World War I: Russia entered World War I in 1914, and 1915 saw continued military involvement, including the 1915 campaign in Galicia and the Brusilov Offensive. (Sources: Borzenko, M. (2015). Russian military strategy in the First World War. Routledge. & Figes, O. (1996). A people's tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891–1924. Penguin.)
Food Shortages: The war effort put a strain on Russia's economy and resources, leading to widespread food shortages and famine, particularly in urban areas. (Sources: Grossman, L. (1999). The food crisis in pre-revolutionary Russia. Contributions in economics and economic history, 216. & Kenez, P. (2006). The birth of the propaganda state: Soviet methods of mass mobilization, 1917–1929. Cambridge University Press.)
Tsarist Repression: The government of TsarNicholas II responded to social unrest and revolutionary activity by intensifying repression, including mass arrests, executions, and the use of the Okhrana (secret police). (Sources: Figes, O. (1996). A people's tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891–1924. Penguin. & Smele, J. D. (2015). The Russian Revolution and civil war, 1917–1921: An annotated bibliography. Routledge.)
Political Upheaval: Despite government efforts to maintain stability, political unrest continued to escalate, with the formation of illegal revolutionary organizations and increased public demonstrations. (Sources: Melancon, M. (2002). Political Opposition in the early Russian Revolution: Gapon and the struggle for workers' rights. Canadian-American Slavic Studies, 36(1-2), 33-62. & Pipes, R. (1990). The Russian Revolution. Vintage.)
Borzenko, M. (2015). Russian military strategy in the First World War. Routledge.
Figes, O. (1996). A people's tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1891–1924. Penguin.
Grossman, L. (1999). The food crisis in pre-revolutionary Russia. Contributions in economics and economic history, 216.
Kenez, P. (2006). The birth of the propaganda state: Soviet methods of mass mobilization, 1917–1929. Cambridge University Press.
Melancon, M. (2002). Political opposition in the early Russian Revolution: Gapon and the struggle for workers' rights. Canadian-American Slavic Studies, 36(1-2), 33-62.
Pipes, R. (1990). The Russian Revolution. Vintage.
Smele, J. D. (2015). The Russian Revolution and civil war, 1917–1921: An annotated bibliography. Routledge.