1-WWI+Russian+Rev

The Collapse of the Romanov Dynasty - Luisa Hernandez
 * 1. What was the relationship between the actions taken by Nicholas II during the war and the perceptions of the influence of Grigori Rasputin in the fall of the Russian monarchy? **

Grigori Rasputin was an unusual man who appeared to have had genuine healing talents. He came to the attention to Tsar Nicholas II and the Tsarina Alexandria when he successfully healed the favorite hunting dog of a member of the royal family. They were interested in his reputation as a healer because of the illness of their son Alexis.The young Tsarevich suffered from hemophilia. After Rasputin laid his hands on the boy, he began to improve and finally recovered. Alexandra took this as a sign that Rasputin was a starets and that God was with him; for the rest of her life she would defend him and turn her wrath against anyone who dared to question him. His influence with the royal family remained strong after that. It started with Nicholas feeling obligated to prevent a German invasion of Europe and took Russia into World War One, so he personally took command of the army and left Alexandra in charge. At the begin of the war, Russia was not ready to participate, yet Nicholas II chose to directly summon an armed force with restricted armaments and officers. He was then blamed for any military failures that the Russians faced. Since Nicholas was gone, Rasputin had control over Alexandra and he used it to sway decisions she made, basically making him the ruler: many of decisions which he made were corrupt. Nicholas had been repeatedly warned about the destructive influence of Grigori Rasputin but had failed to remove him. The poor decisions that were made by the Tsar during the time of Rasputin's influence and the hatred that his presence inspired in the people contributed significantly to the fall of the Tsar in the last days of the dynasty. People lost confidence in their ruler at a time of grave crisis. Russia was fighting in World War I and losing badly. As public confidence lapsed, the revolutionary ideas fermenting in Russia for 50 years began to come to the surface. Finally, shortly after Rasputin's death, the Russian Revolution swept away Nicholas and his family forever.


 * 2. What were the crises facing the Russian home front by 1917? To what extent was the Tsar responsible, and to what extent was he simply the most logical scapegoat? **

Russia was being torn apart in 1914 and was not prepared to fight a modern war.The industrial sector was small, finances were poor, the rural areas could barely feed themselves. Repeated military failures and bureaucratic ineptitude soon turned large segments of the population against the government. Control of the Baltic Sea by the German fleet, and of the Black Sea by combined German and Ottoman forces prevented Russia from importing supplies or exporting goods. By the middle of 1915 the impact of the war was demoralizing. Food and fuel supplies grew scarce, war casualties kept climbing and inflation was mounting. Strikes increased among low-paid factory workers, and the peasants, who wanted land reforms, were restless. Meanwhile, elite distrust of the regime was deepened when a semi-literate mystic, Grigori Rasputin, gained enormous influence over the Czar. Major strikes broke out early in 1917 and the army sided with the strikers in the February Revolution. By 1917, Tsar Nicholas II was still commanding the army at war despite the intensifying and worsening conditions at the home front. He ignored advice from advisers and relatives to return to stabilize the country and address the concern of his subjects. The government had become disorganized and was beginning to collapse as the public’s dissatisfaction became more and more apparent. On March 8, 1917, violent protests broke out in Petrograd that lasted a few days and resulted in the uprising of numerous arguments. Nicholas was forced to recognize these problems on the home front and eventually addressed them to the public. Tsar Nicholas II was very much responsible for the severity of the crises Russia faced in 1917 as declined to address the issues until they directly threatened his power. His gradual alienation from the public through his disregard for reforms and trust for Rasputin resulted in worsening unrest that in the end, prompted the death of his family.


