The Collapse of the Tsardom

The Collapse of the Tsardom

The February Revolution of 1917 had essentially resulted in the

collapse of the Tsardom. For centuries autocratic and repressive

tsarist regimes ruled the country and a majority of the population

lived under strenuous economic and social conditions. Russia’s

unsuccessful involvement in the First World War resulted in growing

discontent amongst the Russian population, and eventually the fall of

the Tsarist government. The Provisional government had replaced the

Tsar but proved to be no more capable of successfully leading Russia

than he had. The October revolution was a seizure of power by the

Bolshevik party, arguably, not through their own strengths but due to

the weaknesses of the opposition and the inefficiencies of the interim

government.

In order to be able to assess the reasons as to why it was that the

Bolsheviks successfully seized power, it is necessary to evaluate the

political and economic condition of Russia before and during her entry

in the war. Three years of total war seemed too greater strain for

the Russian economy to cope with. Russia’s national budget multiplied

almost eight times between 1914 and 1918, taxes were increased, and

the government began to circulate more notes after having abandoned

the ‘gold standard’. The result of these actions was severe

inflation, and the prices of food and fuel almost quadrupled. To the

problem of inflation and growing prices were the added difficulties of

food production. Due to the full-scale mobilisation during the war of

men from the countryside, it became difficult to maintain agricultural

supplies. During the first two years of war, grain supplies were at a

steady level. It was not until 1916 that peasants ceased to market

produce and began to hoard supplies. Food shortages almost amounted

to famine across Russia. This affected the army, who by 1916 in

contrast to the high morale of 1914, became pessimistic and displayed

defeatist attitudes and soon began to desert in increasing numbers.

Overall the impression of an incompetent tsar emerged, and opposition