Question by : Why wasnt the army behind Tsar Nicholas II during the 1917 revolution?
I know why the army was behind him in 1905, but im confused witth the cause of them not being behind him in 1917, please help 🙂
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Answer by JosF
The army had had enough, much more than enough of being canon fodder. Not just the rank-and-file. Also the lower and medium ranking officers, up to and including quite a few generals.
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david says
In 1914 WW I began and Russia entered the war. From the beginning it was a disaster. The army was large, but poorly organized, never enough supplies, not enough guns, and very poorly trained. The Germans although smaller in numbers were far better trained and much better armed and had the advantage of fighting near their border.
Also the Russians were also victims of German chemical attacks( some believe before their use in the West) and unlike the Allies they suffered heavy casualties and never learned how to protect themselves.
But worst of all was the dismal leadership. Nicholas insisted in being in charge of the army, despite having no military training or experience. His generals could not tell him anything. So the troops are wet, muddy and freezing to death, while also being gassed and shot by the Germans, never enough food, low on ammo, and losing battle after battle. Morale was rock bottom. At home, the economy was shot, people were starving. That’s it, they had it. Because of his incompetence, and his stubborn, bullheaded refusal to listen to anyone(after all I was appointed by God to be your King, there fore I am infallible) he manged to get himself and the whole royal family killed.
Emily says
By the Russian Revolution many people were starving to death, including the army, because there was hardly any food in Russia. The Russian people were led to believe that the Romanovs were eating just as well as before when there wasn’t any famine in the country. The Bolsheviks had ideals that were more pleasing to the Roman people.