Russian Revolution Essay
The internal and external influences on the Russian class structure along with the failure of the tsarist regime left the country powerless to prevent revolutionary forces from developing or expanding. The advancing social awareness, literacy, and desire for land rights by the peasant class were an overwhelming and underestimated influences by the intelligentsia, provisional government and the tsarist regime. These described cultural changes and leadership failures, coupled with an the paralysis of the empires industrial and political system, along with a floundering, underfunded and unequipped mutinous military was a recipe for certain disaster. The first area to consider is the state of the Peasant community. Described by Orlando Figes
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The Russian military was comprised almost exclusively from the muzhik. The peasant soldier has been described by Allied leaders as lazy with a “do nothing attitude” void of any sense of nationalism or exposure to education. The military leadership has been additionally described as unintelligent with large factions preferring an American form of government. Finally, the military was in dramatic short supply of weapons, ammunition, and general equipment, relying on shipments from America to keep the regiments even partially armed. Russia had no industrial means to produce adequate military supplies and no reliable railway or roadway system to deliver supplies, support, or personnel to the Front. Western historians have reviewed multiple documents from the military leadership explaining military losses directly due to the inability for adequate movement of supplies, equipment or weapons. By 1917, Russia had no access to a reliable or functional military for defense or support of any government. The revolution was an unstoppable event because the leadership during the time failed to identify the true influences on the country, failed to understand the culture of the peasant village yielding failed Stolpyn reforms. Additionally the impotent military, lack of nationalism, and formal educational system left any form of government powerless in protection or
The Russian military was comprised almost exclusively from the muzhik. The peasant soldier has been described by Allied leaders as lazy with a “do nothing attitude” void of any sense of nationalism or exposure to education. The military leadership has been additionally described as unintelligent with large factions preferring an American form of government. Finally, the military was in dramatic short supply of weapons, ammunition, and general equipment, relying on shipments from America to keep the regiments even partially armed. Russia had no industrial means to produce adequate military supplies and no reliable railway or roadway system to deliver supplies, support, or personnel to the Front. Western historians have reviewed multiple documents from the military leadership explaining military losses directly due to the inability for adequate movement of supplies, equipment or weapons. By 1917, Russia had no access to a reliable or functional military for defense or support of any government. The revolution was an unstoppable event because the leadership during the time failed to identify the true influences on the country, failed to understand the culture of the peasant village yielding failed Stolpyn reforms. Additionally the impotent military, lack of nationalism, and formal educational system left any form of government powerless in protection or