Why is the February Revolution called a successful revolution and not a failed uprising?

Correct answer: Because it forced the Tsar to abdicate

A revolution is called successful when it produces a major change in political power or institutions. The February Revolution achieved such a change: mass protests, strikes, and the loss of military support forced Tsar Nicholas II to abdicate. The centuries-old Tsarist monarchy ended, and a Provisional Government was formed. Although the later political situation remained unstable and the February Revolution did not solve every problem, its immediate objective of removing the Tsarist ruler was achieved. That is why it was more than an unsuccessful uprising.

Option A is correct because the Tsar was forced to give up the throne. Option B reverses the result, while option C falsely claims that no change occurred. Option D is not the defining reason and does not describe the central political result of February 1917. The correct way to judge the revolution is to look at its concrete outcome: the collapse of Tsarist authority and the creation of a new provisional political arrangement.