Why did Tsarism fall in February 1917?

Overworked peasants

Despite the emancipation years earlier, the peasantry were still neglected farmers barely getting through each day with poor housing and a clear stance that things would not change.

Humiliation in the Russo-Japanese war 1905

This was one of the worlds great countries being defeated by a weak nation of supposedly inferior people. The humiliation was massive.

Russia was not industrialised

Poor leadership had seemed to have missed the industrial revolution entirely. Factories were uncommon and inefficient and machinery to speed up agriculture was practically non-existent. The country was way behind Britain and Germany and was sinking into the ‘European second world’

Political issues

Russia was continuing as a feudal system and despite the creation of the Duma a constitutional monarchy was still impossible as the Duma had no power.

Demographic issues

The population included hundreds of minorities that had been forcefully Russified for centuries and were getting ever more fed up.

Issues with governing

The size compared to infrastructure of the Russian empire was a huge margin making the conveying of messages from St Petersburg to the rest of the country impossible.

Lack of rights to protest

A peaceful protest in 1905 was fired on by Cossacks as a list of requests was being brought to the Tsar by a priest. This action became now as bloody sunday and led a growing hate for the Tsar

Growing extremism

The far left was growing in numbers between the educated classes. Lenin’s brother made an attempt to kill the Tsar and army ranks began circulating Marxist literature.

Lavishness of the crown and church

These bodies had huge access to funds generated off the backs of peasants and spent them lavishly on gold imperial eagles and diamonds on their roofs.

Tsar’s character

Nicholas had been far down in the pecking order so had no training on what to do. He was uncharismatic and uninspiring not helped by his German wife who was accused of spying constantly.

Rasputin

A healer from Siberia who had been first recruited to heal the Tsar’s son but later became an influential advisor due to the corruption of the time. He was hated by the people and violently murdered.

The first world war

The log that destroyed the camel’s back for the Russian people. The war was a meat grinder for their people killing millions for little gain. Many saw it as pointless as much of the fighting took place in Ukraine and never got close to the big cities. The Tsar then took himself off to the front to inspire leaving the country to be mismanaged by his corrupt flunkies.

The end

Huge protests began in the streets and once again troops were ordered to shoot, but they refused and mass mutinies began. The Kronstadt base was mutinied by Marxists and the generals of the Tsar wrote to him telling him to resign. His brother and son were not up to the task of assuming rule so, after being stooped on his train returning from the front, he signed the abdication papers.