...To what extent do you agree with these explanations of the collapse of autocracy in Russia? Nicholas Romanov was an indecisive man who was easily influenced by others. Although it was not his character that was the decisive factor in bringing on the revolution. He may have been a leader at the wrong time but if he had related better for the time he was in power. Russia before 1917 was the largest country under one empire. In economic terms it was backward as it was late industrialising and late to emerge from feudalism. In political terms it was also backward as there was no legal political parties nor was there any centrally elected government Russia at this time was under tsarist rule by Nicholas II of the Romanov empire. Nicholas II was brought up by his father Alexander III who didn't believe that his son could take an intelligent interest in anything and therefore did not educate him in the business of state . The fact that his father who died at age 49 thought that he had many more years ahead of him may also be another factor behind Nicholas' poor leadership of Russia . Alexander who died in 1894 had left Russia with a society no longer controlled by tsarist rule and when Nicholas took the throne after his father's death Russian society was not prepared to turn on it's heels and return to how it use to be . Nicholas II was 26 when his father died and was soon to marry the German princess, Alix of Hess, Granddaughter of Queen Victoria . The relationship between...
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...his autocracy which in turn led to his downfall. The First World War contributed to the downfall of the Romanovs In several ways. The first being that that Russia experienced great national/military humiliation throughout the First World War. One of the main humiliations was the Battle of Tannenberg in which 30,000 Russian's died and 95,000 were captured, whereas the Germans only suffered fewer than 20,000 casualties. This huge humiliation and loss of life would have enraged the ordinary people of Russia and highlighted the Tsar's incompetency which would have lead to the demonstrations that caused the Romanovs downfall. The military humiliations only increased when in september 1915 the Tsar dismissed his Uncle Nikolas -the commander-in-chief and took on the position himself. Due to the Tsar’s ineptitude in military dealings and the lack of military equipment more military failures were inevitable. This is shown by the Brusilov Offensive in June - August in 1916 which failed miserably. With the Tsar as the head of the military, he could no longer hide behind other’s mistake. It showed the masses what he truly was, a weak inept leader who had caused the deaths of thousands. The Brusilov Offensive destroyed any moral the soldiers and people had left. These national humiliations made Russia seem weak, and seeing as Russia was an autocracy it meant that the only people to blame were the Tsar and...
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...Political impact of WW1 on Russia * Even before the end of 1914 , there were disputes over the organisation of the war effort – many began to distrust and oppose the tsar. * In July 1914 the tsarist government had organised ‘military zones’ within which all civilian authority was suspended and the military assumed command. This, however, was opposed by the liberal zemstva who regarded the government as insensitive to the basic needs of the people/ civilians, who they believed had a major impact to play in running the war. * For example , the government’s decision to prohibit the sale of alcohol at the end of 1914 was both resented and evaded – vodka was regarded as near essential , especially in such difficult circumstances , for the peasants and workers to astray themselves from the hardships of the war. * The zemstva established a ‘Union of Zemstva’ to provide the medical facilities which the state seemed to neglect. * Another initiative came from factory owners and businessmen (including representatives from the Duma and of workers) to help co-ordinate production. * In June 1915 existing zemstva and municipal dumas joined together to form the All Russian Union of Zemstva and Cities, known as Zemgor – it was chaired by Prince Lvov and claimed the right to help the tsar’s government in the war effort, but it was never allowed any direct influence and, like the State Duma, soon turned into a liberal focus for discontent. Rather than working...
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...If it was to be weakened, it would have negatively affected his position within Russia’s social hierarchy. Ironically, with the devastation that World War One was to cause in Russia, it was Rasputin who told Nicholas not to go to war as he had predicted that Russia would be defeated. Rasputin had always clashed with the Duma. They saw his position within the monarchy as a direct threat to themselves. Alexandra responded to their complaints about Rasputin’s power by introducing legislation that further limited their power. In September 1915, their representatives met Nicholas at his military headquarters to express their opinions that there was no government ministry back in the cities that had the confidence of the people. He told them to go back to St. Petersburg and carry on working. At the end of September, another group went to see Nicholas to ask for a government that had the people’s confidence. After this, Rasputin’s power in St Petersburg was unbeatable. As long as he had the support of the tsarina, he had power as Alexandra all but dominated her husband. As long as Alexis, the male heir to the throne, was ill, Rasputin had power over Alexandra. When the Duma was dissolved in September 1915, Rasputin took charge of just about all aspects of government in St. Petersburg. Protected...
