Causes of the Russian Revolution of 1917
There were many causes behind the Russian Revolution of 1917, ranging from the unpopular authoritarian rule of Tsar Nicholas II (reign 1894-1917) to the radical mobilisation of the working class, who wanted better working conditions and more political representation. Actually a double revolution, the first revolution brought about the abdication of the tsar in March, then, after the ineffective rule of the Provisional Government of 1917, a second revolution occurred in November. The latter is often called the Bolshevik Revolution because it saw the Bolsheviks (later called the Communist Party) led by Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924) seize power and establish Soviet Russia.
The main causes of the Russian Revolution of 1917 were:
The tsar's rule was increasingly authoritarian.
The tsar failed to deliver the reforms he had promised after the Russian Revolution of 1905.
The tsar was unpopular because of his association with Grigori Rasputin.
Russia's participation in WWI caused severe economic upheaval and food shortages.
The tsar, as commander-in-chief, was associated with the defeats of WWI.
The tsar lost the support of the increasingly undisciplined Russian armed forces.
Socialist revolutionaries agitated for a fairer society, such as that suggested by Karl Marx.
The working classes were increasingly influenced by socialist revolutionaries.
Workers wanted better pay, working conditions, and political representation.
Peasants wanted a fairer distribution of land and local political representation.
The middle classes wanted social reforms and more power in government.
Women wanted the right to vote and equal legal rights with men.
Nations within the Russian Empire wanted independence.
The Provisional Government failed on its promise to hold an election for a Constituent Assembly.
The Provisional Government failed to solve severe economic and infrastructure problems.
Many workers and peasants wanted Russia to withdraw from WWI.
The radical Bolsheviks led by Lenin seized power by force, closing down the Provisional Government and declaring Russia a republic.
The Tsar's Loss of Prestige
Tsar Nicholas II's reputation amongst his people as a wise and just ruler spiralled downwards from 1905. An economic slump, defeat in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-5), the massacre of peaceful and unarmed protestors on Bloody Sunday in 1905, and the failure to deliver promised reforms all made people question if the tsar really was the best person to lead the nation. Nicholas seemed oblivious to the societal changes in 20th-century Russia. He once confided to a relative: "I'll never agree to a representative form of government because I consider it harmful to the people whom God has entrusted to me" (Montefiore, 521). The tsar believed autocracy was really the best form of governance. Nicholas ruthlessly repressed any dissent to his rule. Protests were violently quashed by the army and police, and countless arrests were made.
Exiled, imprisoned, and temporarily subdued, perhaps, but those who called for change would not go away. Radical underground parties were formed that worked for either a constitutional monarchy or even a republic. The tsar's position began to weaken further following unsavoury and persistent rumours about just how much influence the odd self-proclaimed holy man Grigori Rasputin (1869-1916) had on the royal family and politics. Rasputin had first gained access to the halls of power because he could seemingly bring relief to the tsar's heir, Alexei, who suffered from haemophilia. Rasputin may have had no more real effect than a psychological one of calmness on his patient, but the empress was particularly impressed by Rasputin, and he soon became a seemingly indispensable part of the royal entourage. Rumours spread that the 'holy man' was really a drunk who indulged in sexual activities with anyone he could get his hands on. Scurrilous magazines and less reputable newspapers published unflattering cartoons and even speculated on whether Rasputin was having an affair with the empress. Nicholas refused to react to the rumours but, as the historian T. Hasegawa notes, "More than anything else, the Rasputin affair contributed to the catastrophic erosion of the autocracy's prestige" (39).
Another blow to the tsar's prestige was his vigorous support of ultra-reactionary nationalist and anti-Semitic organisations such as the Union of Russian People, which carried out vicious attacks on Jewish people and other traditional scapegoats. These pogroms and Bloody Sunday effectively erased the long-held belief that the Tsar of Russia, chosen by God, was by definition a just and fair ruler. The final blow to the tsar's prestige was his decision to make himself commander-in-chief of the armed forces in September 1915 during the First World War (1914-18). Completely unqualified for such a role, the end result was only that the army's defeats became closely associated with the country's ruler rather than its generals.
Perhaps even worse for Nicholas, while he was at the front playing soldier, the government was essentially left under the guidance of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (1872-1918), and for many, this really meant Rasputin. Certainly, there was a whirlwind of ministerial sackings and appointments, many of which were paid for, it was said. Royalists saw the damage Rasputin was doing – or, more precisely, the rumours concerning Rasputin were doing – to the reputation of the tsar. The most damaging rumour was that Rasputin and the empress were forming some sort of pro-German government, the only evidence of which was that the empress was herself German, her title prior to her marriage being Princess Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt. One group of royalists hatched a plot to assassinate Rasputin, and his body – beaten and shot – was discovered in a river in early January 1917.
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⇒ Causes of the Russian Revolution of 1917
