Why Russians Turned Against Nicholas II in 1917

The February 1917 uprising that forced Nicholas II’s abdication stemmed from deep-seated anger at his autocratic rule. Key grievances included:

• Refusal to share power: Nicholas dissolved Dumas, ignored ministers, and ruled by decree, leaving no legal outlet for dissent.
• Military disasters: His personal command of the army in WWI led to catastrophic defeats, massive casualties, and supply collapses.
• Economic misery: Wartime inflation, food shortages, and transport breakdowns hit urban workers and soldiers’ families hardest.
• Rasputin’s influence: The mystic’s sway over the tsarina symbolized court corruption and incompetence.
• Political repression: Secret police, censorship, and exile of opponents stifled reformist voices.

These factors fused into a broad coalition—workers, soldiers, liberals, socialists—that demanded change, ending three centuries of Romanov rule.