The changing relation between soldiers and demonstrators in the February Revolution indicated which historical process?

Correct answer: The army shifting from state repression toward the popular side

The changing relationship between soldiers and demonstrators showed that parts of the army were moving away from unquestioning obedience to the Tsarist state and toward sympathy or active support for the popular movement. This was a decisive process because the government depended on soldiers and police to enforce order. Once soldiers refused to fire, fraternised with protesters or joined them, the balance of power shifted sharply. Option A is correct. Option B is contradicted by the army’s loss of obedience. Option C does not describe the changing social and political alignment between soldiers and demonstrators, and option D is also incorrect because the food crisis remained unresolved. The army’s change of side helped turn protest into a revolutionary collapse of the old regime.