▁the ▁Rus so - J apan ese ▁War ▁( 1 9 0 4 - 1 9 0 5 ). ▁Nicholas ▁also ▁sought ▁to ▁fost er ▁a ▁greater ▁sense ▁of ▁national ▁unity ▁with ▁a ▁war ▁against ▁a ▁common ▁and ▁old ▁enemy . ▁The ▁Russian ▁Empire ▁was ▁an ▁ag gl omer ation ▁of ▁diverse ▁eth nic ities ▁that ▁had ▁demonstrated ▁significant ▁signs ▁of ▁dis unity ▁in ▁the ▁years ▁before ▁the ▁First ▁World ▁War . ▁Nicholas ▁believed ▁in ▁part ▁that ▁the ▁shared ▁per il ▁and ▁trib ulation ▁of ▁a ▁foreign ▁war ▁would ▁mit ig ate ▁the ▁social ▁un rest ▁over ▁the ▁persistent ▁issues ▁of ▁pover ty , ▁inequality , ▁and ▁in hum ane ▁working ▁conditions . ▁Instead ▁of ▁rest oring ▁Russia ' s ▁political ▁and ▁military ▁standing , ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁sla ugh ter ▁of ▁Russian ▁troops ▁and ▁military ▁defe ats ▁that ▁und erm ined ▁both ▁the ▁mon archy ▁and ▁Russian ▁society ▁to ▁the ▁point ▁of ▁collapse . ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁ ▁The ▁out break ▁of ▁war ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁initially ▁served ▁to ▁quiet ▁the ▁pre val ent ▁social ▁and ▁political ▁protest s , ▁foc using ▁host ilities ▁against ▁a ▁common ▁external ▁enemy , ▁but ▁this ▁patri otic ▁unity ▁did ▁not ▁last ▁long . ▁As ▁the ▁war ▁drag ged ▁on ▁incon clus ively , ▁war - we ar iness ▁gradually ▁took ▁its ▁to ll . ▁Although ▁many ▁ordinary ▁Rus si ans ▁joined ▁anti - G erman ▁demonstr ations ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁few ▁weeks ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁host