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The February 1917 Revolution – Why did Nicholas II Fall from

Power?

Russia


Let’s revise what state Russia was in at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Do you think that Nicholas II was

about to lose power anyway, even without the war?


The effects of World War I on Russia

Food prices were increasing rapidly as food supplies needed to go to the soldiers at the front.

Peasants began to hide surplus food and were then tortured and killed by the army as a punishment.

Rations of food went down as each month passed and this led to discontent in the towns, cities and countryside.


A wave of patriotism and support for the tsar as ‘our Holy Father’ spread across Russia at the start of the war. By the end of 1914 there were 6.5 million soldiers in the Russian army. In 1915 Nicholas assumed supreme command of the army – which meant he wasn’t in Russia.

What effect do you think this news had on people in Russia?

Was the Russian army ready for the war?

But there were only four million rifles, not all of which had any bullets. A soldier would have to wait for the man in front of him to be killed, and then he would take his rifle from him.


Russian newspapers were heavily censored and couldn’t have printed anything against the

government. But if they hadn’t been, you would certainly have seen headlines like those on the

following slides appearing as the months went on.


Noble supporters of the tsar murder the drunken, lecherous monk who has influenced the tsarina and brought shame on the tsar.

What effect do you think news of events such as this would have on the way people felt about the government?

Russian Officers Murder Lecherous Monk

December 1916


Russian troops have been forced out of Poland. Polish refugees are making the food shortage situation even worse.


Russian Troops Suffer Disastrous Defeat at Battle Of Tannenberg

1914



A soldier’s home was destroyed and his family killed by government forces, it was reported yesterday. The family withheld food to prevent his little sister from starving to death.

Heroic soldier returns to see his home destroyed.



People queuing for hours, yesterday, for a loaf of bread. When they find that there is none left they starve for another day.

Bread queues lengthen in PetrogradFebruary 1917



Sacked Petrograd steel workers have been demonstrating in the streets after being locked out of work for going on strike. Their families starve in bread queues that have no bread.

30,000 men locked out of the Pitilov Steel Works for asking for a pay rise



Revolutionary ideas being spread by soldiers and workers distributing leaflets encouraging people to rebel against the tsar. Soldiers are deserting from the army in their thousands.

Revolutionary Ideas Spreading Among the People

February 1917


On 26 February 1917 there were massive street demonstrations in Petrograd. How do you think Nicholas responded to the worsening situation?

Rodzyanko, chairman of the State Duma, in Petrograd.

Tsar Nicholas II, commanding the Russian Army from Mogilev.

The riots are getting out of hand, I don’t think I

can control them.

You are exaggerating! Don’t panic, just use the troops to

put the riots down.


The soldiers refused to fire on the crowds. The chairman of the Duma told Nicholas that a change of government was needed. The crowd were refusing to disperse and they could not be controlled.

Which of these things would you have done if you were Nicholas II, and why would you have done this?

Order the troops to fire

on the crowds

Return to Petrograd and

take control

Give the crowd some of their

demands

© David King Collection


Nicholas was not a cruel man. He knew that the people were genuinely suffering. He was also realistic enough

to realize that the troops would probably not have obeyed the orders, so he did not make this choice.

Order the troops to fire

on the crowds?


This would probably have been the sensible thing to do if he’d done it on the 26 February. Nicholas might have been able to restore some order and show himself to

the people as a concerned leader.

Return to Petrograd and take control?


This was almost impossible. Their simply wasn’t enough food to go around, and even if there was, there weren’t good enough methods of distribution. Nicholas

also didn’t want to be seen to be giving in.

Give the crowd some of their

demands?

But Nicholas didn’t do any of these things. Look at the next slide to see the decision that he made.


The Result?

On the 26 February the members of the Duma disobeyed the tsar and met anyway.

The Russian Revolution had begun.

Mr Rodzyanko, chairman of

the Duma: I’m going to close you down and rule by myself.

I’m not having the Duma or the

people telling me what to do.

25,000 troops mutinied and marched towards the Tauride Palace where the Duma was meeting, not to attack the Duma but to support it in its stand against the tsar.

© David King Collection


The Provisional Government takes over


Nicholas tried to return to Petrograd by train to take control of the situation on 2 March. A group of army generals stopped the train and told him it wasn’t safe for him to return as the troops might fire on him. They said he would have to give up power and hand it over to his son Alexi. Nicholas said Alexi was too ill and suggested his own brother the Grand Duke Michael.

Nicholas II attempts to return

The generals refused and so the tsar abdicated (gave up his power).

The Romanov Dynasty, which had lasted for over 400 years in Russia, had come to an end in a few days.


Below are some reasons why Nicholas fell from power in February 1917. Rearrange them into order of importance and then add evidence to back up each one.

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