The end of Romanov rule, 1906–17 — Edexcel A-Level History
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The end of Romanov rule, 1906–17 explained
The end of Romanov rule, 1906–17 covers 4 specification points, including The Fundamental Law; the radicalism of the… and Stolypin’s repression and the restoration of….
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Open a point below for its explanation and revision guidance.
Change and continuity in government: the Fundamental Law; the radicalism of the first two dumas; Nicholas II’s relations with the dumas, 1906–14; the nature of Tsarist government and royal power in 1914.
The Fundamental Law of 1906 preserved autocracy while creating a legislature. It declared the Tsar’s supreme power and gave him control of ministers, the army and foreign policy. The Duma could debate and approve budgets, but the Tsar could dissolve it and rule by decree under Article 87. The first two Dumas, elected in 1906 and 1907, were radical: they demanded land reform, civil liberties and ministerial responsibility. The First Duma was dissolved after two months; the Second after three. Nicholas II distrusted the Duma, preferring loyal advisers. By 1914, royal power remained dominant: the Tsar appointed and dismissed ministers, controlled the army and foreign policy, and could change electoral laws. The Duma was a consultative body, not a parliament controlling the government. Continuity outweighed change.
Repression and reform, 1906–14: Stolypin’s repression and the restoration of stability; actions against revolutionary parties; reform of agricultural landholdings and emigration to Siberia; the Lena goldfields massacre 1912.
Stolypin combined repression with reform to restore stability after 1905. Repression included courts-martial, executions and exile, weakening revolutionary parties. The SRs and Bolsheviks were infiltrated, arrested and driven underground. Reform focused on agriculture: the 1906 decree allowed peasants to leave the commune and consolidate land into private farms. A Peasant Land Bank helped buy land, and emigration to Siberia was encouraged with cheap land and loans. These measures aimed to create a loyal, prosperous peasantry. However, reform was uneven and many peasants remained poor. In 1912, troops shot striking workers at the Lena goldfields, killing hundreds. The massacre damaged the government’s reputation and sparked protests, showing that stability was fragile.
The impact of the First World War: the state of the armed forces in 1914; economic problems including inflation and supplies for cities. The roles of Nicholas, Alexandra and Rasputin; the Progressive Bloc and Zemgor.
In 1914 Russia's armed forces were vast but poorly equipped; defeats and the scale of mobilisation exposed shortages. The war caused severe economic problems, including inflation as the rouble lost value and government spending rose. Cities faced food and fuel supply crises because transport and manpower were diverted. Nicholas II took personal command, leaving Alexandra to govern; her reliance on Rasputin discredited the autocracy. The Progressive Bloc demanded a government of public confidence, and Zemgor coordinated voluntary war relief, but both were sidelined. These pressures eroded support for the tsar by 1917.
The February Revolution: growth of unrest in towns and countryside; International Women’s Day and the Petrograd general strike; the creation of the Provisional Committee and the Petrograd Soviet; the abdication of Nicholas II.
By early 1917 unrest grew in towns over bread and fuel shortages, and in the countryside over land and conscription. On International Women's Day, 23 February, women textile workers in Petrograd struck and marched, sparking a general strike joined by men from the Putilov works. Troops refused to fire on protesters, mutinied and joined them. The Duma formed a Provisional Committee, while workers and soldiers created the Petrograd Soviet. Facing loss of all support, Nicholas II abdicated on 2 March, ending Romanov rule.
Your focus
- Explain how the Fundamental Law of 1906 preserved autocracy while creating a legislature.
- Analyse the radicalism of the first two Dumas and the reasons for their dissolution.
- Evaluate the extent to which Tsarist government and royal power remained unchanged by 1914.
Show all 12 objectives
- Explain how Stolypin’s repression restored stability and weakened revolutionary parties.
- Analyse the aims and effects of agricultural reform and emigration to Siberia.
- Evaluate the significance of the Lena goldfields massacre 1912 for Tsarist stability.
- Describe the state of the Russian armed forces in 1914 and the economic problems caused by the First World War.
- Explain the roles of Nicholas II, Alexandra and Rasputin in the political crisis.
- Evaluate the significance of the Progressive Bloc and Zemgor in the collapse of Romanov rule.
- Describe the growth of unrest in towns and countryside before February 1917.
- Explain the events of International Women's Day and the Petrograd general strike.
- Analyse the creation of the Provisional Committee and Petrograd Soviet and the abdication of Nicholas II.
The end of Romanov rule, 1906–17 exam tips
Marking Points
- Explains that the Fundamental Law of 1906 retained autocracy by declaring the Tsar’s supreme power and control over ministers, the army and foreign policy.
