Russian Revolution

The Russian Revolution was directly related to the growing tensions of World War I. The great problem was leadership. Under construction resulting from the revolution of 1905, the tsar had retained complete control over the bureaucracy and the army. Legislation proposed by the Duma, which was weighted in favor of the wealthy and conservative classes, was subject to the tsar’s veto. Nicholas II and the Duma battle out the balance of power and what would be the best for Russia. Meanwhile, food shortages in the cities worsened, and morale died among the Russian people.
The March Revolution was the result of an unplanned uprising of hungry, angry people in the country. The provisional government quickly established equality before the law, freedom of religion, speech, and assembly, the right of unions to organize and strike, and the rest of the classic liberal program. Yet both liberal and moderate socialist leaders of the provisional government rejected social revolution. Alexander Kerensky, who became prime minister in July, refused to confiscate large landholdings and give them to peasants. For the patriotic Kerensky, the continuation of war was still the all-important national duty. Human suffering and war-weariness grew, sapping the limited strength of the provisional government. The provisional government had to share power with the Petrograd Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies. Seeing itself as the true revolution democracy, they watched the provisional government and issued its own radical orders, further weakening the provisional government. The reform that had the most impact was the Army Order No. 1, which was issued to all Russian military forces and the provisional government was forming. Army Order No. 1 stripped officers of their authority and placed power in the hands of elected committees of common soldiers. All across the country, liberty was turning into anarchy in the summer of 1917.
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a young priest of socialism...