Russia 1894-1941 Chapter 3: 3-Growth of opposition upto formation of progressive bloc-1

The war encouraged the development of opposition to the tsar and his government

By the 1916, the russian people's patriotism remained intact but, sections of the population view had developed that the tsar was an incompetent military and political leader and unable to provide the nation with the inspiration they needed to get through such a difficult time. It is very significant that the first moves made in the feb revolution in 1917, which led to the fall of tsardom, were not made by revolutionary groups.....

It was actually made by those members of the russian society who were the biggest supporters of the tsar, when the outbreak of the war was announced, but by the winter of 1916, had enough of the tsar's incomptence to actually wish to save him or his government.

In August 1914, the duma showed it's full support for the tsar by actually voting for its own suspension during the war. However, within a year due to the poor performance of the military led to the duma demanding its own recall. Nichols under the pressure, allowed this and it reassembled in July 1915.

The major political mistake the tsar and his ministers was, them refusing to co-operate with the non-govermental organisations such as the Union of Zemstvovs and the Union of Municipal Councils, who at the start of the war were willing to work ith the government in the national war effort.

These organisations then led to making a joint organisation, Zemgor. The sucess of the organistaion actually showed the governments failures and and emphasised there could be an alternative to tsardom.

The tsar also dissmissed the dumas's appeal to him to replace his incapable cabinet with a 'ministry of national confidence,' whoses members would be elected from the duma. Nichloas rejected this idea and destroyed his last opportunity of retaining the support of politically progressive parties.

Paul Milyukov- Kadet leader, complained that the tsar and his advisers had 'brushed thehand that was offered them.'

Denied a direct vote of national policy, 236 of the 422 duma members decdied to form the 'Progressive Bloc.' made up of Kadets, Octobrists and Progressists. The SRs did not formally join but were apart of duma resolutions that critcised the goverments' handling of the war.

One of the bloc's leadind member- Vasily Shulgin, pointed out that the tsar was short-sighted in seeing the bloc as a enemy and not a friend. He felt the purpose of the bloc was to prevent revolution by enabling the government to finish the war.

The government and the tsar had become truly incapable of running the war, the bloc which was once a supporter had know became a form of political resistance due to the governments behaviour towards them.

• It decided to continue to shuffle its ministers in the hope of finding a sucessful team.

• Between 1915-16, there were four prime ministers, three foreign secretaries, three ministers of defence and six interior ministers .

• None of these teams were successful. 

• A bristish ambassador in Petrograd at the time felt the chracters of the tsars wartime ministers could be defined by his description of one of the prime ministers at the time, Borris Sturmer, that they only possesed a secomd class mind (stupid), had no experience for the role they were in and his appointment was owned to the fact he was a friend of Rasputin.