Why did revolution in Russia succeed in February 1917 Essay Example for Free

Why did revolution in Russia succeed in February 1917 Essay In the Russian Revolution of 1905 there was a clear distinction between revolutionary and reformist ideologies. Such ideological divisions were exploited by the Tsarist government and resulted in the pacification of the liberals and the peasants, and the crushing of the proletariat by the loyal armed forces. In marked contrast, the February Revolution of 1917 exhibited a larger, stronger and more united opposition to Tsarism which, combined with the defection of the armed forces, was able to succeed in toppling the Tsar and his autocratic regime. The switching loyalty of the armed forces and the greater unity in February 1917 were consequences of three interrelated factors: the First World War; actions of the Tsar; and grave political discontent. Whilst the Russo-Japanese War, a precursor to the 1905 Revolution, did not break the faith of the armed forces, the sheer scale and severity of the First World War proved fundamental in altering their allegiances. It is important to recognise that the loyalty of the army to the Tsar in 1905 was crucial in defeating the proletariat revolutionaries – as evidenced by the suppression of the Moscow Uprising. By 1917 the army was so irreparably disillusioned that their loyalty no longer resided with the Tsar. The reasons for such disillusionment lie in the disastrous nature of the Russian war effort. First and foremost, military defeats at the Battle of Tannenberg, and the loss of Russian Poland to the Germans, had devastating effects on soldier morale. Such morale was also affected by how dangerously under-equipped the army was – there were, for example, a million more men than rifles. The enormous casualties from 1914-17 of almost two million, much greater than those of the Russo-Japanese War, also worked to rapidly diminish support for the Tsar. The defection of the army in February 1917, a culmination of such discontent and disillusionment, meant that the Tsar had no coercive weapon by which to stifle revolution. This consequently worked to make his abdication an inevitability. This is not the sole reason for the success of the February Revolution however. The actions of the Tsar, in relation to the war, also proved significant in alienating those traditionally loyal to him. In 1905 the Tsar was very much ‘behind the scenes’ – criticism towards him was not as sharply focussed as it was by 1917. In 1915, by appointing himself as Commander in Chief of the military, the Tsar managed to directly implicate himself in all war failures. This inextricable link between the Tsar and the war, strengthened by his incompetence as a military strategist, is a key factor as to why his previously loyal army defected, which, as discussed, led to the success of the February Revolution. The Tsar’s decision to take such a role helped alienate his other support bases as well such as the Liberals in the State Duma and the nobility. With Nicholas II assuming his new role in the military, the Tsarina Alexandra was left in charge of governing day-to-day affairs in Petrograd. This initially caused social and political unrest as the Tsarina’s German origins made her wildly unpopular and triggered allegations that she was aligned with the enemy. Her relationship with the mystic ‘mad monk’ Rasputin, and the considerable influence he seemed to wield over government affairs, fuelled further disaffection with the royal family and generated allegations that they were simply ‘marionettes’ with Rasputin pulling the strings. Rasputin’s harmful influence on the home front further damaged the Tsar’s reputation. In particular, by appointing Alexander Protopopov as Interior Minister, a request of Rasputin’s, the Tsar managed to exacerbate the economic dislocation caused by the war as Protopopov proved ineffective in managing his responsibility of allocating food supplies. The fact that Rasputin was ultimately killed by supporters of Tsarism is a testament to his unpopularity and the out-of-sync nature of the Tsar and Tsarina. Whilst not becoming ‘revolutionaries’, both the Liberals and the nobility viewed the Tsar as an obstacle for the survival on monarchic rule. In 1905 the Tsar managed to survive by appealing to the Liberals, thus dividing the opposition. The refusal of the Provisional Government (formed out of the State Duma) to share power with the Tsar, as the Revolution elevated and the army defected, meant that no such strategy could be repeated. Combined with the defection of the army, this doomed the Tsar. It was the Tsar’s actions in relation to the war which contributed to the Provisional Government’s decision. With the army refusing to crush the workers unlike in 1905, the Tsar’s only chance of survival lay with the Liberals in the State Duma who had formed the Provisional Government. As explored, the Provisional Government refused to cooperate with the Tsar in February 1917. This is partly due to an intensification of contempt felt towards the Tsar as a result of his actions during the war. It is also important to explore the political discontent felt by the Liberals post-1905 as a reason relating to their rejection of the Tsar. The Tsar had placated the Liberals in 1905 through the declaration of the October Manifesto, which promised them the constitutional monarchy they had aspired for. The dumas, whose power was restricted through the Fundamental Laws of 1906 and the strict criteria for the electorate, fell short of Liberal expectations. The Tsar’s inability to recognise the need for reform of some sort, illustrated by his dissolution of the progressive State Duma, further enhanced Liberal opposition to the Tsar. The Tsar had made it apparent that he was not interested in reform. Especially considering the backhanded nature of the political concessions which helped save him in 1905; by February 1917 any concessions made or offered would have been treated with great scepticism. The Liberals, in a sense, learned a lesson from the superficiality of the October Manifesto. After a plea to share power, the Tsar was refused by Mikhail Rodzianko, head of the Provisional Government, and the Tsar was subsequently advised by army chiefs and remaining ministers to abdicate. Unlike in 1905 where there was ideological disunity, exploited by the Tsar, in February 1917 there was a collective agreement across all groups in Russian society that the Tsar needed to be gone. To conclude, the Russian Revolution of 1905 failed as a result of the appeasement of the Liberals (and peasants), and the subsequent crushing of the proletariat by the loyal military. The February Revolution of 1917 succeeded on the grounds that, firstly, the army’s loyalties ‘no longer resided with the Tsar’, and secondly, that the Liberals wished not for compromise with the Tsar, but to overthrow him. The change in attitudes of these two groups, traditionally loyal to the Tsar, can be attributed primarily to the First World War and the Tsar’s actions. If the war wasn’t damaging enough to the Tsar, his decision to take a ‘front seat’ in military affairs further diminished his support from the army. With regards to the Liberals, there were ultimately no political concessions he could make to hold onto power. In the words of historian Edward Action – â€Å"by stubbornly refusing to reach any modus vivendi with the Progressive Bloc of the Duma Nicholas undermined the loyalty of even those closest to the throne [and] opened an unbridgeable breach between himself and public opinion.