 * 3. To what extent was the fall of Nicholas II inevitable — did he have opportunities to address these crises and failed to do so, or were they beyond any hope of correcting once Russia chose to move forward with war in 1914? **

Nicholas was not prepared to be Tsar when his father died. Nicholas II was premature and a talentless leader which proved to be a problem as a strong monarchy demands a good leader. He was against democratic reforms, which angered many people. He disregarded the economic hardships many of his subjects faced and unrest was rising amongst the people. The industrial sector was small, finances were poor, the rural areas could barely feed themselves. After the disaster of the Russo-Japanese War, most lost any confidence they had in his ability to lead. In January 1905, St. Petersburg was overcome with strikes as workers marched on Nicholas’ palace. This event became known as “Bloody Sunday” after Nicholas II sent Russian soldiers to fire at this protesters. After this, protests and strikes against Nicholas II became frequent. Nicholas II was eventually forced into transforming the monarchy into a constitutional monarchy in an attempt to stabilize the country. However, he did not follow through as many had hoped he would. While he create Duma, an elected assembly, he decreased its powers and effectiveness. By doing this, he managed to upset everyone, even those who supported the constitutional monarchy who thought the creation of Duma was foolish. The downfall of the Romanov reign in 1917 was under the power of Tsar Nicholas II. The growing number of revolutionaries from 1905 as well as the impacts of war meant that a strong leader was needed to pull Russia through the difficult times and meet the needs of the suffering communities. A combination of the difficult circumstances and the weak-will of the Tsar was what led Russia to the revolution. Many actions of Tsar Nicholas II led to social uproar that helped to motivate the revolutionaries but even without these actions the Russian revolution was somewhat inevitable. The Bolsheviks words encouraged and helped the public realise how the Tsarist reign was causing the suffering and the only solution was to overthrow them completely even after the October Manifesto was released and a Duma was made. The fall of the Romanov dynasty was not caused by one factor but a combination of the unfortunate circumstances, wrong decisions and an unsuited leader.

====Smele, Jonathan, Dr. "War and Revolution in Russia 1914 - 1921." //BBC //. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Oct. 2013. . ====

Video:

[]

__**The October Revolution of 1917**__ (Maria Lynn)

//**How were Lenin and the radical Bolsheviks able to maneuver their way into power in October 1917? What failures of the Provisional Government were they able to exploit, and how did they do it?**//

** Lenin and the Bolsheviks **
====Lenin knew that the Russian leaders uncertainty towards pulling their country out of war was merely a weakness, and after many defeats, he felt that the army was ready to return home and on the verge of a revolt. As a result, he demanded that Russia exit the war, knowing that the consequences included possible loss of their territorial gains and other major reparations. Because of the situation and the level of Lenin’s authority, he received continuous encouragement. The support he was receiving would eventually lead him to fully seize power.==== ====Lenin’s radical ideals made the Russian socialists believe that he had the power to unite the nation, however, his ideals ended up causing a greater opposition within Russian political groups. This was not promising, considering that he needed their support in order to uphold his power. After temporarily agreeing with the Petrograd Statement, he concluded that it was limiting his success, so he decided to focus on taking apart the provisional government. ==== ====For the Bolsheviks, their crucial turning point was when Lenin became involved. After his return from exile, Lenin made his ideals public through the creation of the April Theses. His goal was to end the war and have control over land estates. He knew these ideals were in conflict with the provisional government, which is why he convinced the Bolsheviks to follow his plans to defame the PG. Once he was sure tat the Bolsheviks were in agreement with this plan, he wanted them to be the dominant force of the Soviet.====


 * Failing of the Provisional Government**

====The Provisional Government was heavily criticized for its liberal politicians having little understanding of the structure of the government, too many internal divisions causing problems, wasting precious time over legal affairs, and a sense of hesitation to impose their ways. As a result, the Provisional Government failed and were unable to control the Soviets. Its ineptness offered hope to the Bolsheviks, who by that time had established their own military, known as the Red Guard. When the Red Guard seized the Winter Palace, they had control over the whole city, had overthrown the Provisional Government, and seized Petrograd.====

//**What were the primary reform efforts of the Bolsheviks, and to what extent were they attainable? What were the costs for Russia of pursuing them?**//

==== The land reforms specifically highlighted the disparity found among the peasants, which relates to the division in social class previously mentioned. The more successful charged higher rents for the poor land, which was unfair to the peasants. This collection of events led to arguments, fights, and even deaths. ==== ====Their slogan “Bread, land, peace” became the war cry, in a sense, of the revolution. Its deeper meaning was the Bolsheviks efforts to distribute lands to the peasants, reduce factory labor hours and the spread of hunger. The Bolsheviks improved wages and working conditions, gave women greater rights, and initiated peace negotiations with Germany. They expected that these policies would win them considerable support, and thereby legitimize their coup, however this proved short sighted. A wave of strikes and protests broke out once it was realized that Lenin and his cronies did not intend to share power with other political forces.====

