This page is focused on the difficulties facing the regime up to 1905. The tensions in Russia came to a head in the Revolution of 1905.Russian society before the First World WarThe PeasantrySociety in Russia when Nicholas II became Tsar predominantly peasant based. Indeed, almost 80% of the population were peasants. Most peasants were extremely poor, illiterate, subsistence farmers. Peasants could not leave the village...