2. INFLATION Financial stability ruined Factories converted to arms production, other goods became scarce When goods became scarce their price rose Government printed more money which led to severe inflation

3. FOOD SUPPLIES Peasants enlisted into the war effort Farm horses requisitioned into the army Inflation makes trading unprofitable so peasants stops selling Army had the first claim on any food produced Hunger bordering on famine becomes a reality

4. TRANSPORT Railway growth failed to meet the demands of war Railway system collapsed. Stuck trains blocked railway lines Reports of food rotting in stuck trains By 1916 Petrograd and Moscow receiving only 1/3 of their food and fuel requirements

5. PEASANTS Those enlisted in the war suffered the hardships of fighting. They became more radical and revolutionary groups began to find them listening to new political ideas Peasants at home saw that farming was left in the hands of women and the elderly The army seized horses for transporting military equipment Much of the food produced was sent to the army and the price peasants got for it from the government was inadequate

6. URBAN WORKERS Became more radicalised as inflation grabbed hold Shortage of food was not helped by the ‘scorched earth’ policy where large areas of farmland were set alight to prevent food resources falling into the hands of the Germans Wage rises failed to match the increase in prices Strikes and protests took place Industrial workers found themselves more in tune with the revolutionary groups

7. UPPER/MIDDLE CLASS Landowners were hit by the collapse in value of land and severe shortage of farm labourers Industrialists not given contracts to make war goods found the market for their products disappearing Many small businesses were forced into bankruptcy

8. ARMY The crippling weakness of the army was the lack of equipment Very poor management – Rodzyanko, President of the Duma, claimed the strong central leadership the war effort needed was not being provided Any gains made were never enough to justify the appalling casualty list

9. GOVERNMENT The war revealed not only poor government planning but also the political ineptitude of the Tsar. In 1915 the Tsar took over control of the army but was then cut off from information about the situation in Petrograd Alexandra left in control of Russia, she was already unpopular due to her German background Added to the unpopularity by taking advice from Rasputin Rasputin used his influence to get govt positions for his friends – many of the aristocrats were unhappy as they saw their own influence over the Tsar threatened Ministers regularly sacked – the govt was in chaos and the aristocracy were beginning to lose faith in the regime