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...little the peasants had, they were the most needy. Aristocracy The aristocracy were the nobility and this is where the Tsar draws his ministers from. It’s also where most of the army’s senior members came from. They were concerned about their livelihood. This was because the Tsar had drafted an extra 13.5 million men to fill out his army. This meant they had no workers on their estates anymore. But most of all they were appalled by Rasputin’s influence in court. Also when the Tsar left to go command his army he left his wife to control the country. She was German so many people from all backgrounds despised the Tsar for leaving her in control. Also by 1916 the aristocracy were calling for the Tsar to abdicate. Middle classes The middle class people did not suffer in the same way as the rest of the population. They were not happy with the Tsar’s rule and how the war was going so they tried to do their bit to help the soldiers by starting up medical organisations and sending clothes and food supplies. Middle class workers in Russia were complaining about the lack of raw material availability and could not fulfil war contracts. An alliance of Duma...
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...Source A is an extract of a letter that was written by the former commander in chief of the Russian Army, Grand Duke Nicolai, and was sent to the Tsar. The Duke writes about his concern over Rasputin’s influence and how it is a problem. The fact that the Duke thinks it is a problem means it is affecting the army as although he was dismissed, he still would have had allegiance to the army and would have felt Rasputin was having a bad influence. In addition to this, the Tsar had become commander in chief and left the Tsarina and Rasputin to run the country which may have also caused the Duke to write this letter. As this is from November 1916, this letter has been written after the tragedies Russia had been through in the war such as the Masurian lakes incident. What this meant was that Rasputin was having influence over the orders the army gets and this was proving to be very detrimental to the Army. By writing a letter to the Tsar, we understand the level of concern the Duke had as he deemed it significantly important that he must write directly to the Tsar. This is extremely important in showing how the Tsar’s reputation was damaged due to the war as even the commander in chief was concerned about how things were being done and the problems they were causing. This ultimately triggered the revolution of 1917 and shows how significant the war was in damaging the Tsar’s reputation. The source also seems to show that the Duke understands that the Tsar can’t totally get rid of Rasputin...
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...Home Learning: Russia and World War 1 Big question – Did World War One bring about the downfall of the Tsar in February 1917? Deadline: Hand this cover sheet in with your Home Learning Date handed in to teacher: Insert date Minimal effort - repeat More effort required for next time Excellent effort Teacher comments if appropriate 1. How well did Russia perform militarily in the war? * Initial patriotism. At the beginning of the war, all forms of patriotic material emphasised caricatures of the enemy and heroic interpretations of Russian exploits.Wilhelm II with his distinctive moustache and inevitable spike helmet was the overwhelming favorite for abuse in all media. All Germans, led by their Kaiser, were gross beer-drinkers and sausage-eaters as well as rapacious aggressors. The other two enemies, Austria and even Russia's historic foe Turkey, usually appeared as contemptible puppets of the Germans. Hubertus Jahn in Patriotic Culture in Russia during World War I, "Russian patriotism quickly became more differentiated, simultaneously reflecting separate and even disparate loyalties within society". http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=488 * Early successes against Austro-Hungarian Empire battle of galicia- a major battle between Russia and Austria-Hungary during the early stages of World War I in 1914. In the course of the battle, the Austro-Hungarian armies were severely defeated and forced out of Galicia, while the Russians captured Lemberg and, for approximately...
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...Why was the 1917 revolution successful? The underlying causes of the Russian Revolution are rooted deep in Russia's history. For centuries, autocratic and repressive tsarist regimes ruled the country and most of the population lived under severe economic and social conditions. During the 19th century and early 20th century various movements aimed at overthrowing the oppressive government were staged at different times by students, workers, peasants, and members of the nobility. Two of these unsuccessful movements were the 1825 revolt against Nicholas I and the revolution of 1905, both of which were attempts to establish a constitutional monarchy. Russia's badly organized and unsuccessful involvement in World War I (1914-1918) added to popular discontent with the government's corruption and inefficiency. In 1917 these events resulted in the fall of the tsarist government and the establishment of the provisional government and the Petrograd soviets who ran the country together until, the Bolsheviks in October staged a coup thus overthrowing the unpopular provisional government. The immediate cause of the February Revolution of 1917 was the collapse of the tsarist regime under the gigantic strain of World War I. The primary cause was the backward economic condition of the country, which made it unable to sustain the war effort against powerful, industrialized Germany. Russian manpower was vast. Russian industry, however, lacked the capacity to arm, equip, and supply the some 15...
