The role of WW1 in the fall of the Tsarist regime |
The Tsar addressing members of the Russian Army, with Alexei in the foreground (left).
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Before delving into how World War 1 affected the Tsarist regime, we will briefly look at how the Russians responded to the outbreak of war.
We know that there had been some class conflict and clashes, however, things were a bit different at the outbreak of war, as we are about to find out. Here are a number of sources that describe the initial reactions to the outbreak of war. Read them and then answer the following questions.
Questions:
Now that you have a basic idea on how the Russians responded to the outbreak of WWI, we can begin to look at the events and its role in the fall of the Tsarist regime. |
Many would argue that World War 1 was a crucial and defining factor that led to the collapse of the Romanov Dynasty. Without it, it is likely a revolution would not have occurred. Although there were a number of other factors that contributed, WW1 heightened discontent throughout Russia, spurring a revolt.
Nicholas II had a "romantic" vision of himself leading his army, consequently spending a lot of time on the Eastern Front. This was considered a disastrous move as it left Alexandra in control back in the cities, often under the influence of Rasputin.
In 1914, Russia was "hardly prepared" for war (BBC, 2010), even though political differences were initially put aside. Urban discontent even vanished and no strikes were recorded for the first month! (Dennett and Dixon, 2008)
The following pages will give you some background information about what happened during WW1 and how it affected Russia both on the homefront and warfront. These factors would culminate to create conditions necessary for the fall of the Tsarist regime.
Could the Romanovs survive if WW1 never happened?
Nicholas II had a "romantic" vision of himself leading his army, consequently spending a lot of time on the Eastern Front. This was considered a disastrous move as it left Alexandra in control back in the cities, often under the influence of Rasputin.
In 1914, Russia was "hardly prepared" for war (BBC, 2010), even though political differences were initially put aside. Urban discontent even vanished and no strikes were recorded for the first month! (Dennett and Dixon, 2008)
The following pages will give you some background information about what happened during WW1 and how it affected Russia both on the homefront and warfront. These factors would culminate to create conditions necessary for the fall of the Tsarist regime.
Could the Romanovs survive if WW1 never happened?
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