Question

Which of the following statements is/are incorrect with reference to the events leading up to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II?

• A. The Tsar ordered a declaration of martial law, but there was nobody to broadcast his order.
• B. The Tsar tried to return to Petrograd due to the riots, but railway workers stopped his train.
• C. The military was not available to control the mutinies that broke out in the barracks.
• D. Heeding the advice of his generals, the Tsar allowed Lenin to take over the throne.

Answer 1

Answer: (C), (D)

Heeding the advice of his generals, the Tsar allowed Lenin to take over the throne.

On 23 February, 1917, the socialists celebrated International Working Women’s Day and the women textile workers went on strike due to the bread shortages. They marched through the factory areas of Petrograd, shouting 'Bread for Workers'. Due to their efforts, around 400,000 workers joined the movement the next day. The government could not effectively use the military, as mutinies broke out in the barracks. The Tsar ordered a declaration of martial law but there was nobody to broadcast his order. The Tsar then tried to return to Petrograd but railway workers stopped his train. The generals and leaders in Petrograd advised the Tsar to abdicate. Heeding their advice, on 15 March, Nicholas II formally stepped down.