Preview

How far do you agree that the overthrow of the Romanov dynasty was a result of the First World War?

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1166 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
How far do you agree that the overthrow of the Romanov dynasty was a result of the First World War?
After the riots of 1917, the Tsarist regime collapsed, and many would argue that it was mainly as a result of the First World War beginning in 1914. War broke out in 1914, with Tsar Nicholas becoming commander-in-chief in 1915, meaning he was away from Petrograd. Not only was this poorly thought out by Nicholas because it gave the people an opportunity to plot against him, but as he was away he left Tsarina (also a German princess), Alexandra, in charge during his absence. Due to the war being against Germany, this made the Russian people nervous and skeptical towards the extreme power she had over them during such a crucial time. Not only were they disgruntled by this, but also Alexandra’s close friendship to Rasputin, a Serbian peasant. This particularly angered the aristocracy and middle classes as they believed they were being led by someone of lower demeanor than that of themselves. This weakened support for the autocratic rule and lost the Tsar many of his supporters, which put him in a vulnerable position in the case of revolutionary upturn. This also could have inspired the peasantry to discover greater aspirations and encourage their belief that they could have greater status which in turn could trigger new revolutionary ideas amongst the lower classes. This demonstrates a link between Nicholas being away in order to commandeer army movement for the war, however it is arguable that it was a lack of authority and respect for the Tsarist regime that caused the change of opinions towards the Tsar amongst all classes, lessening his support and leaving him far more vulnerable in the case of a revolution. As Nicholas respected Alexandra’s wishes he ignored the problems Rasputin was causing him and allowed her to have Rasputin around. He also took her advice in appointing ministers as he was unable to be there to make sufficient judgement himself. She rather took advantage of this position and dismissed any ministers that insulted or ridiculed Rasputin,

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Nicholas II being the last tsar of the Romanov dynasty that lasted for over 300 years, is accountable for the fall of the Romanovs in 1917, however, there are various other reasons too that involved in the ultimate fall of tsarism in Russia in February 1917. While Nicholas’s indecisiveness played a major role in portraying his negligence, the other factors that involved the fall of tsarism were, the declining economic standards and the growth of political opposition along with Nicholas II’s penultimate absence when he was most needed in his country, due to the involvement in the first world war, which was another mistake made by the tsar.…

    • 313 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Summary: Romanov Dynasty

    • 4116 Words
    • 17 Pages

    This was a disastrous move as it left Alexandra in control back in the cities. She had become increasingly under the influence of the one man who seemingly had the power to help her son, Alexis, afflicted by haemophilia. Alexandra believed that Rasputin was a man of God and referred to him as “Our Friend”. Others, appalled at his influence over the tsarina, called him the “Mad Monk” – though not in public unless they wanted to incur the wrath of Alexandra. Rasputin brought huge disrepute on the Romanov’s. His womanising was well known and he was considered by many to be debauched. Rasputin was a great believer in the maintenance of autocracy. 'The growing influence of Gregory Rasputin over the Romanov’s did a great deal to damage the royal family ' - Historian Chris Trueman. Ironically, with the devastation that World War One was to cause in Russia, it was Rasputin who advised Nicholas not to go to war as he had predicted that Russia would be defeated. As his prophecies seemed to be more and more accurate, his influence within Russia increased. Rasputin had always clashed with the Duma. They saw his position within the monarchy as a direct threat to their position. Alexandra responded to their complaints about Rasputin’s power by introducing legislation that further limited their power. 'Rasputin brought huge disrepute on the Romanov’s ' - Historian Chris Trueman.…

    • 4116 Words
    • 17 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    All state leaders across the whole period held qualities that didn’t please the whole of the population in Russia. During the reign of Alex II, the government showed some strength with controlling opposition from the peasantry through the emancipation of the serfs in 1861. It was thought that to prevent revolt from below, this was a key movement that had to be made, and therefore prevented future unrest and opposition. However, the new liberated serfs had to deal with more laws concerning land ownership with led to further unrest and repression in the peasantry by the state. The state moreover, appeased the most vocal critics but in such a way that allowed dissenters to express themselves in the knowledge that Tsar’s decision would be final. Compared to Nicholas II’s reign, this showed a decisive leading technique, as Nicholas’s style was more conservative, and showed weakness, relying on others’ advice to fuel his decisions. A key failure throughout his period was the mixed rule attempt with the Duma introduced from 1906 to 1917, it is arguable that Nicholas II made concessions only to keep opposition temporarily at bay and that his aim was to uphold the principle of autocracy.…

    • 1646 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The immense cost of the war led to dramatic price inflation in Russia; by the end of 1916 were four times those of 1914. Wages rose more slowly than prices, and this lag contributed to the revival of strikes in the capital at the end of 1916. Food supply was an additional problem, which led to an outbreak out of rioting and strikes in Petrograd and spread to other parts of Russia. This caused the first revolution of 1917, where on March 15th the Tsar was forced to abdicate from power and authority passed to a provisional government, made up of members of the Duma.…

    • 875 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nicholas I faced a multitude of problems when he ascended to the throne in 1825, first and foremost of all these was the Decembrist Revolution by Russian officers. Second was Russia’s crippling economic backwardness, and the slowly crumbling social systems of the old autocracy. Due to Nicholas the I Slavophil outlook on economics he had all but refused to modernise the Russian economy instead leaving it to sit stagnant whilst Western economies of Britain and France thundered ahead. This neglect of industry was keenly felt during the Crimean War where the allied forces of Britain and France thoroughly defeated and embarrassed the Tsars armies. The Russian army was terribly equipped, only capable of supplying 50%…

