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The February Revolution 1917
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During World War I, why were most Russians not getting enough food?
1914, in Russia. The country is a great power and one of the largest industrialized countries in the world, but Russia has borrowed a lot of money from abroad and is in debt. The country is also unevenly developed. The western part is more modern than the eastern. In the west are most of the industries, and that is the rich part of the country.
In the east, most people are poor farmers. The average Russian is poor and doesn't get much say, in how their country is run. Russia's ruler, Tsar Nicholas II, has almost all the power. For several years there has been unrest in Russia. Farmers and workers tried to revolt as early as 1905.
It failed, but many people are still talking about rebelling against the Tsar. People are poor and long for democracy. Few Russians seem to like the Tsar. There is a mood of rebellion. In July, Russia enters World War I on the side of France and Britain against Germany and Austria-Hungary.
The Tsar hopes that victory in the war will give Russia glory, unite the people, and put a halt to the unrest. The people initially support the Tsar's decision to enter the war and look forward to a Russian victory. But things don’t go well for Russia. The army is short of weapons. And the Russians lose battle after battle.
Almost all food produced is sent to the soldiers at the front. The price of food left in the cities is high. And in 1916 the harvest is bad. In Russia, people are starving. The Germans occupy the modern western part of Russia, where the industries are located.
This makes the economy even worse. The people think that everything is the Tsar's fault. In the capital, Petrograd, formerly known as St. Petersburg, there is unrest. The city's bakeries have run out of flour, butchers have no meat.
There is a lack of everything. Working women freeze in the bread queues - but have to leave hungry. There is nothing to buy. The situation is hopeless. Together with their husbands, they demand, bread and higher wages.
They start a big demonstration. Several other workers also join. Altogether there are 200,000 people. The women go up to the front and shout: "We want bread, down with the war, we want peace". Soon the protesters steal from shops and market stalls.
The demonstration turns violent. It turns into a riot - that lasts for several days. The Tsar, sends soldiers. He wants the soldiers to shoot the protesters, if they do not immediately stop demonstrating. At first, the soldiers shoot several protesters.
But the soldiers are also tired of the war and they are also starving. Soon, they shoot at the police instead and turn against their own officers. In the end, 80,000 armed soldiers are on the side of the protesters. They hand out weapons to the people. The Russian revolution begins.
The Tsar completely loses control of Russia. Now it’s not only workers and soldiers who are against him. Many policemen, and even businessmen who lose money in the war, are against him. After a week of bloody revolution, Nikolai II steps down - he abdicates. 350 years of tsarist rule are over.