Who or what caused Russia’s wartime problems? Nicholas II? The tsarist system? Inevitable problems of a long war?

Problems caused by Nicholas II Nicholas II made himself C-in-C of the Army even though he had no military experience Left Petrograd* for the Eastern Front leaving the Tsarina, Rasputin and chosen advisors ruled Russia while he was absent Rejected the Progressive Bloc’s plea for a proper representative government in 1915

Problems of the tsarist system 1.Backward railway system 2.Under-developed industries 3.Poor country with low government income from taxes 4.Tsars hadn’t allowed democracy to develop 1.In war-time, this led to shortages of food 2.In war-time, could not make war supplies as well as consumer essentials 3.In wartime, had to borrow money and also print money 4.In wartime, there were few talented people to run the war effort

Problems of a long war No country was ready for a long war Became a war of attrition on all war fronts Russia had to hold the Eastern Front alone against Austria-Hungary and Germany 15 million soldiers had to be supplied at the expense of feeding civilians High food prices -> people unable to afford goods->factories closing->high unemployment - > unrest->strikes = a problem of war