Why did the Tsarist regime collapse in 1917?

Jonathan Woodcock

In order to analyse how and why the Russian monarchy based government collapsed in 1917, it is essential to look at the factors that undermined the regime’s authority and power base. These factors, which this essay will look into, can broadly be divided into long and short-term factors. I will discuss the long-term factors firstly and then draw attention to the shorter term and immediate issues.

The system of government that the tsar employed was an autocratic one, that is, one in which the reliance of rule is placed on one person. This system was looking increasingly outdated in the early twentieth century, as many of the European states, most notably Britain and France had long since abandoned their monarchs as sole despots. The growth of industry and the new social classes created by new economic conditions increased the gap between those who had money and power and those who had not. The demand for parliamentary democracy was growing from the enlarged middle classes and educated liberals.

The personality of the incumbent Tsar, Nicholas undermined the future of a tsarist Russia. A problem with a hereditary system of power wielding is that power is forced upon and individual regardless of ability or will to perform the tasks presented. Nicholas was weak, hesitant and reactionary. He also found himself in a position where outsiders such as Rasputin could heavily influence Tsarist policies and decisions.

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The industrialisation of Russia, although not as comprehensive or widespread as that process in other European countries, still caused appalling working and living conditions for the working classes, or the proletariat as Marx called them. With no political voice to air their grievances, the lower social classes were increasingly hostile to the antiquated system of government.

The increased growth of organised opposition to the Tsar weakened his hold on the reins of power further by creating a stronger voice for sections of society opposed to the monarchy, in particular in the cities and industrial areas.

Certain short-term factors, such as the impact of the First World War on Russian society also helped lead to the demise of the Tsar. Despite causing an initial feeling of patriotism in Russia, as had happened in most other countries, the war caused immense economic and social difficulties that the regime found it immensely difficult to survive with. Food shortages, spiralling inflation and difficulties supplying the vast military machine of the Russian Empire created difficulties for Nicholas and his ministers. The experience of ordinary Russian peasants of the war; on the battlefield and on farms and in factories caused unrest and helped make them more receptive to radical political ideas and messages being advocated by certain groups such as the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks. The lack of scrutiny and opposition had caused the administration to become ineffective and bureaucratic and it founded it increasingly hard to operate with a significant degree of efficiency, which was essential in the wartime situation faced between 1914-17.

Demonstration and unrest in the major cities, especially in the capital Petrograd were fairly commonplace as the war dragged on. These protests were more spontaneous than organised, yet this shows the significant expression of political sentiment of an uniformed and uneducated population.

The armed forces, along with the population were also becoming disillusioned with the Tsar due to the series of military failures and empathy for the plight of the demonstrators. Because of this, many units supported the protests and refused to take action against them.

The decision of Nicholas to abdicate and the lack of any replacement within his family finally caused the Tsarist administration to fold. Contrary to popular myth, it was not in fact soley the February revolution which had caused the regime to collapse, but it was in fact an amalgamation of factors, of which the impact of the war was most probably the most significant. Many historians believe that the regime would have collapsed when it did even if the revolution had not occurred or had been delayed. The lack of support from aristocrats in his government and irritated army generals made his ability to deal with the problems he faced in 1917 extremely impaired. By stripping the Tsar of his power base in the form of his ‘cronies’ in the government and the army, he simply couldn’t survive very long at all.