Why did the 1917 Russian Revolution happen?

Question

Could somebody please summarise why the Revolution took place, thanks.

Answer 1

There was a lot of discontent in Russia...the peasants, the workers, the non-Russian national minorities....where you have discontent, you have a ripe breeding ground for revolution.

Add to it, the Czar's disastrous showing in the field during WW I, Rasputin being detested by everyone, peasant and noble alike, economic inflation as a result of WW I, and the growing hatred of the Czar and all he represented.

There is no quick, easy description of the cause of the revolution...it was a number of things, all working together in a very short time frame, that led to the initial riots and revolts, and ended in a full out revolution.

Answer 2

Lots of Russians, very poor, very hungry, very desperate.

Answer 3

Aidan and Chariotm are most correct thus far.  But what they both missed was that ultimately, it was a plan hatched by Germany.  They allowed Lenin to pass through the DMZ into Russia and plant the seed of revolt.  Yes, the people were poor and tired of the Czar and the war.  Their military was poorly lead and, it was the military who had always harvested the crops -- they were too busy fighting.  In sending in Lenin, the Germans knew he would stir the fires of rebellion, and that they could then pretty much disengage their troops on that front and send them to the western front.  It was also in that plan that they would announce unrestricted submarine warfare in the Atlantic.  They knew that this would draw the U.S. into the fight, but had estimated that their contribution would be too little, too late, that they (the Germans) could then drive the allied powers into the sea and win the war.  

Answer 4

The poverty and suffering of the mass of the Russian people was infinitely worse by WW1.

Answer 5

The First World War  was the key factor.  

The army was badly led and poorly equipped.   Russian defeats at Tannenberg and Masurian Lakes – the Russians lost 200,000 men – lost the government the support of the army.  



The war took 15 million men from the farms and trains had to be used for the war (so they could not bring food to the cities) so there were food shortages and food prices rose, all of which created anger and unrest in Petrograd



The winter of 1916–17 was severe.   Food shortages got worse – there was a famine in the cities.

3  Tsar’s Mistakes

The Tsar took personal command of the army  Ã¢Â€Â“ which did not help the war effort and meant he was blamed for the defeats.    



He left the Tsarina in charge.   She was incompetent (she let Rasputin run the government), and (because she was a German) rumours circulated that she was trying to help Germany to win.



By February 1917 the government was in chaos.



Finally, in the crisis, Nicholas went to pieces and failed to do anything.  

4   Army abandoned the Tsar

On 8 March 1917, there were riots in Petrograd about the food shortages and the war.  



On 12 March the Army abandoned the Tsar – the soldiers mutinied and refused to put down the riots.   The government lost control of the country.



5   Duma abandoned the Tsar

On 13 March members of the Duma went to Nicholas to tell him to abdicate.  



Events of the Revolution

7 March          

Steelworkers go on strike.

8 March

International Women’s Day – demonstrations/ bread riots.

9–10 March      

More demonstrations/strikes – Tsarina calls in the army.

11 March          

Troops fire on crowds.   The Duma urges action – Tsar dissolves the Duma.

12 March          

Soldiers mutiny and join riots.

Soldiers and workers set up the ‘Petrograd Soviet’ of 2,500 elected deputies   (i.e. the Tsar’s government had fallen/ Russia had 2 governments)

13 March          

Duma sets up a ‘Provisional Government’, led by Kerensky.

The Tsar gets on the train to Petrograd, but (on 14 March) is arrested on the way and  (on 15 March) abdicates.

Answer 6

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1917_Russia...

Answer 7

Russian aristocracy treated the common people far worse than any other country.They had indentured labour and slavery,long after everyone else abolished it.They oppressed the common folk so bad that only an uprising could change things.Change couldn't evolve, like in other countries.

Answer 8

Excessive opulence, versus, disproportionate misery.

Answer 9

First, the enormous gap between latifundists and poor peasants

The dictatorial character of the zarist monarchy

Movement prepared by the Russian intellectuals

At the end, it was a pure struggle between socialists and communists..