ial ▁myst ic ▁Gr ig ori ▁Ras put in . ▁Ras put in ' s ▁influence ▁led ▁to ▁dis astr ous ▁minister ial ▁appoint ments ▁and ▁cor ruption , ▁resulting ▁in ▁a ▁w ors ening ▁of ▁conditions ▁within ▁Russia . ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁general ▁diss atisf action ▁with ▁the ▁Roman ov ▁family , ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁factor ▁contrib uting ▁to ▁the ▁ret ali ation ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Commun ists ▁against ▁the ▁royal ▁family . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁entry ▁of ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁on ▁the ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁Central ▁Pow ers ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁Russia ▁was ▁dep riv ed ▁of ▁a ▁major ▁trade ▁route ▁through ▁the ▁D ard an elles , ▁which ▁further ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁economic ▁crisis , ▁in ▁which ▁Russia ▁became ▁in cap able ▁of ▁providing ▁m un itions ▁to ▁their ▁army ▁in ▁the ▁years ▁leading ▁to ▁ 1 9 1 7 . ▁However , ▁the ▁problems ▁were ▁primarily ▁administrative , ▁not ▁industrial , ▁as ▁Germany ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁produce ▁great ▁amounts ▁of ▁m un itions ▁whilst ▁constantly ▁fighting ▁on ▁two ▁major ▁battle front s . ▁ ▁The ▁conditions ▁during ▁the ▁war ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁dev ast ating ▁loss ▁of ▁mor ale ▁within ▁the ▁Russian ▁army ▁and ▁the ▁general ▁population ▁of ▁Russia ▁itself . ▁This ▁was ▁particularly ▁apparent ▁in ▁the ▁cities , ▁ow ing ▁to ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁food ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁dis ruption ▁of ▁agricult ure . ▁Food ▁scarc ity ▁had ▁become ▁a ▁considerable ▁problem ▁in ▁Russia , ▁but ▁the ▁cause ▁of ▁this