"It was defeat in the war, that caused the Revolution"
"It was defeat in the war, that caused the Revolution" I am going to attempt to show that the title to this essay is true. Or is it? I am going to show how other factors might have been more important or if defeat in the war really was the cause of the Russian Revolution. One other main factor was poverty, which was ongoing. Not only did the millions of people not have anything as basic as bread, but also living conditions were described as "damp and dirty", "holes in the wall" and "legions of cockroaches". These were conditions of those with a job in various factories, who earned more than others. Families had to put up with one small draughty room. Although these people were in really bad poverty, they were still earning money, unlike peasants in villages around the towns. Of course, peasants had no say in anything. They didn't even take part in the revolution. Maybe they weren't a factor to the coming of the revolution, but poverty through the working class was a big factor. Part of the poverty, obviously was hunger. Russians didn't even have the basics like bread, which was the staple diet, especially during winter 1916-1917, where the weather was extremely cold. Winter nights were 18 hours long and people had no food, or fuel to keep them warm. This made people angry. Thousands went on protest marches. This general unrest was blamed on the Tsar. People were in a
What impact did war have on the French Revolution 1789-1799?
What impact did war have on the French Revolution 1789-1799? Over the period from 1789 to 1799, war had a huge impact on the course and aims of the Revolution. In 1789 to 1791, before war even broke out, fear of foreign intervention and counter-revolution was rife. This was evident in the measures taken against the émigrés and non-juring Church. The desertions of countless army generals amongst the émigrés also showed that there was a fear of France being conquered by another European power, and the King's Flight to Varennes displayed his fear of opposition, be it internal or external. Essentially, the fear of war and internal and external enemies influenced the Revolution and the activity of the king before war even broke out. However, when war did break out 20 April 1792, it marked a dramatic turn in the Revolution. From this moment onwards, war was the biggest conditioner for the course of the Revolution. The outbreak of war led to the fear of counter-revolutionaries inside France who did not agree with it, leading to killings and arrests from 1792 onwards to dispose of 'traitors'. New forces began to emerge as support for a Republic began to grow, due to huge military defeats and desertions that caused the King to be suspected of being in league with the Austrians. The war allowed the sans-culottes and the Jacobins to gain influence and control in the city of Paris,
Did the Second World War cause a social revolution in Britain?
Did the Second World War cause a social revolution in Britain? World War Two encouraged and was a catalyst for social revolution in Britain after 1945. The war confronted Britain with many new social challenges and situations that had never been encountered before. However, it is debatable to what extent the social reform lasted and how strong its impact remains today. It is extremely clear that a social reform took place in Britain post World War Two for reasons including shared experiences and conscription. The impacts of certain factors did vary in strength and over time. It is evident that some factors still remain such as women in work but other factors such as propaganda were weak and therefore did not endure. The power of the Trade Unions had a strong long term social effect after World War Two. We are able to establish this because the support of trade unions themselves increased during 1946, rising from 6,298,000 to 8,803,000. Many of these new members were women following the dramatic increase of women working during the war years. With the trade unions having more supporters this meant that their strikes would have more impact putting more pressure on the government and employers therefore increasing their bargaining power as the government would try and do anything to prevent a strike on a massive scale. Furthermore we are able to identify that the power of
Was the War or the Period Prior to the War more to Blame for the (Russian) Revolution?
Was the War or the Period Prior to the War more to Blame for the Revolution? INTRODUCTION The period during the war was more to blame for the Russian Revolution than the period prior to the war for a number for reasons. The war acted as a catalyst for the Revolution. Problems that existed were intensified and others were added. These included short-term triggers, such as the Rasputin and his assignation, suspicions about the German Tsarina, but most importantly, Nicholas II was a useless Tsar. Not only did he lack intelligence, but also he was not forceful enough to maintain order within the Russian Empire. One of the problems during the war was the Tsar. Nicholas was hopeless. Although a loving father, he was a cruel man and always turned to violence against the opposition. He praised regiments that hung people who were out of order. He knew little about the people in his country. Then Tsar took over the running of the war and went to the war front, which was a huge mistake. Not only was Nicholas blamed for the defeats which Russia suffered, but he left Rasputin and the Tsarina in control. This was a bad idea because the people of Russia didn't trust either of them. The Tsarina was German and they thought that she was passing information to the Germans. Her closeness with Rasputin lowered her reputation even more. She made a mess of running the country and wouldn't work
How far was the Russo-Japanese war responsible for the 1905 revolution
How far was the Russo-Japanese war responsible for the 1905 revolution? 905 saw the Tsar at war with his own nation for the first time considerably in many years. Displays of protests, strike and demonstrations were a common visual throughout cities in Russia such as Moscow and St Petersburg and a significant event of which was Bloody Sunday. Arguably, the Russo-Japanese war was extremely responsible for the 1905 revolution to an extent as it was the main factor contributing towards it, however there are other contributing factors causing an atmosphere that lay the foundation towards this "failed" revolution. The personal weakness of Nicholas II caused an atmosphere of rebel contributing to the 1905 revolution as his personality did not suite the role of the Tsar; this is as the role of the tsar relied on a strong personality which he did not possess. Nicholas was unprepared to become Tsar - he was deficient in essential qualities to uphold the position of absolute power to uphold absolute power. He lacked all sense of purpose; he did not resemble the characteristics of the Tsar to carry out the will of the tasks of monarchy and the business of running a state. Nicholas' adviser was more confident than he was; furthermore he was easily influenced by the 10 member of his ministerial council showing that he shied away from responsibility. All of this contributed to a rebellion
In what ways did the Russo-Japanese War precipitate revolution in 1905?
