"It was with politics that the problem lay" To what extent do you agree that the greatest problem facing Russia in 1900 was its out-dated political system?

The first 200 words of this essay...

"It was with politics that the problem lay" To what extent do you agree that the greatest problem facing Russia in 1900 was its out-dated political system?

The problems facing Russia in 1900 were widespread. Although they included the political system, the society as a whole was backward and the wealth was poorly distributed. This is not to say political system was not out-dated, or that this was not a problem. However, the problems of early 20th Century Russia tended to be much more to do with social factors like the outdated feudal system, than the Tsar as an autocratic leader.

The political system was a totalitarian dictatorship. This is to say one person, the Tsar, had complete power. In 1900, Nicholas II held this position. Most other European states at this time were democratic. Ordinary Russians saw this, and also the notable absence in these countries of Secret Police prepared to arrest and execute them. This would have left them disillusioned by the unjust political system the Tsar controlled. However, the people would not have been as disillusioned with the system had it been working well. If the economy was strong, and the Tsarist state had a