Eloïse Biollu 1S2 19 /01/2011

Account for the fall of the Tsar in 1917

For quite some time, Russia has known opposition against the Tsar until his fall in March 1917. Since 1905 and its several revolutions, the Tsar has been weakened. Indeed, since what we call Bloody Sunday and its massacre, the Tsar’s image has been damaged, but became better when he introduced a new government with the Dumas and new laws. Unfortunately, fighting in the Great War led him directly to his collapse. His fall was therefore predicted by long-term causes but also by short-term causes.

The Tsar’s fall started with a long-term cause, at the begging of the century in 1904 when he decided to make war with the Japanese. But, the cost of the war was so high that there was not enough money for goods and as a result, it caused food shortages and raising prices. The war turned out as a nightmare for Russia who has been severely defeated by a small, less powerful country such as Japan. Because of his defeat, there was pressure on government for new reforms and was dissatisfaction with it. Tension started to build up as months passes. Indeed, the 22 of January in 1905, known as Bloody Sunday, was a turning point for the Tsar’s image because even though the Tsar was not to blame personally for the shootings, he was to be blamed for having been unsympathetic and uncaring to his people, not listening to their needs and protests because he was the one who sent the troops. Therefore, he contributed indirectly to it. The 1905 revolution immediately followed Bloody Sunday and was, as well as Bloody Sunday and the Japan-Russian War, a long-term cause. It took several months to put-down the several strikes that had been spread out into the whole country, including the countryside and, in order to calm the people, the Tsar had to use, again, force by sending his army.
After these