In what ways did the Russo-Japanese War precipitate revolution in 1905? Although the Russo-Japanese War wasn’t the only motivation for the 1905 revolution, it was certainly one of the most dominant factors. Russia’s humiliating defeat acted as a catalyst to the breakdown of her society. The war, itself, did not prompt the revolution; it was the fact that Russia lost, to a much smaller – and almost inferior – country. Russia, a Great Power, could not conquer Japan, a less significant, less developed country. Japan didn’t have the resources or the power that Russia had, so how was it that the Japanese were victorious? That was the question that Russia was faced with after the realisation of their defeat. The people of Russia were angry and embarrassed. The Russo-Japanese war, on Russia’s part, was a catastrophic, shambolic disaster. For a start, the Russians were extremely arrogant, and thought that the war would be an easy victory. Kuropatkin (Russian Imperial Minister of War) claimed that Russia would need only two soldiers for every three Japanese. The military was poorly trained and poorly equipped, and there were communication issues, as expected when running a war which is happening 6000 miles away. The sheer arrogance and foolishness of the Russian Court, however, wasn’t Russia’s biggest problem. Their biggest problem was the absolute incompetence of
The First World War was the main cause of the march revolution
The First World War was the main cause of the march revolution How far do you agree with this statement? I agree that the war was the main cause for the March revolution because all problems occurred after the war took place. There were also other causes which I will examine. I will now explain how the war caused the revolution. First of all food shortages occurred as the farmers and workers had to go to join the army which caused less food production. Less food also reached to people as the transport was being used for the army and a lot of food was being sent for the army therefore less was left behind. The cost of food also increased from 25% to a 100% which most people were unable to afford due to taxes etc. This made the revolution likely to happen as people became in need of food because if food was unavailable or wasn't enough for there needs they would end up dieing of starvation. Second of all the Tsar went of to war and left his wife the Tsarina and Rasputin in charge which wasn't a good idea as people didn't like the Rasputin as he was a poor peasant in the palace and the rich never mix in with the poor. Also the Tsarina is a German therefore people thought she would do things to help the Germans. Both these reasons become more of a reason for wanting to have a revolution. And not forgetting that the Tsar had less military knowledge strategy and tactics.
What were the relative effects of the counter-revolution and the war in causing the radicalization of the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror? Argue your case.
What were the relative effects of the counter-revolution and the war in causing the radicalization of the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror? Argue your case. The first stages of the French Revolution ran quite smoothly. It may have looked as though it would run this way through its entire journey. But, certain events caused the revolution to take a very radical turn. Aspects of the counter revolution had a huge effect on this and the war also changed it's structure a great deal but it was the effects of these two events that created the radicalisation of the French Revolution. During this essay, I hope to pinpoint the specific issues that sent the revolution into the extreme state it found itself in during the beginning of the 1790's. Up until the summer of 1792, it was assumed that the French Revolution was running smoothly and to plan. The middle class and the wealthier members of the Third Estate, so far, had staged the revolution. Most of the reforms, in particular the economic reforms, benefited only these two groups. As the summer crept through, dissatisfaction began to grow among the lower classes, especially the peasantry. However, this wasn't enough to push the revolution into it's radical phase. Many factors contributed to this, some more severe than others. The problem was that all of the factors were attempting to bring down the revolution, and all
How far was the Russo-Japanese war responsible for the 1905 revolution?
How far was the Russo-Japanese war responsible for the 1905 revolution? There are many reasons for the start of the 1905 revolution even dating back from Alexander II's reign. Tsar Alexander began his reign in 1855 when Russia was defeated by Britain and France in the Crimean war. He thought that the main reason for the Russian defeat was the backwards economic and social system; most of the labour forces were serfs who were ignorant. In order to strengthen the dynasty, he decided to carry out a number of reforms to modernise the archaic institutions of Russia. These were the emancipation of the serfs, the creation of the Zemstva and others such as the abolition of military colonies, relaxation of the censorship of books and the widened basis of entry to secondary schools. According to the emancipation of the Serfs, the serfs were not only freed but granted a certain portion of noble's estates. The Nobles that lost their states were then compensated by the government. The peasants were made to pay an annual sum for 49 years, at the end of which time the land was to be their property. These arrangements proved very unsatisfactory for the peasants. After the emancipation, peasant discontent increased and peasant riots continued up to 1917. The Zemstva was a reform that created district and provincial assemblies. The members of district assemblies were elected by the
To what extent was the war the main cause of the February Revolution?
To what extent was the war the main cause of the February Revolution? The February Revolution occurred in 1917. This was the collapse of the Tsarist regime and the start of a democratic, republican government. The war was still going on between Germany and the central powers. There were many causes that led to the February Revolution and this essay will consider the other factors to this build up. ) The war contributed as one of the important factors that led to the February Revolution. 2) Russia was not successful in the war as they had lost many soldiers and was defeated at Tannenberg and Masurian Lakes. The inadequate supplies also contributed to this failure as soldiers could not even get the essentials they needed such as ammunition and boots. 3) This had a knock-on effect on the people's morale. The railways further made this worse as they could not meet the demands of the war. The citizens of Russia all wanted an end to the war as it was also causing inflation and food shortages back in Russia. The army had top priority of food supplies which meant the rest of the country would have insufficient supplies of food. Many strikes were occurring on the home front because of the food shortages such as the Putilov Steel Works on 18th February and International Women's Day on 23rd February which was protesting also about the lack of food and wanting an end to the war. This
