There
are a number of reasons why the Government collapsed so easily. It was not
really overthrown but it toppled over like a rotten tree, and until
it fell, the people did not realize how decayed it actually was. Its
misconduct of the war, scandals like that of Rasputin, ministers such as
Protopopov discredited and disgraced the dynasty and when the end came, it
had few friends who shed tears.
Another important factor in helping the revolution was the large number
of students and liberals who served in the army. To fill the ranks and to
provide educated men for officers, it was necessary to call on university
students, experts in various fields of engineering, all of whom, more or
less, desired a liberal government. These men worked among the soldiers and
officers with a view to creating a feeling of distrust in the Emperor, and
the Government, and its incompetence and corruption gave plenty of material
for the propagandists. Loyalty to the dynasty was undermined and as soon
as one prop was removed, as soon as one company of soldiers went over, the
others followed and the whole edifice came tumbling down.
Still another factor was the large number of new recruits that were
stationed in the capital; they were as yet not well disciplined, obedience
had not yet become a second nature to them. Many of them had come from the
factories, some of them were personally acquainted with the men and women
who were in the demonstrations and therefore would not fire on them.
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