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Example research essay topic: World War One Provisional Government - 1,954 words

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Compare the factors that contributed to the downfall of the Czarist Regime with those of the provisional government. Russia had gone through two revolutions in 1917, one in October and the other in February. These two revolutions had separately overthrown the Czarist Regime and the provisional government in the same year. Therefore it is not hard to find certain similarities in both the internal and external factors that contributed to the downfall of the Czarist Regime with those of the provisional government.

The entering and continuation of the World War One had contributed greatly as an external factor to the downfall of both governments. Internally, the land problem, famine and economic problems had contributed to their downfall. However it is notable that the provisional government had started out with much more support than the Czarist Regime. The autocratic rule of the Czar had been a major factor that was absent in leading to the downfall of the provisional government. Internally, by 1917 both the Czarist Regime and the provisional government faced similar problems.

These internal problems had contributed to the overthrown of both governments. The two governments failed to tackle the land problem in Russia and had led to much opposition from the peasants. Even though the Czar had cancelled out the mortgage repayments, the land reforms carried out by Stolypin did not help improve the situation of the peasants. Stolypin's reform was not well supported by the Czar and the nobles. Even though land bank was established, agriculture remained backward, there was still land shortage and the peasants remained poor. After the overthrown of the Czarist regime, the provisional government too inherited the land problem.

Many peasants believed that they would benefit from a major land redistribution following a government take over of the landowners estates. However such a thing did not happen and there was no real answer to the land problem. Both governments lacked an adequate policy to soothe the land problems in Russia. The continuous sufferings of the peasants had caused many of them went to join and support the revolution against the government. The social revolutionaries grew in number and had put in effort in overthrowing the Czar. While in the rule of the provisional government, the Bolsheviks adaptation of the social revolutionaries catchphrase Land to Peasants had helped them to get a more support from the peasants.

The provisional government was seen as a bourgeois regime which lacked the sincerity for a land reform that would threaten their own position. As a result, both governments failure in tackling the land problem had led the peasants to join the revolutionary forces and lessen the support for the government. Therefore the inadequacy to solve the land problem in Russia had become a common factor that contributed to the fall of the Czarist Regime and the provisional government. The internal problems faced by the Czar after 1905 revolution had been much more extensive than the provisional government.

Such problems had also been a factor that contributed to the downfall of the Czarist government. After the revolution, the Czar had carried out several reforms to please the different classes. However such reforms were not a success due to the Czars autocratic nature. Knowing that giving concessions were unpreventable, the Czar issued the October Manifesto creating a legislative duma. A range of civil rights had also been introduced such as the freedom of speech, assembly and worship. At first the liberals regarded it as a success but there high hopes were soon dashed.

The duma was not as liberal as it seemed for no law could came into being without the Czars approval. Many liberals were greatly disappointed, for they hoped for an elective parliament with political power. The Kadets and Labour ist had assembled at Vyborg to draw up an Appeal urging people of Russia to defy the government by refusing to pay taxes and disobeying the conscription order. Furthermore, the duma had been dissolved by the Czar when the assembly was dominated by the social democrats and the social revolutionaries in 1907. This was done so by the Czar because he viewed the assembly as a strongly anti-government one.

It was also notable that the duma did not have true political power. The duma only had power over issues such as education, welfare and the construction of roads. As a result, some liberals turned to join the revolutionaries and help overthrowing the government. Others like the October ist frequently demanded for the changes in the government and no longer supported the government wholeheartedly. Furthermore, the Czarist government had no reforms specifically to meet the needs of the workers. The workers still suffering from poor working conditions and long working hours joined the social revolutionaries adding as the third revolutionary force.

Thus the Czars incompetence in meeting the demands of the liberals and the workers faced extensive opposition. Opposition did not only come from the liberals, peasants and the workers but also from the nobles. The monk Rasputin was well favoured by Nicholas II. Rasputin had a bad reputation and was hated by the imperial court. However when Nicholas II went away to fight in the World War One, he let Rasputin and his wife to be in charge of the government. Such an act had angered the nobles for they could not agree to have the government to fall under the sway of a mad monk and a German woman.

As a result, even the nobles who were the main pillar of Czardom failed to support the Czar. Such extensive opposition was absent in the days of the provisional government. The atmosphere was less hostile at first when compared to the days under the rule of the Czar. There was a genuine feeling among all political groups that Russia had entered a period of real freedom. There was a general acceptance that new liberty had come with the collapse of Czardom. Furthermore the measures carried out by the provisional government after the overthrown of Czardom was largely liberal.

