question_answer

  Highlight the social and political conditions that led to Russian Revolution? Or Explain any five problems faced by the Weimar Republic in Germany.

Answer:

  The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolution in Russia in 1917. The Emperor was forced to abdicate and the old regime was replaced by a provisional government during the first revolution of February, 1917.In the second revolution, during October, the provisional Government was removed and replaced with a Bolshevik Government. The main circumstance which were responsible for the Russian Revolution are (i) Russia's own industries were few in numbers and the industrial workers were exploited extremely. (ii) In Russia 85 per cent of people were agriculturists. The king, nobles and church owned large landed properties. Like the industrial workers, peasants also lived in miserable conditions. (iii) Russia had an autocracy. Tsar Nicholas II was a deeply conservative ruler and maintained a strict authoritarian system. He cared little for the general people. He dragged the Russian into the First World War. (iv) Kari Marx's theory of Communism appealed to the people. He said that workers had to overthrow capitalism and the rule of capitalists by the revolution. (v) The popularity of Bolshevik party increased steadily under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin. The Bolsheviks had formed committees and Soviets and created conditions which eventually led to the Russian Revolution.                                                                                                                                                                                               (5) Or The problems faced by the Weimar Republic in Germany were (i) The Weimar Republic had to sign the humiliating Treaty of Versailles. (ii) This Republic carried the burden of war guilt and was financially crippled by being forced to pay compensation. (iii) Hyperinflation made the German Mark valueless and caused immense hardship for the common man. This economic crisis led to widespread inflation, misery and despair. (iv) In the Weimar Republic, both the communists and socialists became irreconcilable enemies and could not make common cause against Hitler. (v) Both revolutionaries and militant nationalists craved for radical solutions, which was not easy. Within its short life, the Weimar Republic saw twenty different cabinets and the liberal use of Article 48. All these created apolitical crisis in Germany. (vi) It became very unpopular among the German, because it lost the pride of the nation in the hands of Allied powers.                                                                                                                                                                (5)