- Describes the radicalism of the first two Dumas: demands for land reform, civil liberties and ministerial responsibility, and their rapid dissolution.
- Analyses Nicholas II’s relations with the Dumas, 1906–14: distrust, reliance on loyal ministers, and use of Article 87 and dissolution.
- Assesses the nature of Tsarist government and royal power in 1914: the Tsar remained dominant, the Duma was consultative, and continuity outweighed change.
- Explains Stolypin’s repression: courts-martial, executions, exile, and actions against revolutionary parties such as the SRs and Bolsheviks.
- Describes agricultural reform: the 1906 decree allowing peasants to leave the commune, consolidate land, and use the Peasant Land Bank.
- Analyses emigration to Siberia as a safety valve, with incentives such as cheap land and loans, and its limited success.
- Assesses the impact of the Lena goldfields massacre 1912: troops fired on striking workers, causing many deaths and renewed unrest.
- Explains that the Russian armed forces in 1914 were large but lacked modern equipment, with shortages of rifles, shells and boots.
- Describes how wartime economic problems, particularly inflation, reduced the value of the rouble and raised prices, causing hardship for urban workers.
- Analyses how the diversion of transport and manpower to the front disrupted food and fuel supplies to cities such as Petrograd and Moscow.
- Assesses the political impact of Nicholas II's decision to take personal command of the army and Alexandra's reliance on Rasputin.
- Evaluates the aims and limited achievements of the Progressive Bloc and Zemgor in challenging or supporting the tsarist regime.
- Explains how food and fuel shortages in towns and rural discontent over land and conscription created a revolutionary situation by early 1917.
- Describes the events of International Women's Day, including the strike by women textile workers and the spread to a general strike in Petrograd.
- Analyses the significance of the mutiny of Petrograd garrison troops and their support for the protesters.
- Compares the creation and aims of the Provisional Committee of the Duma with the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies.
- Assesses the reasons for and consequences of Nicholas II's abdication on 2 March 1917.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Use precise dates: Fundamental Law 1906, First Duma 1906, Second Duma 1907, and the 1914 context.
- 💡Support arguments with specific examples, such as the Fundamental Law’s articles or the dissolution of the Dumas.
- 💡Address both change and continuity, and reach a clear judgement about the balance by 1914.
- 💡Link repression and reform to the aim of restoring stability, and assess how far each succeeded.
- 💡Use specific details: the 1906 decree, the Peasant Land Bank, and the 1912 Lena goldfields.
- 💡Consider the limits of reform, such as peasant poverty and continued unrest, to reach a balanced judgement.
- 💡Link each economic problem to a political consequence, such as strikes or loss of elite support.
- 💡Use specific examples like the shell shortage of 1915 or the Petrograd bread queues to support analysis.
- 💡Compare the roles of Nicholas, Alexandra and Rasputin to show how autocratic decision-making worsened the crisis.
- 💡Use precise dates, such as 23 February for International Women's Day and 2 March for the abdication.
- 💡Explain the dual power situation by contrasting the Provisional Committee and the Petrograd Soviet.
- 💡Show how the mutiny of troops was a turning point that made the regime's collapse irreversible.
Common Mistakes
- Error: claiming the Fundamental Law created a sovereign parliament. Correction: it preserved autocracy; the Duma could not control ministers or the Tsar.
- Error: stating the first two Dumas were conservative. Correction: they were radical, demanding land reform and civil liberties.
- Error: saying Nicholas II worked closely with the Dumas. Correction: he distrusted them, dissolved them quickly and ruled by decree when possible.
- Error: saying Stolypin only used reform. Correction: he used both repression and reform to restore stability.
- Error: claiming agricultural reform fully solved the land problem. Correction: reform was uneven; many peasants remained poor and land hunger persisted.
- Error: confusing the Lena goldfields massacre with Bloody Sunday. Correction: the Lena massacre occurred in 1912, not 1905.
- Error: stating that the Russian army was small in 1914. Correction: it was numerically large but poorly equipped and trained.
- Error: claiming inflation affected peasants and urban workers equally because wages lagged behind prices. Correction: most peasants were not wage earners and some benefited from higher grain prices, whereas urban workers were hit hardest by lagging wages.
- Error: saying Rasputin held official government office. Correction: he was a court favourite whose influence was informal and damaging to the tsar's reputation.
- Error: saying the February Revolution was planned by Bolsheviks. Correction: it began spontaneously from bread riots and strikes, though socialists later influenced the Soviet.
- Error: confusing the Provisional Committee with the Petrograd Soviet. Correction: the Committee was formed by Duma politicians, while the Soviet represented workers and soldiers.
- Error: claiming Nicholas abdicated immediately on 23 February. Correction: he abdicated on 2 March after losing army and Duma support.