Rise of the intelligentsia.
A major factor for revolution was the intelligentsia, which in Russia gained greater influence than anywhere else. The absence until 1906 of a free press, combined with the spread of education, enabled the cultural elite to claim the right to speak on behalf of the people. Many members of the intelligentsia, the small minority of the population with higher education, had access to Western ideas of liberalism and socialism, and wished to see radical transformations in Russia. Before 1905 such opposition groups were illegal, and had little opportunity to recruit popular support, but they were able to provide leadership for the mass movement during the revolutionary year.
Lost against Japan 1905
Czar Nicholas II favored expanding Russia’s Empire. In 1904 Russia got into a war with Japan and lost it badly. Russia suffered 90,000 casualties in one battle alone.The war caused great hardship on the Russian people and its loss was a huge shock to the Russian people. Prices rose rapidly, wages went down, work hours in factories went up. Factory owners were in alliance with the royal ruling class. Both attempted to keep the poor in their “proper place.”
Failure to follow Stolypin’s reforms.
Stolypin's boldest measure was his peasant reform program. It allowed, and sometimes forced, the breakup of communes as well as the establishment of full private property. Stolypin hoped that the reform program would create a class of conservative landowning farmers loyal to the tsar. Most peasants did not want to lose the safety of the commune or to permit outsiders to buy village land, however. By 1914 only about 10 percent of all peasant communes had been dissolved. the tsar was not willing to give up autocratic rule or share power. the regime sometimes bypassed the conservative Dumas and ruled by decree.
Arrogance of the Tsar
Most Russians were uneducated and truly not ready for democracy. Nicholas was opposed to the Westernization of Russia. He made a speech in January 1895, criticizing the “senseless dreams” of those who favour democratic reforms. While much of Europe was switching to liberal democracy (freedoms, rights and rule by the people) and advancing rapidly, Russia remained an absolute monarchy where the royalty ruled, even if they were unqualified to do so. This old fashioned government prevented Russia from advancing. More than 90% of the population lived life as a serf or poor factory worker.
Weakness of the Romanov line.
The tsar had three daughters and one son. Son was heir to throne. He suffered from haemophilia. The Russian people blamed the Tsarina for her weak son. They disliked the Tsarina as she was of German descent, and also relied on a Siberian holy man named Rasputin, who the Tsarina believed had the ability to cure, or at least keep in check the disease of her son. Russian people hated Rasputin. They thought he had too much influence; there were even rumours of an affair between Rasputin and the Tsarina.
WWII.
In 1914 Russia got into a war it could not afford to fight. They believed their 1.3 million man army was invincible. The Russian factories were not modern & couldn’t supply the army. It had no decent roads or railroads either. The Germans crushed the Russian army. The Russian soldiers fought blindly & bravely for the Tsar for 3 yrs. Russia suffered 3.7 million casualties. In Sept. 1915 he took supreme command of the Russian forces, even though he wasn’t trained, and was blamed for the war’s failure. During his absence, he left government decisions up to his wife at home. She did whatever Rasputin wanted. Russian people hated and blamed her. The civilian population suffered greatly from a lack of essential goods and began to protest. March 10, 1917 Tsar ordered the army to break up protests and shoot if necessary. Unlike in 1905, the Russian army mutinied and joined the protests and strikes and refused the Tsar’s orders.
Economic inflation
Prices rose high because all kinds of goods and food became scarce during the war. In general, the price rose by 500 - 700 per cent between 1914 and 1917. The rarity of food and all kinds of goods were due to the facts that; Russia was cut off from outside aid by the blockade of the Central Powers, the transport system was inadequate; the devastation of the wheat-growing Ukraine early in the war, and the factories had to manufacture military goods to meet the needs of the unnaturally large army. By 1917 about fifteen million were recruited, 37% of the male population of working age. This led to labor shortage and less production in factories. Because of the huge prices of bread, many Russian people were hungry.
