Causes of the 1917 Russian Revolution: Romanov Failures and Social Injustices

The Russian Revolution of 1917 happened due to various reasons related to the Romanov family. The people of the Russian Empire felt exploited because of political, social, and economic issues. There was also a belief that Tsar Nicholas Romanov II was not capable of ruling his people. Additionally, the lower classes of Russia were greatly affected by World War 1 (WW1), leading to the March Revolution and Nicholas' abdication. This event ended the Romanov Dynasty and began Communist Russia.

Russia underwent a late modernization compared to other European countries, which greatly influenced the lead-up to the revolution.

Prior to this, Russia was still entrenched in medieval social structures like the hierarchy triangle, placing the Royals at the top followed by the Clergy, Army, Capitalists, and lastly the working class and peasants. This system left peasants at the bottom, despite making up the largest portion of the population, with minimal rights and no upward mobility. They faced a constant barrage of political, social, and economic injustices from the government, such as being denied land ownership until the early 1880s.

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Even after Tsar Alexander - Nicholas’ father - granted them emancipation and land ownership rights, they were burdened by heavy taxes on crops and money.

The poor living conditions worsened when peasants learned about emancipation in other European countries. This led to a demand for peasant rights that was not fully met until the revolution. The modernization of Russia also gave rise to a new class - the working class, consisting mainly of poor farmers who migrated to cities to work in factories.

These individuals experienced even harsher living conditions than peasants, working long hours, residing in cramped and filthy spaces, and barely earning enough to survive due to higher food expenses in urban areas.

Even the nobility, who were wealthy landowners without opportunities for advancement, were also affected by the political, social, and economic grievances caused by the government. They believed that their land was being taken away and given to peasants due to emancipations, resulting in many nobles losing their land and authority over the peasants. These three groups all felt exploited by the government's actions, leading to discontent and unrest that sparked the revolution.

The 1917 Revolution was partly caused by the failure of Tsar Nicholas Romanov of Russia who lacked proper guidance in ruling the country due to his father's early death. Nicholas ignored constitutional matters and believed in his family's hereditary right to rule. His weak character led him to follow useless advice from officials like Gregory Rasputin, including ignoring warnings about the Russo-Japanese War which resulted in a devastating defeat in 1904-05.

Following plans to acquire Manchuria as a colony to build a fleet like other nations, the disastrous defeat to Japan had the opposite effect on Russia's Tsar, eroding trust in his autocratic rule and sparking unrest nationwide. The 1905 revolution, led by Georgy Gapon from January 1905 to June 1907, gathered momentum with a petition signed by over 150,000 Russians demanding shorter working hours, higher wages, improved living conditions, universal suffrage, and an end to the Russo-Japanese War.

Despite marching alongside thousands of striking Russian workers to present the petition to the Tsar at the Winter Palace, Gapon was unsuccessful as the Tsar was absent. The Russian people faced bullets from soldiers, resulting in an estimated 400-4000 casualties. This event, known as 'Bloody Sunday', led to the Tsar issuing the October Manifesto, granting the people voting rights and the ability to hold parliament.

Despite initially seeming to respond to the people's demand for more rights, the October Manifesto ultimately did not change much as the Tsar still had absolute power and could dissolve the Duma. The Tsar could pass laws as he saw fit and make immediate decisions without Duma approval. This power struggle and instability eventually led to the 1917 Revolution and the downfall of the Romanov Dynasty.

After years of instability in Russia, which saw the Dumas being constantly dissolved and re-established by various political parties, a moment of political stability emerged before being shattered by the onset of WW1. Russia, a developing nation, sent millions of soldiers to war with scarce equipment. The war was seen as an opportunity for Nicholas to regain respect from his subjects, but it ultimately highlighted his inadequacy as a ruler. The poorly organized war saw troops sent to the front lines with minimal training, often sharing one rifle between two soldiers and receiving only 6 bullets per day. Many soldiers lacked proper gear such as boots, leading to numerous deaths from disease and frostbite in addition to combat with German forces.

Nicholas took the role of Commander-in-Chief of the entire army, choosing to stay on the warfront rather than ruling his country. In his absence, his wife Alexandria governed, with suspicions that Rasputin influenced many of her decisions. This caused unrest among the people as Alexandria was German and Rasputin was not of royal blood. The war drained Russia's resources, leaving the transportation system in disarray, causing inflation, and creating a food shortage. Strikes and revolts became common, ultimately leading to a revolution sweeping across Russia while Nicholas remained on the warfront, signaling an end to any hope for a peaceful resolution.

As violence escalated, calls for the Tsar to give up his rule in favor of his son and transfer power to the Duma grew. The Duma then established the Provisional Government. Despite being urged to share power with the Prime Minister, the Tsar declined, leading to the arrest of his ministers and the Provisional Government assuming control of the army. Eventually, witnessing the chaos in his country, Nicholas decided to pass on his authority to his brother, Mikhail, who also refused. As a result, an order was issued to detain Nicholas and his whole family, who were then placed under house arrest in a palace outside St Petersburg.

Despite having some supporters, Nicholas still faced opposition and imprisonment. The new government formed by the Bolshevik party led to those who were pro-Nicholas identifying as ‘anti-Bolsheviks’. As they attempted to rescue him, the Bolsheviks made the drastic decision to order the killing of the entire royal family. Subsequently, they were all executed and their bodies concealed, marking the ultimate end to the power struggle. This internal turmoil ultimately led to Russia's withdrawal from WW1 in 1917, a result of both the draining effects of the war and Nicholas’ ineffective leadership during that time, culminating in the brutal murder of the entire royal family.

Communist Russia emerged from the chaos and confusion, seizing control of the country as the Romanov Dynasty met its demise. A combination of political, social, and economic grievances eroded the people's trust in autocratic rule, exacerbated by the Tsar's shortcomings. The turmoil of WW1 ultimately triggered the 1917 Revolution, leading to Nicholas' abdication and the downfall of Romanov Rule in Russia.