The making of modern Russia, 1855–1991 - 3 The end of the Romanovs and the…

The idea

This topic examines how military defeat and civilian suffering in 1916–17 undermined the Tsarist regime, the murder of Rasputin as a symptom of court dysfunction, the February Revolution's causes, events and significance, the fall of Tsardom, and the Provisional Government's troubled relationship with the Petrograd Soviet. Defeats at the front, food shortages and inflation eroded loyalty. Rasputin's murder exposed elite conspiracy. In February 1917, strikes and protests in Petrograd, army mutiny and Duma pressure forced Nicholas II's abdication. The Provisional Government and Petrograd Soviet then competed for authority, creating dual power.

What earns the marks

• Explains how military failures and the massive casualties of the 1916 Brusilov Offensive (a costly advance, not a defeat) alongside actual defeats drained morale and intensified discontent among soldiers and civilians.
• Analyses the impact of food shortages, inflation and transport breakdown in Petrograd, linking economic suffering to protest.
• Assesses the murder of Rasputin as evidence of elite loss of confidence in the Tsarina and the autocracy, not merely a personal scandal.
• Narrates the February Revolution's events: International Women's Day strikes, the Volynsky Regiment mutiny, the Duma's Provisional Committee and the Tsar's abdication.
• Evaluates the significance of February 1917: the end of the Romanov dynasty and the creation of dual power between the Provisional Government and the Petrograd Soviet.
• Examines the Provisional Government's early reforms and its decision to continue the war, and how this shaped relations with the Soviet.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Treating Rasputin's murder as the main cause of the February Revolution.

  Put it right: It should be presented as a symptom of elite disaffection that weakened the regime's authority.

• Assuming the February Revolution was a single organised event.

  Put it right: It should be described as a spontaneous protest that escalated through military mutiny and political action.

• Confusing the Provisional Government with the Petrograd Soviet.

  Put it right: The former was a self-appointed body of Duma politicians, while the latter represented workers and soldiers and issued Order No. 1.

• Overlooking the impact of defeat and suffering in 1916–17.

  Put it right: These must be integrated as underlying pressures, not treated as separate from political collapse.

Exam tips

• Use precise dates and names, such as 23 February 1917 (International Women's Day) and the Volynsky Regiment, to support causal arguments.
• When discussing dual power, explain the competing authorities and give an example of their conflict, such as the Soviet's Order No. 1 versus the Provisional Government's continuation of the war.