Political prisoners were released, full civil and religions freedom was granted. There was also the recognition of trade unions and the introduction of an eight hour day for industrial workers. The provisional government was not hated by its people as the Czarist Regime was. However the provisional government had not been able to touch on the critical issue of land as the Czarist Regime had and thus led to its downfall.

Despite facing less opposition from his people, the provisional government suffered from a lack of military power. The provisional government was led by Prince Lov as actually the old duma in a new form. The new government was carried under a dual authority, the old duma and the Petrograd Soviet. Military affairs were binding only if they were approved by the Petrograd Soviet. As a result the provisional government did not hold real military power. Without such power, the government did not have real power to control his people.

Therefore when Kornilov tried to set up dictatorship in Russia, the provisional government did not have power to stop him. Instead, it had to call all loyal citizens to take up arms to defend the city. This gave a chance for the Bolsheviks to collect weapons for future revolutionary use. Furthermore the military revolutionary committee set up to organize the defense of Petrograd was controlled by Trotsky to seized vantage points in Petrograd to overthrow the government. Without true military power, the provisional government had no power to suppress revolution.

Thus it was easily overthrown. Externally, both governments had quickened their downfall by entering into the World War One. The entering of World War One proved to be a critical event that could further intensify the internal problems in Russia. Originally, Czar Nicholas II entered the World War One to hoping to increase prestige and gain support. However it only showed the incompetence of the government and decreased the popularity of the government. Originally Russia had achieved remarkable financial stability by 1914, but it was destroyed by the entering of World War One.

In order to have enough capital for the war effort, taxation was increased; the gold standard was also abandoned to allow the government to put more notes into circulation. However this caused inflation making the price of food and fuel to quadruple. With already not enough money to buy food, most of the food supplies were given to the soldiers first. Therefore cities living away from food producing areas suffered form severe famine. To worsen the situation, the signaling system of the trains collapsed.

Thus the food supplies traveled much slower than expected and caused many of it to rot. The entering of the World War One at first did produce a prevailing mood in Russia however as the war carried on the atmosphere died down. The poor administration and liaison between government departments responsible for supplies caused the morale to deaden. Even the soldiers became the victims of the poor distribution of resources. Without much victory, the morale decreased greatly and had also led to a growth of opposition to Czardom.

World War one had showed that the Czar was an inept political and military leader and many were too wearied by his incompetence to save him. Thus the February Revolution took place and overthrew the Czar. The provisional government laid the ground works of its own downfall the moment it decided to continue fighting the War. It was true that the government did not have much choice but to continue the fight. Czardom had indeed left Russia virtually bankrupt, if the provisional government did not continue the war, it would not receive large injections of capital from the foreign bankers. Yet the continuation of war also signified the continuation of previous sufferings the strain imposed on the provisional government was proved unsustainable.

Being preoccupied with the war, the provisional government did not have time to deal with Russias social and economic problem. When Lenin promised Peace, Bread and Land, he showed that he was capable in dealing with the problems (continuation of war, food shortage and land redistribution) in which the provisional government failed. Thus the Bolsheviks gained much more support than the government and finally succeeded in overthrowing it. Since both the Czarist Regime and the provisional government were overthrown at the same year, the situation and problems they faced was quite similar. Therefore the factors that led to the downfall of the two governments were quite similar.

Both governments quickened their downfall by fighting the World War One. They also faced the similar internal problems such as the land problem and food shortages. It was also notable that they too were challenged by revolutionary groups. However the Czarist Regime was overthrown also due to the Czars firm autocratic belief. If Nicholas II was willing to share his power with the duma, there would be a less opposition from the liberals.

Though the provisional government was liberal, its absent of real military power had been a fatal factor letting it not to have the force to suppress revolution. It was also worth acknowledging that the provisional government started out well with different political groups cooperating peacefully. There was much less tension when compared to the duma in the Czarist Regime. However inheriting the problems left by the Czarist government, the provisional government proved too inadequate to deal with it. Still unable to solve the internal factors that had led to the downfall of the Czarist Regime, the provisional government continued to fight in World War one thus too make the same mistake as the Czarist Regime had. Without autocratic rule and without real military power, the provisional government proved to be easier to be overthrown than Czardom.


Free research essays on topics related to: world war one, nicholas ii, internal problems, provisional government, military power

Research essay sample on World War One Provisional Government

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