Causes Of The Russian Revolution

By February 1917, discontent within the Tsarist society had risen to such a level that a revolution occurred. Originally, the revolution began as several protests about poverty, crime and the conditions in which Russians were forced to work and live in. These protests soon vilified Tsar Nicholas and turned into brutal and violent riots, although it can be argued that the Tsar acted villainous towards his people and thus deserved his status as an enemy of the people. There were many contributing factors that led to the Spring revolution, chiefly the growing vexation of the public that began many years before the war and the catalysis of the war in fuelling the fire of discontent. This essay will discuss the effects of these factors on the breakdown of the Tsarist society by February 1917 and form a supported conclusion on which factor had the largest impact and was, ultimately, the main reason for the breakdown of society and the subsequent revolutions.

The Condition of Russian Society and Government in the Years Immediately Before Revolution

Firstly, Russification was the Tsar’s way of creating a Russia that would be easier for him to control. One nationality, one language, one

Inflation rose hugely, and the value of the Ruble was lower than it had been in years. People were earning the same amount of money as they had been before the war, but that money was worth much less than previously and could no longer afford them many basic necessities. Further, many factories closed down, meaning that many people lost their jobs and the price of many goods went up as the lack of factories meant many goods were harder to come by. Unemployment grew, as did hostility to the Tsar. The war served to highlight Russia’s failing economy and was evidence that the Tsarist government were simply not doing enough to fuel the economy. This undoubtedly cause further discontent but mostly acted as a catalyst in the subsequent