//** To what extent was the October Revolution truly revolutionary? How does it represent a complete departure from the old order, and to what extent is it little or no departure at all? **//

====The October Revolution produced a new way of thinking about economy, society and the government. For example, the Bolsheviks set a goal to remove Russia of all its wrongs caused from social class inequalities, and eventually succeeded. The revolution itself was a success not only because it marked the end of a rule that lasted 3 centuries, but also because it ended with a small revolutionary group’s success and rise to power. Additionally, communism began to spread throughout the world, and its existence is remaining proof that the Revolution was a watershed for the twentieth century.====

__**Helpful video on October Revolution (explained):**__ []

__**Works Cited**__

DeLaine, Linda. "Peace, Land, Bread - Russian Life." Home - Russian Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2013. .

Dunn, Walter S.. The Soviet economy and the Red Army, 1930-1945. Westport, Conn.: Praeger, 1995. Print.

Rauch, Georg von. A history of Soviet Russia. New York: F.A. Praeger, 1957. Print.

Wuzumi. "The Rise of The Bolsheviks."Wuzumi on HubPages. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2013. .


 * The February Revolution of 1917 (Benson Huang) **

-The February Revolution of 1917 began on March 8, 1917(Ironic, but Russia used the Julian Calendar at the time). By 1917, most Russians had lost faith in the leadership ability of the czarist regime. On March 8, demonstrators clamored for bread, taking to the streets in the Russian capital of Petrograd (present day St. Petersburg). Supported by huge crowds of striking industrial workers, the protesters eventually clashed with the police and refused to leave the streets. On March 10, the strike spread among all of Petrograd's workers, and angry mobs destroyed police stations. Essentially, government corruption was rampant, the Russian economy remained backward, and Czar Nicholas II had repeatedly dissolved the Dumas.

>> ====== ======
 * What were the most significant causes of the February Revolution, and what led to its eventual success?
 * ====== **Involvement in World War 1:** The most immediate cause for the February Revolution, the first phase of the Russian Revolution of 1917, was Russia’s terrible involvement in World War 1. The Russian army was poorly managed and armed. In the disastrous defeats at Tannenberg and Masurian Lakes, the army lost 200,000, making the Tsar, government, and army appear incompetent. The war took 15 million men from the farms, and trains had to be used, clogging up the railway system (unable to bring food to the cities). There were food shortages, and as a result, food prices rose, stirring unrest in Petrograd. during the winter of 1916–17 was severe. Food shortages got worse – there was a famine in the cities. On March 8. 1917, there were riots in Petrograd about the food shortages and the war. ======
 * ====== **Tsarist Control:** Tsar Nicholas took personal control of the army, which hindered the war effort. The Tsar was blamed for the defeats as well. Eventually, he left the Tsarina in charge; however, she was incompetent, letting Rasputin run the government, AND since she was a German, there were rumors circulating that she was trying to help Germany to win. By February 1917 the government was in pieces. In the crisis, the Tsar’s image was ruined, since he failed to do anything towards the war effort. On March 12, the Army had abandoned the Tsar; the soldiers mutinied, refusing to quell the riots. Without the army, the government lost control of the country. ======
 * What were the primary efforts for reform of Kerensky and the Mencheviks, and to what extent were they attainable?
 * ====== In 1917, Alexander Kerensky rose to power, becoming, in succession, minister of justice, minister of war, and the second Prime Minister in the democratic Provisional Government. Kerensky, as a Menshevik, was a moderate socialist who saw a need to work with the Liberals in order to bring about change in Russia; **he introduced a series of popular reforms, including the abolition of capital punishment (death penalty), and giving basic civil liberties.** However, Kerensky was heavily criticized by the military for his more liberal policies, which included stripping officers of their mandates, distributing control to revolutionary inclined soldier committees instead, making these goals lofty and unsupported by the army. ======
 * ====== Mensheviks are members of the non-Leninist wing of the Russian Social-Democratic Workers’ Party. In 1917, the Mensheviks had 248 delegates, far more than the Bolsheviks; However, **although the Mensheviks were skilled philosophers, they failed to carry things out.** Their openness allowed for Mensheviks to hold differing views to other Mensheviks within the party. **There was open disagreement within the party that was not only tolerated but, in the spirit of democracy, encouraged.** They supported democracy and Marxism and believed that this would be achieved through gradual reform and the expansion of the democratic sphere. ======
 * ====== **Due to a lack a discipline within the army, an estimated two million men unofficially left the army.** Despite this, Kerensky and the other the Mensheviks **wanted Russia to continue fighting in this highly unpopular war**, continuing their obligation to Russia's allies by maintaining their involvement in World War I, fearing that Russia’s economy, already under huge stress from the war effort, might become increasingly unstable if vital supplies from France and the United Kingdom were cut off. **Inconsistent, idealistic, and impractical policies ultimately further destabilized the army and the country.** ======