Applications of Diary of a Madman in Our Society Essay -- Diary Madman

Applications of â€Å"Diary of a Madman" in Our Society Like any piece of good literature, â€Å"Diary of a Madman† does not just apply to the time it was written. It can also be seen as a critique on the world today. However, the relation between the story and the modern world is not easily visible on the surface. One must dig deeper in order to see the parallels. Once one examines the symbolism that is used, it is clear that the story is relevant to today’s world just as much as it was to the world in which Lu Xun wrote it. There are many parallels between the story and our society, so many that this story could just as easily be a critique of our society as a critique of China in 1918. On the surface, â€Å"Diary of a Madman† is about a crazy man and his belief that everyone around him is a cannibal. Not only this, but he believes that they intend to eat him. This causes him to become paranoid and he does not trust anyone, even the animals. By the end of the story, he is resigned to the fact that he will be a victim of cannibalism, and he knows that there is nothing that he can do to protect himself. His only hope is that somewhere there are children who have not yet become cannibals and that these children can somehow be saved from what appears to be their fate. Although this is the literal reading of the text, when one looks deeper one is able to see that this is not all that Lu Xun intended to say with his story. Cannibalism is used simply because it is the most blatant way of taking advantage of other people, which is what it symbolizes. Unfortunately, the madman is the only one who notices that other people are constantly being taken advantage of. He is the only one who can see what is really going on in his societ... ...There are many similarities between the society that Lu Xun wrote his â€Å"Diary of a Madman† for and the society that we live in today. Both societies practice cannibalism through their blatant disregard of others. Both societies are guilty of relatively the same crimes, and the cure for both societies is the same. Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that a change will ever be made in either society, because the only people who could bring this change about, the children, will be indoctrinated into the culture before they are old enough to make a difference. Works Cited: Voltaire, Candide, Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, ed. Maynard Mack, Expanded Edition (New York: W. W. Norton, 1995), pp. 548-554. Xun, Lu, â€Å"Diary of a Madman,† Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, ed. Maynard Mack, Expanded Edition (New York: W. W. Norton, 1995), pp. 1684-1693.

Outline of the Tea Party Platform Essay

Believe that heavy taxes are a burden for those who apply their personal liberty to work hard ? Need for government to protect the freedom of citizens with interference of the government that has exceeded its necessary size or scope. 2. Eliminate National Debt ? there is a need to have fiscal conservative policies at all levels of government ? narrow down the national debt for the good of the average American 3. Protect Free Markets ? Allow free markets to prosper without the infringement of the national government ? Belief that free markets should be protected and are the backbone of the U. S 4. Abide By the Constitution of The United States ? Belief that the U. S Constitution is the supreme law and should be held as so ? Constitution but be upheld in all areas, levels and branches of government 5. Promote Civic Responsibility ? Citizen involvement should be upheld ? Belief that citizen inolment directs the behaviors of the representatives both on a local and national level 6. Reduce the Overall Size Of Government ? Belief that a â€Å"bloated† or overcrowded bureaucracy leads to uneconomical spending ? Reducing the size of governement will than in turn help eliminate inefficiencies that result in deficit spending 7. Believe In The People ? Guaranteed freedoms for the American people will cause then to thrive and grow in a democratic, capitalist enviroment which allows individuals to achieve and go after achievements 8. Maintain Local Independance ? The strength of the Tea Party movement is the ability of citizens at the local level to establish their own platforms ? Belief that each citizen’s voice should be heard

Combat Operations Success - 1438 Words

During combat operations, success can take on many definitions. Seizing the objective, destroying the enemy or defending the hill are all examples of military operations that are assigned a task and purpose that must be completed. Within each task could lay hidden problems that must be identified and mitigated to facilitate mission accomplishment. Should a problem be misinterpreted or ignored, mission failure coupled with unwarranted friendly casualties will be the inevitable outcome. Of the six lessons in the C100 block of instruction, I consider the discussion on critical reasoning and problem solving to be the most career shaping discussion. As a field grade staff officer, I believe that one of the fundamental components to†¦show more content†¦It is in these situations where the ability to think unconventionally will be of the greatest value to mission success. Consider the following discussion in Field Manual 5.0: Creative or innovative thinking is the kind of thinking that leads to new insights, novel approaches, fresh perspectives, and whole new ways of understanding and conceiving things. Creative thinking in not a mysterious gift, nor does it have to be outlandish. It is not reserved for senior officers; all leaders should think creatively.2 The plausible argument may arise that creative thinking wastes time and resources and the fastest proven solution is to complete the task the way it was successfully done in the past. However, if the situation changes and time is available to re-evaluate the plan, the leader should seize this opportunity. By doing so, the leader improves the probability of success creating an environment where the initiative is maintained and the weaknesses of the enemy are exploited. 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