeeze the people to pay for industrial development. o Economic slump (1900-1902) Things got worse. Thousands of workers lost their jobs. Poor harvests Peasants had been squeezed to a point where they could barely survive. Social: Living and working conditions deteriorated due to industrialization (overpopulation, not enough food, low wages, overcrowded barracks) Political: Tsar lost popularity due to the Russo-Japanese War. People considered the Tsar and his government to be incompetent. Social: Living conditions deteriorated further due to the Russo-Japanese war. Shortages of food and other goods Prices rose. Factories closed due to lack of industrial materials Unemployment increased. Immediate reason BLOODY SUNDAY 22 January 1905 o People who were going to give a petition to the Tsar got massacred. The Tsar lost popularity. They no longer thought the Tsar could protect them.

Events of the 1905 Revolution January: After Bloody Sunday, there were more than 400,000 workers out on strike. For the rest of the year, the government had little control of events. Strikes, demonstrations, petitions, riots and assassinations became more frequent. February: Strikes spread to other cities. Workers demanded an eight-hour working day, higher wages and better conditions. March and May: After shameful defeats against Japan, people demanded a change in government. May and June: Different groups began demanding changes. Middle-class liberals demanded an elected parliament, freedom of speech and the right to form political parties. National groups, like Poles and Finns, demanded independence. Jews demanded equal rights. June and July: Peasant riots became frequent in the countryside. Land was seized and landowners houses were looted and burned.

September: War ended. Troops were now free to help put down social unrest in

European Russia. The government promised them better conditions of service so they would remain loyal to the Tsar. October: General strike spread from Moscow to other cities. All opposition groups were united in demanding changes. 26 October: The St Petersburg Soviet of Workers Deputies was formed. Representatives from factories met to co-ordinate strikes. Soviets (workers councils) were formed in other cities. This was a threat to the Tsars government. The October Manifesto 30 October 1905: The Tsar issued the October Manifesto. It was a way of appeasing the people. It promised: A parliament or Duma elected by the people. Civil rights E.g. Freedom of speech and conscience. Uncensored newspapers and the right to form political parties. The liberals were happy because they believed that they had gotten the democratic government they wanted. They stopped their protests and supported the government. By December all troops were back in European Russia and the Tsar was strong enough to take back control. He used force to close down the St Petersburg Soviet, to crush an armed uprising in Moscow and to regain control.

1905 1914
Most of the trouble in the cities had stopped by the end of 1905, however violent disturbances continued in the countryside into 1906. Groups known as Black Hundreds (conservative supporters of the monarchy) took violent revenge on the peasants. The Tsar appointed Peter Stolypin as Prime Minister (1906) to deal with this. He set up military courts which could sentence and hang someone on the spot. Thousands were executed. The Okhrana was also very active. Freedom of the press had been guaranteed in 1905, but newspapers were still fined for writing articles offending the government. The Dumas With the October Manifesto, the Tsar had accepted to form a parliament, or Duma, elected by the people. The Duma could not pass laws, could not appoint ministers and could not control finance in important areas, such as defence. The Tsar could dissolve the Duma whenever he wanted. Elections favored the nobles. There was one representative for every 2,000 nobles, but one for every 90,000 workers. These powers were set in the Fundamental Laws (1906).
First Duma (April 1906): They were very radical. They demanded more power for

themselves and rights for ordinary people. They asked for land reform and amnesty for political prisoners. They were dissolved after 73 days. Second Duma (April 1907): Three months of continuous uproar and no major proposals. They were also dissolved by the Tsar.

Why did the Tsar dissolve both Dumas after a few weeks? The Tsar wasnt prepared to lose his authority. He didnt want a democracy where the people could make decisions. The objectives that these Dumas had were too radical. o Land reforms would harm nobility. The Tsar needed support from the nobles. o Releasing political prisoners would mean that more people who opposed the Tsar would be free. He shut down the first Duma because it was too radical. He shut down the second Duma because it was too disorganized and had no plan or major proposals.
Third Duma (1907-1912): Stolypin changed the elections so that the Duma became more

conservative. Even so, they were often critical of the government. They made good decisions on military matters, primary education for all Russian children and accident insurance for workers. Fourth Duma (1912-1914): It gave signs of promise and increased activity. However, it achieved little before WWI broke out and brought the Duma to a halt.

