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Jess WiblinAssess the values of these sources to a historian studying the reasons for the collapse of the
tsarist regime in February 1917
Source A is a Okhrana report written in 1917, a report written by the secret state police for
the state, which supports the causes of the February Revolution. The source is very useful to
a historian because the Okhrana is less likely to cover up the state of Russia and expose
what is truly taking place in Russia. This would validate the information and allow the
historian to receive an understanding of how Russia was in ‘a verge of despair’ and how this
led to the collapse of the tsarist regime. There is a sense of authenticity to the information as
the Okhrana would have an inside view into the mood and atmosphere of Russia. The
Okhrana would be very prevalent in the major cities such as Petrograd which suggests they
would have first-hand experience. Possibly, as they’re undercover, they could’ve had the
opportunity to speak to the proletariat which would make their reports to the tsar more
substantial. Due to this, the source is valuable to a historian because it shows how even
bodies who worked for the tsar were quite honest when highlighting the issues in society
which were causing unrest amongst the people, of which were never listened to by the tsar.
The period in which this was written is in very close proximity to the February Revolution
which increases its value as tensions were expanding at this point, with many general strikes
taking place, particularly about Russia’s continuation in the war which reinforces the
reasoning behind these ‘hostile feelings’. A historian would be able to take this into
consideration as the Okhrana had noted these tensions escalating. Ultimately, these were
the very tensions that led to the final revolution that led to the collapse in the tsarist regime,
of which the tsar had ignored due to his own incompetence.
The tone of source A presents the idea that the Okhrana were able to foresee the due
events and the report was a warning to the tsar of the unrest stirring in Petrograd, of which
he did not react to in a sensible fashion. The report seems to allude on many occasions to
‘hostile’ feelings; Petrograd having reached fever pitch. Due to this being an Okhrana report,
it somewhat dictates the tone as they’re less likely to sugarcoat the truth. There is a slight
bias but this works in favour for the historian because they reinforce the very causes which
led to the collapse of the tsarist regime. This being ‘the prohibition of all labour meetings’ and
allusions to work unions, sick benefit funds, ‘and so on’; quite brutally highlighting the
conditions that the proletariat were facing. Source A describes how the working class were
fed up with the ways of the Provisional Government, particularly alluding to the war. A
historian can use this to give weight to the collapse of the tsarist regime as the continuation
of the war was costing thousands upon thousands of lives. This is valid as people were
feeling betrayed by tsar as it was no longer indirect; those dying were becoming relatives.
There is therefore no doubt in why they turned to more revolutionary approaches. The
Okhrana highlights this as they state the proletariat were ‘quite ready to let themselves go’
which aids the historian as it shows that state bodies knew of the activity, and therefore so
did the tsar. This can be pieced together as the causes of the collapse of the tsarist regime
and shows how the government and tsar knew what they were facing. Valuable to a
historian, as one of the biggest causes of the February Revolution was the general
incompetence and refusals of the tsar to acknowledge the issues in society.
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