The Russian Revolution (1917): External Factors of Influence

Abstract

The problem of the relationship between external and internal factors that initiated the events of the February Revolution in Russia occupies an important place not only in historical science, but also in a number of other related fields of knowledge. In this case, the role of the external factor is of particular importance, when foreign countries, pursuing their national interests, actively interfere in the internal life of a particular state. The extreme form of such interference is direct military clashes, but this does not exclude the use of other forms of influence. On the one hand, the countries that were opponents of Russia in the First World War, the leading position among which was occupied by Germany, saw the need to coordinate their military efforts with the incitement of internal revolutionary unrest in Russia. On the other hand, as the victory of the Entente countries in the war became increasingly obvious, the allies saw Russia as a future geopolitical competitor and sought to weaken it, pushing for the overthrow of the imperial power. Great Britain played a key role in this process. The aim of the article is to characterize the role of external factors in inspiring revolutionary events in Russia. To achieve this, a set of methodological approaches was used, among which system and factor analysis are of particular importance, allowing us to see the complexity of the system of international relations during the First World War and to identify the factors influencing Russia’s domestic political development and the forces acting from outside. Comparative analysis allows characterizing Russia’s place and potential in international events at the final stage of the world war. The article characterizes the policy of Germany and the Entente countries to initiate the February Revolution in Russia.