Russia before Stalin 1

The collapse of Tsarism

• Tsars simply ignored, exiled or executed radicals who called for reform
• 1905, a year of revolution revealed the vunerability of the Tsars position
• End of year, Tsar Nicholas II forced to concede
• Promised limited civil rights and an elected Parliamnet (the Duma)
• New laws soon reasserted the Tsars supreme power
• 1914, Tsarism seemed secure
• The outbreak of WW1 rallied Russia's people behind their Tsar for a short while
• …