Why was the tsar /nicholas 2 overthrown?
The Tsar was overthrown for several reasons: The October Manifesto and State Duma had legitimised political parties in the country. But, because of the previous ban and the harsh conditions during Russia’s first push towards industrialisation, the extremist parties had become enormously popular. Notably, the Socialist Revolutionaries and the Menshevik wing of the Russian Social and Democratic Labour Party Centrist parties – like the Kadets, were popular among the middle classes, but the extremist parties had huge support. Closing the first Duma and emasculating it only pushed more people towards the extremes. This, coupled with the spontaneous formation of soviets (councils) across the country eroded the Tsar’s political legitimacy. The industrialisation policies, begun in the 1880s, had led to millions living and working in huge factories and mines – often sleeping in dormitories, earning very poor wages – they were ripe for extreme politics. The conditions got worse under the second
