The difference between the Tsar's order and soldiers' behaviour was proof of what?

Correct answer: Declining control of the Tsar over state machinery

The direct answer is B: the Tsar's declining control over the state machinery. An order has real force only when officials and soldiers obey it. During the February Revolution, a difference between what the Tsar commanded and what soldiers actually did showed that his authority was no longer fully effective. The reasoning is: the Tsar gave an order to control the unrest; soldiers refused, ignored, or failed to carry it out; the state could not reliably enforce the ruler's decision; therefore the ruler's practical control over the army and administration was declining. Option A is wrong because disobedience is not complete administrative success. Option B is correct because the gap between command and obedience directly reveals weakening control. Option C is wrong because soldiers' behaviour during internal unrest is not evidence of victory in an external war. Option D is wrong because the question concerns obedience and state authority, not the legal or political existence of the Duma. The important lesson is that authority is measured not only by written orders but also by actual obedience. Memory cue: order without obedience means power is weakening.