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Russia essay question- please help!!

Hi i need some guidance as to how i should structure this essay and what factors/ causes i need to include. My main problem is i have no idea what to include and i desperatley need to make a plan. Plaese help!!

the question is, "It is difficult to see the February Revolution as an overthrow of the Russian monarchy. Tsardom collapsed from within." How far do you agree that the abdication of Nicholas II in 1917 was due to the personal failings of the Tsar?

Reply 1

man123

maybe you should include the following:
Tsar was heavily influenced my his wife and Rasputin, acted as a long term factor for his downfall

Tsar amde no efffort to releive the pressure by reforms, therefore he angered the people even more.

Tsar made himself Commander in Cheif in 1915, this made him wholley responsible for any tactical mistake, therefore he did bring it upon himslef.

Lost the support of his army, this was crucail becasue with the army he could of survived just like in 1905.

However it amybe was not all due to his personal fails, because oppostion was becoming even more radical after the war, and they were becoming increasingly more organised(shown by the kadets joining the liberals to form the Union of Unions. They had learnt from their mistakes in 1905. Also Tsar made contined repressive messures to deal with oppositon, this merely angered the opposition to overthrow the Tsarist regime.

Reply 2

hotgoose

Perhaps you should write something like;

The 1917 rev was a short term factor caused by long term problems;
The Tsars return to autocracy after the 1905 revolution, he held to autocracy
Going to WW1 and then making himself commander in chief
influence of wife and rasputin
Can't think of any more.

Reply 3

bigforehead

I agree that you should attack the personally part of the question, therefore u can say that external factors such as his wife and rasputin led to the breakdown of tsardom, not from within the tsar, but within the royal family..

Reply 4

tomtheone

The army lost its confidence in the Tsar, and many regiments during the actual revolution, did not want to fire on their friends and families.

The Tsar took over leadership of the army, which he had no experience in.

This meant the Tsar had to leave St Petersburg (I think???) and go to the front line. This left domestic Russia to be controlled by Alexandria (Tsar's wife, correct me if I'm wrong) who was German, and heavily under the influence of Rasputin.