The struggles that the Russian’s endured truly shows that there was a collapse within the government, under Czar Nicholas II’s rule. However, it was these struggles that led to the overthrow of the Czar. The Czar was overthrown by the people only because there was a collapse from within the government.
The Czar did not do a great job of maintaining a good government, especially after the lost of Russo-Japanese War and after the Treaty that was signed to get Russia out of World War One. Once, a country goes through so many lost, the question of authority comes to mind. The question of whether or not the “leader” was doing a great job of leading would run in the minds of the soldiers. Also, while the soldiers were at war, the people at home were short in supplies, and since the supplies such as food was scarce, the prices of the food went up. This would indeed cause rage and anger in the people as well as the soldiers, which would eventually lead to strikes because they were going through hardships. This shows that not only were the solider affected by the Czar and his leadership, but the people at home were also affected. The fact that the people felt the need to strike shows that they believed that striking was their only way to get what they needed. Now the fact that they had strikes against the Czar would make a historian believe that the February Revolution resulted in a change in the government because the Czar was getting overthrown by the people. But it’s easy to argue that it was the collapse from within that led to him being overthrown.
The Czar did face challenges in opposition, which would make one think that he was overthrown from without. However, it was the collapse from within that started it all. The Czar was even informed by the Deputies of the Duma, (a Russian national assembly that made the people think they were being heard, but weren’t) specifically Aleskandr Guchkov, who stated in a meeting to the Czar “… the situation was caused by the mistakes of those in authority, in particular the highest authority, and this is why some sort of act is needed that would work upon the popular consciousness”. (2) These words alone would indeed make a historian believe that the thesis is correct. Yes, the Czar was overthrown, but it was the ‘mistakes’ by the authority that caused these huge issues within the country. It was his mistakes, the collapse from within, that pushed the people from without to overthrow Czar Nicholas II.
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I completely agree with you that Czar Nicholas did not do an effective job of running Russia. He did not properly manage the supplies of the country while he was in Russia or while at war. I do not believe the cold winters and the trains breaking down were not the Czar’s fault, but provisions should have been made in case of emergency. Not only was his ruling not quite so efficient, but his people skills were HORRIBLE. Everytime the protesters would strike or revolt, the Czar would order his solidiers to fire into the crowd (2). If someone busts a cap in me for stating my opinion, I would be more upset than I was before. Especially if the do it TWICE (Bloody Sunday and in 1917) (Source1 and Belk notes)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Toya when she said that she felt as if the collapse from within the government caused a overthrow of the czar. She says how once a country has many defeats they began to have the ‘question of whether or not the leader was doing a great job of leading.’ She continues on by telling how the food prices went up and supplies went down due to the war and would lead to causing anger in the people. This situation reminded me of the US citizens and how the war in Iraq affected us. Under the leadership of Bush he declared us to take part in the war. This war also caused a transformation in our prices; in gas in particular. When the war made the prices of oil go up it created fuss from all areas of the country that ended up pointing towards Bush. This shows how we the US citizens trusted the government and Bush as our leader with the war, however when the war started to interfere with our daily lives and our money it caused problems. This made us become questionable towards Bush just like the Russians were questionable about Czar. And although the reasons for the US entering into the war and the results on defeat might be different; when things went wrong we all blamed the person in leadership, which was Bush and Czar.
ReplyDeleteThis is True Sabina, I mean Sabrina!! Haha. I never really thought of it in this way. So thanks, way to work that brain!!! haha. Everyone blames Bush for the humiliation that we was put through. I know I did. Just like I said in jeanine's post, the two work hand in hand. We got another president because we felt as if Bush was doing a horrible job. So yes he was pretty much Overthrown, if we shall use these words. But it was the collapse within the government that prooved to us that someone else needs to take his position and run it the way it's suppose to be runned!! So, just like I been saying from since I been on this thing...it was a collapse from within that led to a overthrow from without!!! Done....
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