How important was the Bolshevik threat to Tsardom during the reign of Nicholas II?

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How important was the Bolshevik threat to Tsardom during the reign of Nicholas II?

The Bolshevik threat to Tsardom during the reign of Nicholas II wasn’t as important as other threats from other Political parties, the War and as Nicholas was to himself. “The beginning of World War I signalled the end of the Romanov dynasty. On August 2 1914 Tsar Nicholas II issued a formal proclamation of hostilities towards Germany at the Winter Palace to a crowd of thousands of cheering Russians in Palace Square.” (Massie) p 277-278 The Tsar abdicated the Russian throne three years later and the causes and the effects of his abdication were both numerous and large. Some believe the Tsar lacked integrity, others say Alexandra and Rasputin were to blame; still others blame the dismantling of the Duma and the harsh rule of the government.

Lenin attacked party members who were content to wait while history took its predetermined course. Rather than wait Lenin wanted to kick-start the issue he believed in to get things done rather than wait on polemics. “What is to be done” political pamphlet was an attack on Revisionism – the great opponent to Marxism. It was the start of what is referred to as Marxist – Leninism. “Lenin and his fellow exiles setup training schools for revolutionaries who were smuggled back into Russia to infiltrate worker organisations such as trade unions and money stolen in raids were used to finance the printing of masses of handbills, leaflets and newspapers attacking the Tsarist regime and calling for revolution.” (Lynch M 2008) p21-25 The Bolsheviks played a minimal part in the 1905 Revolution. Their impact and influence on the workers in that year was weak. In St Petersburg in March in 1905 the Bolsheviks admitted that they could only muster two hundred supporters, whereas the Social Revolutionaries claimed that they could call on ten thousand – an indication that the Social Revolutionaries had much more support in a city that the Bolsheviks had to have on their side if the Revolution were to succeed. There is little doubt that Lenin himself was not fully trusted when compared to the leadership of the Social Revolutionaries. Lenin also knew that if the Bolsheviks were to have credibility, they had to appeal to the working class in Russia. That meant not making promises that couldn’t be kept.

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Tsar Nicholas II

“Stubborn but without will; nervous but insensitive to everything; taut and cautious in speech, he was no longer master of the situation, and did not take one clearly conscious step…” (Blok 1916) (Lynch M 1992) p 73 “A ruler who cannot be trusted, who approves today what he will reject tomorrow, is incapable of steering the ship of state into a quiet harbour. His outstanding failing is his sad lack of will power.” (Witte S 1912) (Farmer A 2000) p 27 Despite a visit to Great Britain before his accession, where he observed the House of Commons ...

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