The Romanov Dynasty reigned in Russia from 1613 until its fall in 1917. It was the last imperial dynasty to rule Russia. The fall was prompted by the February Revolution of 1917 which lead to abdication of Tsar Nicholas II. The fall of the Romanov Dynasty was precipitated by a number of changes in Russia, specifically changing attitudes towards the autocratic power held by the Tsar and a shift in the way many Russians viewed the Tsar himself. Many of these changes were caused by the advancement of Russia in terms of industry and the fact that Industrialisation had finally reached Russia. World War I also preceded the dynasty 's collapse, thus contributing to these changes in Russian society. The causes of the fall of the Romanov Dynasty are
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Politically changes in attitudes threatened the autocratic rule of Tsar, many had heard of democracy and civil liberties from their appearances in Western Europe, thus leading to the formation of several political parties with various anti-autocratic ideologies, including the Socialist Democratic Party (of which a faction later become the Bolsheviks (Source B). The Bolsheviks in particular played a big role in the revolution and Russia society in the early 20th century, with ideology rooted in socialism and the belief that revolution was the only way to overthrow the tsarist rule, the Bolsheviks spent much of the years prior to the Tsars abdication working to undermine his rule. It is these changes which many historians attribute to reasons for the fall of the dynasty, suggesting that Russian political attitudes were no longer compatible with an autocratic political …show more content…
On Sunday January 9th in 1905, thousands of disgruntled but unarmed workers took to the streets of St. Petersburg, led by Father Georgii Gapon,(see source D) to present a petition to the Tsar asking for reform of working condition, living standards etc. Unfortunately, as they reached the Winter Palace instead of being greeted as subject of the Russian Empire, they were fired upon by the imperial guard leading to thousands of causalities including that of women and children. Aleksandra Kollantai described the events as such “at first I was children who were hit [by rifle fire] and dragged down from the trees… We heard the clatter of hooves. The Cossacks rode right into the crowd and slashed with their sabres like madmen. A terrible confusion rose.”(Source E). The awful events of this day marked a change in Russian attitudes, previously the Russian people had view their Tsar as the ‘little father’ a protector of Russia however now he was seen as ‘Bloody Nicholas’ the man who’s institutionalised brutality and incompetency be it directly or indirectly to the deaths of thousands of innocents, it was this shift in attitudes that gave way to anti-tsarist propaganda from the Bolsheviks and a revitalised interest by the Russian people in changing the way Russia was
Politically changes in attitudes threatened the autocratic rule of Tsar, many had heard of democracy and civil liberties from their appearances in Western Europe, thus leading to the formation of several political parties with various anti-autocratic ideologies, including the Socialist Democratic Party (of which a faction later become the Bolsheviks (Source B). The Bolsheviks in particular played a big role in the revolution and Russia society in the early 20th century, with ideology rooted in socialism and the belief that revolution was the only way to overthrow the tsarist rule, the Bolsheviks spent much of the years prior to the Tsars abdication working to undermine his rule. It is these changes which many historians attribute to reasons for the fall of the dynasty, suggesting that Russian political attitudes were no longer compatible with an autocratic political …show more content…
On Sunday January 9th in 1905, thousands of disgruntled but unarmed workers took to the streets of St. Petersburg, led by Father Georgii Gapon,(see source D) to present a petition to the Tsar asking for reform of working condition, living standards etc. Unfortunately, as they reached the Winter Palace instead of being greeted as subject of the Russian Empire, they were fired upon by the imperial guard leading to thousands of causalities including that of women and children. Aleksandra Kollantai described the events as such “at first I was children who were hit [by rifle fire] and dragged down from the trees… We heard the clatter of hooves. The Cossacks rode right into the crowd and slashed with their sabres like madmen. A terrible confusion rose.”(Source E). The awful events of this day marked a change in Russian attitudes, previously the Russian people had view their Tsar as the ‘little father’ a protector of Russia however now he was seen as ‘Bloody Nicholas’ the man who’s institutionalised brutality and incompetency be it directly or indirectly to the deaths of thousands of innocents, it was this shift in attitudes that gave way to anti-tsarist propaganda from the Bolsheviks and a revitalised interest by the Russian people in changing the way Russia was