While an overthrow from without did spur the February Revolution, the collapse of the Russian government from within asserted the conditions under which this could occur. While Czar Nicholas II created the Duma (an organization meant to look after the needs of the people), this was more of a way to throw his people a bone without having to do anything about their needs (2). In fact, Michael Rodzlanko (the president of the Duma) wrote to the Czar several times, and instead of heeding the warnings, the czar called one letter a "load of nonsense" and refused to respond (1). This easily demonstrates that the czar was well-informed of the signs of a revolution, but refused to take actions to correct the issues. The czar did this again when he refused to allow the formation of the Ministry of National Confidence (1). Giving the people a dysfunctional--or, even more, a nonfunctional--group through which they can express themselves is comparable to giving someone with an infection a placebo medication; in theory, it may cure the problem despite the fact that it does nothing, but mind power is not always effective (although, where politics are concerned, it sometimes seems that way). Although this didn't necessarily cause the initial outbreak of revolution, the people to some extent understood that they were being ripped off.
Moreover, Nicholas II's command of the Eastern Front armies did a good deal of damage (1). Because of his distance from the public, Czar Nicholas II couldn't keep track of food shortages and other issues the Russians were forced to face with their ruler's leave (2). This in some cases caused young children and ladies to shout about hunger just to cause commotion (1). Sigmund Freud claims that one of the three driving forces of humanity is hunger, after all. If people are hungry, they're going to do what they have to to get food, even if that means riots and revolution (or worse). Look up "Donner Party" on Google if you don't believe me. The hunger added to the lack of rights in Russia led to the overthrow from without, not to mention Bloody Sunday's unmerited violence (2), and other poor political choices on the czar's part. In the end, the people decided the fate of Czar Nicholas II, but he personally put himself in the situation by ignoring the basic needs of the majority of people in his country.
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ReplyDeleteI'll admit, it's hard to disprove your first paragraph, but, the army was barely functioning to start with. It just went from a barely functioning army under a military leader, to a barely functioning army under a Czar (Coach Belk). Also, the reason the food shortages were occurring (as well as the shortage of fuel) was because the engines on the trains were breaking because of the cold weather. (Video) That proves that the food shortages, which you said was enough to possibly cause the revolution, wasn't because of the Czar. All the czar could do is ration the food, but that wouldn't do much good, and might have even caused the situation to go bad just as quickly, or even faster. The czar may have made some bad decisions, but some of these things were entirely out of his control.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you katie. To add on, I think that the Czar's leaving Russia and moving to the front was controversial not only because he wasn't very capable of leading the military but also because it seemed like he was abandoning his people in a time of desperate need. Like you mentioned several times in your post, it's the blatant ignoring of the people that ultimately caused the revolution.
ReplyDeleteOK! so in your first paragraph it reminds me of what jessica hunter and i and a few others say it was the negligence of the Czar that led to certain things and his ignorance to the voice of the people that caused many problems and just in an overall view of the choices he had made were horrible. in my opinion through out all the sources though i felt that Nicholas II really didnt know about the revolution about to "whoop his booty" or else he would have tried to stop it more then he did guarenteed he was ignorant and pretty dumb, but like arhaam said there were just some things out of his control and he couldnt help that at all and that being said shows and example of him not rrealizing there was a revolution at his doorstep
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