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...Russia has never been a happy place. Since the 12th Century it has been bogged down in poverty, horrific living conditions, and an extremely separated class system. It took many years for the workers and slaves of Russian life to finally organize themselves and revolt against the causes of such hardship; many years of pain, suffering, and oppression that were brought on by the czars. It was this stagnant suffering that would finally begin to lift, and eventually bring power to the Bolsheviks and communism to Russia. Many revolutionaries encouraged killing, robbery, and used terror to advance their effort. However, there were other kinds of revolutionaries, some violent, some not. Gorky, Dostoevsky, and Turgenev all contributed to the progress of the revolution by communicating through literature. All four books were intended to identify critical issues of life, to instigate social and political changes throughout Russia, and to wholly improve Russian life. Gorky’s My Childhood explains the terrible conditions Russia peasants faced. Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons represents the struggle between two ideologies, romanticism and liberalism. Gorky’s next book Mother is the idea of insurgency cells and how a group with no distinct leader can be effective. Finally, Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Possessed shows how violence can be a major tool in fuelling a rebellion, although it also shows how extreme nihilism is self-destructive. Simply listing the problems with Russia up to the 19th and early...
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...Higher Level History Notes 19th Century Russia The Russian people are descendants of the ‘Rus’ who are thought to be a mixture of Scandinavian and Slavic origin and settled in that region out of ± 800 AD Byzantine Empire A major legacy of the Byzantine Empire for the Russians was the eastern orthodox or Greek Orthodox Church With the decline of Byzantium came a wave of conquest from the East, the Mongols until the 15th century (Tatars). To a large extent, the Mongols allowed Russians to maintain their way of life: - Slavic based languages including writing system (Cyrillic) - Orthodox religion The Russians adopted much from Asian culture and this led western Europeans to think less of the Russians Geographically Russia was isolated from the rest of Europe: - Entirely land locked (mostly) - Huge Plains of Eastern Europe prevented overland travel During these early years there were a series of muscovite princes based in Moscow and called themselves Tsars. By the 17th century the Romanov family became the ruling dynasty: - Alexander I (1801-1825) - Nicholas I (1825-1855) - Alexander II (1855-1881) - Alexander III (1881-1894) - Nicholas II (1894-1917) Under the rule of Peter the Great (1689-1728) Russia grew greatly in size and entered the European World www.ibscrewed.org The Russia of 1800 was one of the greatest autocracies in Europe where: - The Tsar’s rule was absolute - There was a small...
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...4 Main Idea • • • • • What is a main idea? What is a topic? How do you recognize the difference between general and specific ideas? What is a stated main idea? What is an unstated main idea? Everyday Reading Skills: Selecting a Book Copyright ©2010 by Pearson Education, Inc. 118 CHAPTER 4 Main Idea What Is a Main Idea? The main idea of a passage is the core of the material, the particular point the author is trying to convey. The main idea of a passage can be stated in one sentence that condenses specific ideas or details in the passage into a general, allinclusive statement of the author’s message. In classroom discussions, all of the following words are sometimes used to help students understand the meaning of the main idea. thesis main point central focus gist controlling idea central thought Whether you read a single paragraph, a chapter, or an entire book, many experts agree that your most important single task is to understand the main idea of what you read. Topic Main Idea Major Detail Major Detail Major Detail Minor Detail Minor Detail Minor Detail Minor Detail Minor Detail Recognize General and Specific Words The first step in determining the main idea of a selection is to look at the specific ideas presented in the sentences and try to decide on a general topic or subject under which you can group these ideas. Before tackling sentences, begin with words. Pretend that the sentence ideas in a selection have been reduced...
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...ALSO BY NEIL STRAUSS The Long Hard Road Out of Hell WITH MARILYN MANSON The Dirt WITH MOTLEY CRUE How to Make Love Like a Porn Star WITH JENNA JAMESON Don't Try This at Home WITH DAVE NAVARRO THE GAME PENETRATING THE SECRET SOCIETY OF PICKUP ARTISTS Neil Strauss Regan Books An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers Cover silhouettes are from the following fonts :Darrian's Sexy Silhouettes by © Darrian (http://westwood.fortunecity.com/cerruti/445/), Subeve by © Sub Communications (http://www.subtitude.com),NorpIcons 1 and Norp Icons 2 by © DJ Monkeyboy (http://www.djmonkeyboy.com). "The Randall Knife": Words and Music by Guy Clark © 1983 EMI APRIL MUSIC INC. and GSC MUSIC. All Rights Controlled and Administered by EMI APRIL MUSIC INC. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Used by Permission. In order to protect the identity of some women and members of the community, the names and identifying characteristics of a small number of incidental characters in this book have been changed, and three minor characters are composites. THE GAME COPYRIGHT © 200 5 BY N E I L STRAUSS. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, address HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022. HarperCollins...
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