Why/How did the Tsar survive the 1905 revolution?

Most of the army remained loyal to the Tsar. o He promised them better pay and conditions. Nobility remained loyal to the Tsar. With the October Manifesto he managed a political concession with people who wanted a say in the government. o He promised them an elected assembly, the Duma. o He promised them freedom of speech, religion and the right to form political parties. The October Manifesto managed to reduce the amount of protests. The Liberals achieved what they wanted so they stopped their protests and supported the Tsar. He made economic concessions with the peasants. o Redemption payments were cancelled. (Peasants had been forced to pay these to their landlords since they were freed in 1861) When the army was back in European Russia (by December), he used force to end uprisings and strikes. This way he managed to regain control. The tsars government combined with concessions and repressions helped him to survive the revolution Also, after the revolution, he managed to maintain his power: Thanks to Peter Stolypin and his reforms (1906) o He used force to remove opposition. Thousands of people were executed. o With reforms in agriculture and the idea of Kulaks, he managed to gain support from the peasants (15% promised loyalty to the government)

 With the Fundamental Laws (April 1906) o He ensured that he still had absolute power and could control the Dumas. o It made sure that the Dumas couldnt pass laws, couldnt appoint ministers and couldnt control finance in important areas, such as defence. o The Tsar could dissolve the Duma whenever he wanted.

Changes in the Countryside: Stolypin introduced reforms in the agriculture. Peasants were allowed to buy strips of land from their neighbours to make one single holding, which they owned individually. He set up a peasants bank to provide loans for them to do this. He hoped this would create a new class: Kulaks, who would be loyal to the government.
Kulaks:

Kulaks were prosperous peasants. They were peasants who bought land, using loans from the Land Bank. However, to become a Kulak you had to guarantee political loyalty to the Tsar. The Kulaks were middle class and about 15% of peasants accepted to become Kulaks. Production of grain increased and there was a record harvest in 1913. However, a lot of poorer peasants were forced to sell their land and become labourers. They wandered around the countryside seeking work. Some went to the cities, but most remained in the countryside. About 4 million peasants were encouraged by the government to settle on new lands along the Trans-Siberian Railway. They made a long journey to find out that the best land had already been taken by rich land speculators. Over half of them returned to European Russia only to find out that they had no land left. Changes in the Cities: Between 1906 and 1914 there was an industrial boom in Russia. Total industrial production increased by 100%. Russia became the worlds fourth largest producer of coal, pig iron and steel. Most factories were very efficient and used the most up-to-date mass production methods. However, workers didnt benefit much with this boom. Working conditions didnt improve and average wages were even lower than in 1903. Prices had risen so much that workers could hardly buy the bread they needed. Number of strikes increased.
1912: Lena Goldfield Massacre.

An important strike took place in Siberia. Workers protested about degrading working conditions, low wages and an extremely long working day. Troops intervened and 170 workers were killed and 373 wounded.

WWI and the March Revolution

WWI started in 1914. The Tsar became popular. The Russian people united and supported him. Other problems could be set aside in the face of a common enemy. St. Petersburg was re-named to Petrograd, which sounded more Russian instead of German. Now the Tsar even began to work more closely with the Duma =D Negative effects:
Effects on soldiers:

Enthusiasm didnt last long. After some initial successes against the Austrians, the Russians were heavily defeated by the Germans. Human costs: By the end of 1914 over 1 million soldiers were killed, wounded or taken prisoner. By March 1917, this increased to 8 million soldiers. The soldiers didnt even have enough equipment (weapons, ammunition or clothes). Officers were ineffective. Soldiers deserted from the front to return to their families and to seize land from absent landlords.
Effects on Russians at home:

