III. 
From where did the revolution really come? In the first place from 
the war: Russia overstrained herself in a struggle alongside of more 
powerful allies and against a more powerful enemy. It is necessary to 
make clear to oneself that the capacity for a military exertion finds itself 
in close correspondence with the tension of every-day life; especially in 
present wars, when not armies, but whole nations make war upon one 
another. Russia always lived less intensively than Western Nations; life 
here extended itself over large areas: the population dispersed, the arable 
ground increased, the tillage, however, did not become intense. In course 
of time, however, extensiveness certainly gave way more and more to in- 
tensity, but as far as the strength of the Western nations are concerned, 
the intensiveness of Russian life did not nearly reach it: therein just lies 
her backwardness. 
And in regard to military matters, Russia during the last centuries 
rarely had been obliged to concentrate all her forces and to put on them 
all the strain they could stand. Towards the East the nation extended 
without finding almost any obstacles, to the West and South, however, it 
was obliged to contend with countries, which, though powerful in their time, 
happened to be already in a state of disintegration when Russia approached 
them (Poland and Turkey of the 17th and 18th century). When, however, 
Russia collided with Sweden — a Western state in type — although much 
weakened by the annular disposition of its territory, war waged over a 
period of 21 years, and only the genius of Peter the Great made it 
possible for the country to endure this trial and to come unharmed out of 
it. Everyone will understand that the opinion expressed here does not refer 
to the Russian army, but to something much more fundamental in itself: 
the historical and geographical conditions of Russian life. 
A country with such a past, such habits, such an order of things, had 
unexpectedly to take a prominent part in the war in which the enemy. 
as well as the Allies, brought the strength of their forces to such’ a level 
as only a year previous, no human imagination could have conceived as 
possible. Russia, being obliged to come up to the same level as the enemy 
and the Allies, massed a huge number of forces on the frontier; and 
though lacking stores and supplies, subjected her whole existence to the 
demands of the front. The weight of the burden made itself felt acutely, 
but the population bore the burden while there were victories. When, 
however, defeats came, a convulsion contorted the whole country, and here 
was disclosed the fatal significance of the fact that the mew policy in 
Russia was still new and unassimilated. Where the people are in the habit 
of thinking that they rule themselves. there disaster very little affects 
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