February 1917 - Causes

• Historians debate the extent to which the February Revolution was caused by the impact of the First World War on Russia.
• Western historians have this interpretation

  • The tsarist regime was making progress by 1914.
  • There was growth of industrial and agricultural production and the signs of political progress through the creation of the Duma.
  • The First World War is the main cause of the collapse of tsarism as without the stress and upheaval of war, Russia could well have continued developing into a modern industrialised state and possibly politically reform.
• Revisionist interpretation:

  • Longer term social, political and economic problems in Russia are seen as more important.
  • The First World War may have hastened the collapse of autocracy in Russia but the tsarist regime had little change of surviving much further into the 20th century due to its innate weakness.
  • Resentment felt by the peasants, increasing economic and political demands of workers, the Tsar clinging to autocratic rule and the growing opposition of liberal and middle class voices and contributed to the Tsar's fall.