How did suspending the Duma on 25 February deepen the political crisis?

Correct answer: It sent a message of suppressing representative institution

The Duma was a representative political institution of the Russian Empire. Suspending it during growing demonstrations signalled that the Tsarist authorities were unwilling to allow even limited representative discussion while the crisis was unfolding. Instead of opening a political channel for grievances, the government appeared to be closing one. This could increase opposition among leaders and make the regime look more rigid and isolated.

Option A is correct because it describes the political message of the suspension. It did not give people full rights, end the soldiers’ mutiny, or create the Petrograd Soviet. In fact, the decision helped deepen the conflict between the old government and forces demanding change. The important reasoning is not simply that a meeting was stopped; it is that a representative body was suppressed at the moment when political participation was urgently needed.