The Romanov dynasty had lasted 300 years but Nicholas II, who ascended the throne in 1894, turned out to be the last tsar [Tsar: Russian monarch. ] of Russia. How did such an ancient monarchy collapse so spectacularly?
Summary
February or March - October or November? The Russian calendar was 13 days behind the rest of the world, so its February Revolution actually took place in March, and what was called the October Revolution happened in November!
This fact, of course, gives a clue as to why the Romanov dynasty fell in 1917 - it was out of date. In comparison, Italy and Spain had modernised their calendars in 1582!
All the institutions that supported the monarchy - such as the Church, the nobility and the faithful loyalty of the peasants - came from the Middle Ages.
Meanwhile, new, modern forces were threatening the monarchy such as the middle class, an industrial working class and Marxism.
In 1894, Nicholas II was an autocrat. He ruled alone and unquestioned, but he had a weak personality, and his power was increasingly based on the military might of the Cossacks [Cossacks: Peasants from southern Russia who were renowned for their military skill - they were later employed by the Tsar. ] and on the Okhrana (the secret police). These were two-edged strengths - they kept him in power, but they made him increasingly unpopular.
More detail
Big - Russia was too big to rule. In 1913, it stretched 4,000 miles from Europe to Alaska, and comprised 125 million people.
Backward - Russia was backward. It had few roads and limited industrialisation. Most people were still peasants.
Weak - Russia was militarily weak. It had lost a war with Japan in 1904.
Disunited - Russia had many different nationalities, languages and religions.
Autocracy - the government of Russia, which Nicholas ruled over alone, was far too much work for one man.
Proletariat - Russia was industrialising and the workers, eg in St Petersburg, were poor and oppressed. On Bloody Sunday 1905, they went on a peaceful march to ask the tsar to help them, but the Cossacks attacked them.
Bourgeois - the representatives of the new middle class industrialists. They called themselves the Kadets and wanted Russia to have a constitution like England's. In 1905, there was a revolution and they managed to force Nicholas to create a Duma (parliament), but it had no real power.
Revolutionaries - for instance, the Social Revolutionaries and the Marxists - split into the Mensheviks who wanted peaceful change and the Bolsheviks who wanted a revolution - committed acts of terrorism such as the murder of Prime Minister Stolypin in 1911.
Activity
This crossword will help you become familiar with the long-term causes of the Russian Revolution. Use the clues below to fill in the words. Press submit when you are ready to check your answers.
Across
1. Like the Bolsheviks, this group committed acts of terrorism.
4. According to Marx, this rising middle class wants power.
5. A weak personality facing revolutionary developments.
6. Take Marx's word for it - these factory workers are oppressed enough to revolt.
7. How an out-of-date peasant economy looks.
9. Losing a war with Japan in 1904 showed the government for what it was.
10. Different nationalities, languages, and religions led to Russia being like this.
11. This Marxist group sought peaceful change.
Down
2. It's a job you can only do by yourself.
3. Beyond Imperial Government.
4. Duma-demanders.
8. Another name for the new middle-class industrialists.
12. This parliament had no real power.
Answer preparation
As part of your revision, think about the arguments and facts you would use to explain:
What Russia was like before the First World War.
What the strengths and weaknesses of the Russian monarchy were before 1914.
Who opposed the tsar's government in Russia before 1914.
How well the tsar ruled Russia in the years leading up to 1914.