The Russian Revolution

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The Russian Revolution

Here are some of the causes of the Russian Revolution in March 1917:

~Failures in the War

~The mutiny in the Army

~The Tsarina and Rasputin

~Food Shortages

~Strikes

PREFACE:

In 1904 The Tsar of Russia (Nicholas II) embarked on a war with Japan, hoping for a quick and glorious victory that would unite the country, decrease support for the Tsar's opponents and gain control over Korea and Manchuria. Unfortunately for the Tsar, the Japanese were well prepared, both industrially and military. The Japanese crushed the Russian army and destroyed most of it's fleet. Damaged both militarily and industrially, Russia had to sign a peace treaty. In 1905 the Tsar crushed the attempted revolution using the army that was loyal to him. In 1914, Russia entered the WWI, unprepared in any way it suffered countless losses and therefore all the problems that existed increased and new problems occurred.

1) FOOD SHORTAGES

Food shortages frustrated the people and soldiers more and more as prices were rising dramatically. Food shortages were a result of two main reasons. One was that Russia's population was around 130 million (and growing) at that time there fore a lot of food was needed to support such a large population, even though Russia was large enough to easily fit that amount of population, `most of it's farm land was unsuitable for farming`1, this shows that farm land often became overcrowded and farmers demanded more land. Russian farmers were `using ancient farming techniques`2 so one farmer had very little land and he used ancient farming techniques and so this dramatically minimized his productivity. `The population had increased by 50 per cent between 1860 and 1897 and was still gr...

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...ced to abdicate.

Once the public found out that there was no one to shoot at them, strikes increased as the people who were afraid of getting shot at joined the strikers. Now the Tsar had no support of the population or the Army and therefore was forced to abdicate on the 15th of March 1917.

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Bibliography:

AUTHOR TITLE OF BOOK/WEBSITE PLACE OF PUBLICATION DATE OF PUBLICATION PAGE/S

Downey Tony andNigel SmithFiehn TerryMacdonald HamishMurray JohnNigel KellyWilloughby Susan Russia and the USSR 1900-1995Oxford HistoryRussia and the USSR1905-1941Russia and the USSR;Empire of RevolutionModern World HistoryRussia and the USSR1905-1956Heinemann HistoryThe Russian RevolutionHeinemann Historywww.bbc.co.uk/education/modern/russia/russihtm.htm#q1 OXFORDLONDONLONDONLONDONOXFORDOXFORD 199619961994199619961995 p12p2,p6,p32p36,p37p78,p84

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