▁under ▁the ▁chair mans hip ▁of ▁a ▁prominent ▁Oct ob rist , ▁Alexander ▁G uch kov ▁( 1 8 6 2 – 1 9 3 6 ), ▁including ▁ten ▁workers ' ▁represent atives . ▁The ▁Pet ro grad ▁Mens he vik s ▁agreed ▁to ▁join ▁despite ▁the ▁ob jections ▁of ▁their ▁leaders ▁abroad . ▁All ▁this ▁activity ▁gave ▁renew ed ▁encourag ement ▁to ▁political ▁amb itions , ▁and ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁a ▁combination ▁of ▁Oct ob rist s ▁and ▁K ad ets ▁in ▁the ▁D uma ▁demanded ▁the ▁forming ▁of ▁a ▁responsible ▁government . ▁which ▁the ▁Ts ar ▁rejected . ▁ ▁All ▁these ▁factors ▁had ▁given ▁rise ▁to ▁a ▁sharp ▁loss ▁of ▁confidence ▁in ▁the ▁regime , ▁even ▁within ▁the ▁r uling ▁class , ▁growing ▁throughout ▁the ▁war . ▁Early ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 6 , ▁G uch kov ▁discussed ▁with ▁senior ▁army ▁officers ▁and ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Central ▁War ▁Indust ries ▁Committee ▁about ▁a ▁possible ▁coup ▁to ▁force ▁the ▁ab dic ation ▁of ▁the ▁Ts ar . ▁In ▁December , ▁a ▁small ▁group ▁of ▁nobles ▁assass in ated ▁Ras put in , ▁and ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁the ▁Ts ar ' s ▁cousin , ▁Grand ▁Duke ▁Nicholas , ▁was ▁asked ▁indirect ly ▁by ▁Prince ▁L v ov ▁whether ▁he ▁would ▁be ▁prepared ▁to ▁take ▁over ▁the ▁throne ▁from ▁his ▁nep hew , ▁Ts ar ▁Nicholas ▁II . ▁None ▁of ▁these ▁inc idents ▁were ▁in ▁themselves ▁the ▁immediate ▁cause ▁of ▁the ▁February ▁Revolution ,