Ib Extended Essay: The Tsarist Downfall Of February 1917 Essay - 1,635 words

Word Count: 3298 On 2 March, 1917, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated in favour of his brother Michael(1). With the stepping down of the Tsar, the autocratic regime that had ruled since the inception of Russia many hundreds of years earlier came to a final end, replaced by a provisional government that was itself to be replaced shortly with communists that held power until 1991. The downfall of the autocracy in Russia was undoubtably one of the most important events of the twentieth century. It is no surprise, then, that historians have tried to speculate on the causes of the revolution. One event that has captured the interest of historians in this matter is World War I. Alan Wood writes, "The nature of the relationship between Russia's involvement in the First World War and the 1917 Revolution is a topic which has been mulled over by historians ever since the events took place."(2) On one hand historians, such as Wood, take the stand that Russia was on the brink of collapse in July of 1914, and thus the war didn't matter as the Tsar would have fallen very soon in any case. Others, including eminent historian Richard Pipes believe in that the war accelerated the revolution, speeding up something that would have not have occurred for a while, or possibly not at all, had the war not occurred.


Pipes' view is the one that is the most acceptable. The economic and political situation before the war will be examined as well as the economic and political situation during the war. Russia before the war was very close to collapsing. Many problems faced the country, including problems stemming from their economic situation and political problems. Together, they put the country and the autocracy in a very unstable situation that could tip over at any moment and take the Tsar with it. Up until the First World War, Russia's economy had been doing well.


Russia grew from "being one of the least economically developed countries in Europe to one of the world's leading industrial producers."(3) Russia began industrializing relatively late compared with other advanced nations. Its industrial output began to grow in earnest after 1890, the year that Pipes believes as the beginning of the "opening phase of the Industrial Revolution" in Russia.(4) During the 1890's, industrial output increased annually by 8%, and between 1907 and 1914 the annual increase was around 6%. Modern items such as locomotives and cars were produced, and the demand for consumer goods increased. By the beginning of the war Russia was the world's fourth largest producer of coal, steel, and pig iron.(5) But because of her relative industrial infancy and the massive foreign investment in her(6) that had allowed her economy to grow, Russia was susceptible to external economic changes. She was hurt by the European recessions that occurred (i.e. 1900-1903), but prospered from the booms. As a result of the booms, and with the good domestic economic situation, Russia, by 1914, had become the world's fifth largest industrial power.(7) While Russia's economy was doing well overall due to industrialisation, all of the negatives that came with it did appear.


These included rapid growth, dense concentrations of people in small areas leading to crowded and unsanitary living conditions, dangerous and unsanitary working conditions, and low wages.(8) As had happened in other nations that had undergone industrial revolution, mass discontent grew and spread, finding expression in strikes. In 1912, there were 2032 strikes.(9) In April of 1912, when the military shot striking workers at Lena, the proletariat, already rising up in demand of better working and living conditions and higher wages, turned more against the government and became more political. The slogans used were supported by revolutionaries such as Lenin and Trotsky.(10) However, due to highly successful police penetration in revolutionary groups, they could not do much more than cheer.(11) "In the first half of 1914...there were over 3000 strikes, and two-thirds of them were associated with political demands."(12) In the summer of 1914, there were "huge demonstrations against the monarchy"(13) The aims of the strikers: a democratic republic, an eight-hour work day, the release of all gentry-held land, and no delay in the fulfilment of the above demands.(14) The political situation before World War I was not too wonderful. Both political and entirely non-political activities were suppressed by Tsar Nicholas. Yet suppression only increased anti-government feelings, as in the case of the university protests of the 1890s. In 1905, the government could have fallen because of repression that led to strikes and demonstrations, but it did not because it granted some concessions in return for its continued existence.


However, political activity against the government was beginning to recognize the way it must work to bring about change and began to do so slowly. February 8 is the anniversary of the founding of St. Petersburg University (SPU). Traditionally, students celebrated in the centre of the city, and had a fun time. However, the government of the 1890s viewe ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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Essay Tags: downfall, problems faced, first half, political events, attainment

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