    • 958 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Undeniably, Nicholas II had an enormous role in bringing about the downfall of the Romanov Dynasty in March 1917. Whilst many historians argue the fall of the Tsarist regime to be the direct response and product of World War I, it is quite evident that it was Nicholas’ inefficient and fatal autocratic ruling which led to the March Revolution of 1917. The effects of Russia’s involvement in numerous wars only heightened and highlighted Nicholas’ unsuitability for the role of Tsar, and his absolute and stubborn belief in autocracy. Had Nicholas’ various choices throughout his reign differed, the Romanov Dynasty could in fact, have existed…

    • 1391 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Great War was the main cause of the February 1917 Revolution. The Russian army suffered badly in the First World War due to a lack of equipment, inadequate training and poor leadership. The Tsar decided to take personal command of the army. As a result, he was blamed for the army's problems and defeats. World War I was a total disaster for Russia due to the Russian army suffering defeat after defeat at the hands of Germany. Cost of the war led to the economic collapse which then led to more anger and outrage, this shows that the Great War started a chain reaction of problems for Russia. Morale during this time was at an all-time low and soldiers and civilians alike were looking for someone to blame. In 1915, Tsar Nicholas II took personal command of the army and left St. Petersburg and moved to army headquarters in Russian, Poland. Nicholas II may have believed that, by taking charge, his army would be inspired and would fight with renewed vigour, however this had the opposite effect. Unfortunately, the Tsar knew little about the command and organisation of large military forces, and the series of defeats and humiliations continued. The organisation of the Russian army deteriorated and there were massive shortages of ammunition, equipment, and medical supplies which led to possibly the largest asset Nicholas had, the army, to lose belief and faith in…

    • 1065 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    March 14 1917, Nicholas II fell from power, there was lots of reasons but my three main reasons are; The State of the Army and how they weren't ready for war, The Role of the Duma and how they wanted the Tsar out of power, and Rasputin how he had control over Nicholas's wife…

    • 945 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    When Nicolas II made the terrible mistake of taking over the running of the war, he not only damaged his own reputation by being forced to take the blame for the defeats, but he also put the Tsarina in charge. The Tsarina proved to be intolerant of the Duma and it appeared to everybody else that Rasputin was running the country, this idea was likely inspired by the leaked and probably altered letters from the Tsarina to…

    • 589 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Tsarist Autocracy

    • 1209 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Tsarist autocracy has succeeded for more than three hundred years, but the Russian Revolution that occurred on November 1917 ended the long term autocracy. During this time period, Tsar Nicholas II was the leader of Russia and indeed the last one. He caused Russia’s downfall and made many Russians frustrated about the government. The Tsar did not acknowledge the nation's problems and failed to improve the lives of the citizens. As the Russians struggled with limited rights and lack of help from Nicholas II, they had to make a move. Although peasant unrest led to the Russians protesting and rebelling against the country, the Russian Revolution occurred because of Tsar Nicholas II’s weak leadership, in which he failed to accomplished the Russian’s goals, horribly managed the military, and thought that the system should not change.…

    • 1209 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Soon after becoming Tsar he would ask Alix for support instead of trusting the “bureaucrats and sycophants” (Atchison). Nicholis would shy away and find himself lonely throughout his reign (Atchison). Nicholas II knew that his time as Tsar would be short lived and his people had grown tired and angry with him. He believed the only reason Russia was still holding “at the seams” was because of the monarchy (Atchison). This led to the Revolution in February of 1917 which was an “uproar” (Biography).…

    • 742 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Romanovs Fall

    • 550 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Most Russian elites with half a brain hated Rasputin since they could see what he was: a power-hungry con artist who preyed on the Tsaritsa's motherly instinct to care for her hemophiliac son. That is how he first got his foot into the palace at Petersburg.…

    • 550 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    History

    • 1023 Words
    • 5 Pages

    There were many reasons why the Romanov rule fell in the year 1917. I personally believe that the war was a major reason which led to the Tsar to abdicate but I also believe there are many other reasons which led to the Tsar to abdicate.…

    • 1023 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Russian Revolution Causes

    • 687 Words
    • 3 Pages

    By 1917, Russia was chaotic, the government had been thoroughly corrupted, strikes were rampant and all happening at once. The World War I had begun and Russia was having many casualties due to being ill - equipped against industrialized Germany, and amidst the countries it was the one to receive most damage. Due to the german attacks the Russian economy had been falling apart, and such a situation was only useful to the radicals, as they used it as an opportunity to join with the moderates among other forces, in order to overthrow the Czar and achieve their revolutionary goals. As time passed Russia’s situation only deteriorated, demonstrators and protestants took over the streets, the king’s armies killed many of them, but they still continued to attack full force. Then when an army took the protestants side, the tables flipped, Nicholas II, the Czar at the time was forced to abdicate his throne and so freed Russia of over four centuries of Czarist…

    • 687 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Rasputin Speech

    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages

    As a result of this, The Tsar referred to Rasputin as "our friend" and a "holy man", a sign of the trust that the family had placed in him. Rasputin had a considerable personal and political influence on Alexandra. The Tsar and Tsarina considered him a man of God and a religious prophet. As you can see, he now had remarkably powerful influence for a peasant… the kind of influence that lead to his undoing.…

    • 805 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays