A Revolution Brewing
Trench warfare, 1914, britannica.com
The Russian Revolution was caused mainly by World War One. This is because the war was draining Russia’s money and resources. Workers were overworked and underpaid. Russian soldiers were demoralized and fed up with the poor conditions they were in. Matters were made worse because of Tsar Nicholas the Second’s terrible reign.
"This is the guarantee that the European War will be followed by the proletarian revolution against capitalism."
-V. Lenin
Tsar Nicholas II was an unprepared ruler, which contributed to his lack of success. His father died early, so Tsar Nicholas didn’t have the training or the experience to become a good leader. He neglected the workforce and paid no attention to the poor living conditions of his people.
Tsar Nicholas II, 1912, Wikipedia.org
Vladimir Lenin, 1920, Wikipedia.org
Vladimir Lenin’s background was an influential part of the Revolution and how he saw the world.
His older brother, Alexander, was executed because he was part of an attack on Tsar Alexander III. This made Lenin very angry at the Tsarist government and he and his mother turned toward a Marxist philosophy. As time went on, he took part in student protests and was arrested many times. Eventually, he was exiled out of Russia into surrounding European countries.