What was the contradiction between the Tsar's order and soldiers' behaviour in the February Revolution?

Correct answer: The Tsar wanted repression but soldiers refused to fire on people

The contradiction was between the Tsar’s attempt to preserve autocratic rule and the conduct of many soldiers in Petrograd. The authorities expected troops to obey orders, control the crowds, and fire on demonstrators if necessary. Instead, several soldiers refused to shoot at the people, and many later joined the workers. This made the government’s order ineffective and weakened the old regime.

Option A is correct because it directly describes this gap between official instruction and actual behaviour. The Tsar wanted repression, but soldiers did not continue unquestioning support for the authorities. Options B, C, and D do not describe the February Revolution: there was no such peace-versus-war contradiction, the Tsar did not seek democracy, and Duma is a representative assembly, not a bank. The soldiers’ change of loyalty was politically decisive.