 * Why did the February Revolution ultimately fail? What were the consequences for Russia of the failure of Kerensky’s Provisional Government?
 * ====== **Organization and Bolsheviks:** The Provisional Government in 1917 was a **coalition of parties**, all whom wanted different reforms and policies out of the February Revolution. For example, the Socialist Revolutionaries wanted a temporary capitalist government that would, eventually, be replaced by socialism. Despite this, they did have a unified goal for Russia. **However, they had little, and decreasing, support in the military; the Bolsheviks influence was growing in the army and navy.** The provisional government did not control any of the national unions, the Bolsheviks did. They didn't impose military discipline on the railway workers. the telegraph workers, and postal workers, while the Bolsheviks did. ======
 * ====== **Continuing the War:** The main problem of the Provisional Government was that it tried to continue the war. In June 1917, it organised an attack on Austria, and when the attack failed, people began to go against and not support the government. Instead, they started to follow Lenin whose welcome message was "Peace, bread, land." They were losing support; however, the Provisional Government did little to deal with its opponents. Despite the Bolsheviks rebelling in July 1917, Lenin was able to preach his popular message of all power to the Soviets. As a result, people came to despise the Provisional Government. ======
 * ====== While the Provisional Government was preoccupied with "winning" the War, the country’s economic and social problems began to grow worse. Three domestic areas in particular the government’s response was found wanting: the nationality question, the agrarian crisis, and industrial relations. Always, **Russia had been a large, multicultural empire, and now the various nationalities were demanding autonomy within the country.** ======
 * ====== **The agrarian crisis**, was growing worse with time. Directly after the Tsar’s abdication, and the power vacuum that followed, **numerous peasants began seizing the land of the nobles throughout the countryside.** As a result, many peasant soldiers deserted their posts to go back home and participate in this land grabbing, causing greater land distribution issues. The Provisional Government, who were fearful of even more peasants deserting the army, refused to implement any sort of land reform; **the Provisional Government’s inaction made the problem worse because now the peasantry had no particular reason to support this new government.** In the end, it was the continuation of an unpopular, offensive and expansionist war that led to the Provisional Governments failure. Instead of trying to forge a new road ahead following the March Revolution, the new government instead went on with business as usual. They did not implement any major reforms necessary to win the support of the country; they also thought that overnight, after the first revolution, Russia would have been miraculously transformed and an era of democracy would ensue. The government unwillingness to actually change policy was doomed the revolution from the start. ======
 * ======** Works Cited **======
 * ====== Hasegawa, Tsuyoshi. "The Problem of Power in the February Revolution of 1917 in Russia." Canadian Slavonic Papers 14.4 (1972): 611-33. JSTOR. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. . ======
 * Kerensky, Alexander. "The Kerensky Memoirs: Russia and History's Turning Point." Review 18.3 (1967): 376-80. JSTOR. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. .
 * Siegelbaum, Lewis. "1917: Bolsheviks Seize Power." Soviethistory.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. .
 * ====== "The Modern Trotskyite." Weblog post. : Why Did the Russian Provisional Government Fail in 1917? N.p., 13 June 2009. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. . ======
 * ====== "Provisional Government and Its Problems." BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. . ======