February Revolution Research Paper

When war broke out in 1914 following the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, Russia’s standing army was the largest in the world, with one million and four hundred thousand able bodied and well trained men. It was referred to as the ‘Russian steamroller’ and was expected to crush the German forces. Russia was able to mobilise relatively quickly, and was well prepared for the short war expected. Although the size of the army was impressive, it faced many problems. From the start of the war, Russia suffered a series of humiliating defeats, much like those it had faced during the Crimean War in the 1840s, and Russo-Japanese war in 1904. In February 1917, female textile workers and housewives took to the streets of Petrograd to protest bread shortages to mark international Women’s day. The next day, they were joined by two hundred thousand striking industrial workers, and by the end of the week, students, members of the

Some historians, such as Orlando Figes argue that the autocratic system of Russia was already severely weakened, and the pillars on which it was build had begun to crumble long before the war had begun. Whether the revolution was inevitable with or without the war had been debated by historians since the event. Other historians such as Sheila Fitzpatrick have argued that although the revolution would have been possible and even likely without the effects of World War One, it would not have been as catastrophic or violent as it became. Russia’s performance in the war was only one factor in a long list of origins, which together caused widespread discontent which lead to the revolution. The war highlighted Russia’s backwardness and inability to modernise. The failures of the government and the Tsar during war time showed how the old bureaucratic system of autocracy was unfit to lead Russia to the modernity it needed to survive in the new industrial