Describe briefly the political, social and …

Social Conditions: The Russian Society was divided into two classes before the Revolution. They were the rich and the poor. The nobles, feudal lords and the rich belonged to the rich class. The peasants, labourers and serfs belonged to the poor class. The vast majority of Russia’s people were agriculturists. About 85 per cent of the Russian empire’s population earned their living from agriculture. However, most of the peasants only cultivated the land. The land mainly belonged to the Church and the nobility. In Russia, peasants wanted the lands of the noble to be given to them. They frequently refused to pay land rent.

Political Conditions: Russia was a monarchy which was ruled by Czar Nicholas II. People had no freedom and could not form any political parties.

Economic Conditions: The First World War had a disastrous impact on the economy of Russia. While retreating from various battlefields, the Russian army destroyed crops and buildings in the country to prevent the enemy from using them as resources. The destruction of crops and buildings added over 3 million refugees in Russia. People in Russia began to question their country’s participation in the war. Industrial production declined in Russia as able-bodied men were sent to the warfront to fight in the First World War.