Causes of the Russian Revolution of March 1917 .
The causes of the Russian Revolution of 1917 were a combination of factors: The state of the Russian economy before World War 1 was a major factor. Industry and agriculture were exerting major pressure on the Russian population. The Russian population was also undergoing major social changes. These changes subsequently left the people worse off. Another cause was the political factor and the Tsars belief in his divine right to rule Russia. The way in which the Tsar ruled Russia was a major cause. The Tsar ruled an autocracy in which the Tsar had an absolute rule. This way in which, the Tsar ruled Russia only accentuated the general population and made it an even more volatile situation. When the war begun however the Tsars mistakes seemed to come thick and fast and the people had had enough. .
Before The War .
Economic causes played a major part in the Russian Revolution of 1917. Before the war in Russia the industry was going ahead and developing with huge factories. Between 1906 and 1914, there was an industrial boom in Russia. Between 1905 and 1914, total industrial production increased 100 per cent. Russia became the worlds fourth largest producer of coal, pig iron and steel. Many of the factories were very efficient, using the most up to date mass production methods. By 1914, over two fifths of factory workers were in factory's with over 1000 workers. This made the factories more efficient but it also made it easier to arrange strikes. To try and make agriculture more efficient, Stolypin introduced reforms to encourage the "best elements" amongst the peasantry. Peasants were allowed to buy up strips of land from their less enterprising neighbours to make one single land holding, which they owned individually. Stolypin also set up a peasants bank to provide loans for them to do this. Stolypin hoped he would create a new class of prosperous landowning peasants (KULAKS) who would be loyal to the government.