Food shortage. o Millions of peasants were conscripted, so there werent enough farm workers and less food was produced. o Food wasnt getting to the cities because the railway systems were being used to carry supplies to the war front. Coal and industrial materials were short. o Factories closed Increased unemployment. o Lack of coal and fuel meant that people were now cold and hungry. Prices of goods were rising. o Due to shortages, prices were rising, but WAGES WERE STILL LOW. o Workers were now being asked to work for more hours. Increased level of poverty and despair. o Suffering from economic effects of war. o As they were constantly defeated and casualties increased, Russians began to lose confidence in the government. The turning point September 1915: Nicholas II decided to go to the war front himself. Consequences: The Tsar himself was now blamed from defeats in the war. The Tsar handed the running of the country to the Tsarina. o People mistrusted her because of her German background and thought she was a spy. o Her close relationship with Rasputin contributed to the collapse of her reputation. o She dismissed able ministers and replaced them with men who would do what they were told or who were friends of Rasputin. With so many changes of ministers, nobody was organizing food, fuel and other supplies for the cities properly. o Railway system fell into chaos and trainloads of food were left rotting.
Losing support

Support for the Tsar and his wife began to decrease among the middle and upper classes and even among the aristocracy. They were appalled that a man like Rasputin should be given such influence. They blamed the Tsar for allowing this situation to develop. The winter of 1916 was a bad one. Railway lines were so iced up that hardly any food or fuel entered Petrograd. Prices increase greatly and often there was no bread available.

March 1917 Revolution

By March 1917 the situation had become desperate. The workers wanted political changes as well as food and fuel.
7 March: In Petrograd 40,000 workers from the Putilov Engineering Works went on strike

for higher wages. 8 March: International Womens Day. Thousands of women joined strikers in demonstrations all over the city. In the following two days, thousands of workers, men and women, joined in demanding food, fuel, better conditions and a new government. The Tsar ordered that the demonstrations be put down by force. 12 March: Soldiers in Petrograd refused to fire on crowds. Some even shot their officers and joined in the demonstrations, something which had never occurred before. Soldiers joined the strikers and women. They marched to the Duma and demanded that it take control of the government.
The Tsar abdicates

Nicholas II tried to get back into Petrograd but Railway workers refused to let his train into the city. 15 March: The Tsar finally decided to abdicate in favour of his brother Michael. But the people had had enough of the royal family. The government passed to the Duma.

Why was there a revolution in March 1917? Immediate reason: Putilov engineering workers strike for higher wages (7 March) o Women decided to join the strike (8 March). When soldiers were ordered to take action, they refused and joined in the demonstrations as well (12 March) o They marched to the Duma and demanded that it take control of the government. Short term Winter 1916/1917: It brought a situation of despair. Railway lines were so iced up that hardly any fuel or food entered Petrograd. Short term Military failures in World War I (began in 1914) o Social: Human costs were enormous. By March 1917, eight million soldiers had been killed, wounded or taken prisoner. o Living and working conditions deteriorated. Level of poverty and despair increased. o Economic: There were shortages of food. Prices began increasing and wages were still low. Factories began to close down which increased unemployment. o The Tsar lost popularity. Russians began to lose confidence in the government. The Tsar, Tsarina and Rasputin (September 1915 Tsar leaves to the war front) o Support for the Tsar and his wife decreased among the middle and upper classes and even among the aristocracy. o The Railway system fell into chaos and food was left to rot, there was no organization. This contributed to the situation of despair. o The Tsar was also blamed for the losses in the war. Discontent towards his government grew. MORE PEOPLE TURNED AGAINST HIM Even the nobility turned against the Tsars government. They were fed up of being commanded by Rasputin. The middle classes felt the same way and demanded that the Duma became the real government. Long-Term reasons: Pre-1914 discontent. o Things were already bad before the war. Tension was slowly building up since 1905, due to acts of repression by the army. o The situation of despair among the Russians existed before 1914. The war and the winter of 1916 only made things worse. o Living and working conditions were bad before 1914. o In 1905-1906, the Tsar simply removed immediately threats of revolution. However, political opposition was never removed completely. o The Dumas gave the people a taste of political representation, which would be difficult for them to forget. This is seen in March 1917 when they want the Duma to become the real government.