The Causes of the February Revolution

The Causes of the February Revolution

Impact of WWI on the Russian Army

·       Russian Army had serious weaknesses, many of the generals held their positions due to their family connections, not through skill

·       The Russia industry was still undeveloped compared to other nations in Europe, and any arms production was inferior in comparison

·       WWI exposed these weaknesses

·       Initial victories were short-lived as the Russian defeat at the Battle of Tannenberg led to the ‘Great Retreat’ (1915)

·       Failure also occurred after attempts to regain the initiative through the Brusilov Offensive didn’t not work

·       Mid 1915 the munition crisis was so bad that Russian artillery units were limited to 3 shells per day

The Economic and Social Impact of WWI on Russia

·       Inflation was a major problem, by 1917 it had reached 200% with the price of flour rising by 500%

·       1914 – 1916 average earnings doubled, while food and fuel prices quadrupled

·       January 1917, Petrograd only received 48% of total grain requirements, with the Army also forced to reduce rations from 4,000 to 2,000 calories

·       The growth in the war economy meant more workers were employed in factories in the cities, 1914 – 1917 saw Petrograd’s population rise from 2.1 million to 2.7 million

·       Russia’s transport system struggled to keep up with the demands of war, less than 2 years after the war had begun, the railway system had virtually collapsed

Tsar’s mistakes and weaknesses leading to growing discontent

·       August 1915 Nicholas II took charge of the Army…