The nation's forces now under the control of the Nicholas II, only increased the Tsar's prestige amongst his people. By June 1916, with the Russians driving the German forces back, the decision is made to bring German and Austrian troops from northern Italy as well as Verdun, France. This weakened the German advancements into both France and Italy but the war on the eastern front was to cost both sides large numbers of men. By September and three months of fighting, the Russians finally succeed in protecting their eastern border; Austro-German losses amounted to 600,000 including 400,000 PoWs. The victory had relieved great pressure from the Verdun and Italian borders but it was met by hatred from the Russian people; over 1,000,000 casualities and morale at an all time low. The people were ready for revolution.
In December, the mystical monk, Rasputin Grigori was murdered by court officials. He and the Tsarina Alexandria had been partially blamed for the countries deterioration. Huge casualties, food shortages and the Tsar's failure to grant more civil liberties meant that the resistance against the Tsar and his regime was growing.
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March 1917, Tsar Nicholas whilst travelling back from the eastern front, has his train diverted by anti-Tsarists and by March 3rd, Nicholas has abdicated and his brother, Grand Duke Michael refuses the crown, and with it, the Romanov 300 year dynasity ends. The February revolution was the first step in the Marxist view that the proletariat would one day rule the country.
Lenin and the Bolshevik party throughout the war had been largely dispised only when Russia began to lose the war did some support come there way. However the March Revolution had not involved the Bolshevik party in any way -Lenin was in Switzerland, Stalin was in a Siberian Gulag and Leon Trotsky was in America. The democratic 'Provisional Government' was then formed without a Bolshevik element.
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