11) Political Authority, Opposition and the State of Russia in Wartime Flashcards
Key events of the First World War
✅R went to war Aug 1914 - Tsar’s decision greeted w/ patriotism🇷🇺.
✅R had largest army.
✅Early successes against Austria-Hungary🏆.
❌Germany too strong💪🏼💪🏼 - had many natural coalfields➡️lots of access to raw materials.
❌1914 heavy losses @ Tannenberg then Masurian Lakes.
❌By 1915 long retreat w/ R forced back + 1m☠️.
✅1916 brief successive w/ Brusilov offensive➡️1/2 Austrian army☠️or captured.
❌G moved troops to reinforce Austria + R pushed back again.
❌R couldn’t afford to keep producing ammunition + other resources💰🚫.
Problems created or exposed by the war:
Military issues💂🏻♀️⚔️
Poor leadership - mutinies➡️many officers appointed for loyalty over expertise.
Distribution ineffective - bad organisation + infrastructure (not enough train tracks + train lines blocked by transporting troops🚂)➡️shortage of rifles🔫, ammunition😌, boots🥾etc. Often supplies available but not sent where they were needed.
Little medical provision for soldiers🩺🚫+ no morale➡️10,000s deserted.
R matched G in shell pr + 1916 R artillery pr ⬆️ 1000%.
Problems created or exposed by the war:
Economic weaknesses💰🚫
Railways couldn’t cope - used for transporting food, weapons, troops➡️too much traffic blocked rail lines. Bottleneck in Moscow signalled collapse🚂🚫.
Severe food shortages (bad distribution)➡️queues + food rioting🥖🚫. Front lines prioritised💂🏻♀️. All factories producing for war effort➡️no goods for👨🏼🌾to buy➡️👨🏼🌾hoarding grain.
1914-16 inflation - food + fuel prices✖️4 (R relied on imports for fuel, imports stopped by war), wages✖️2. Cost of living ⬆️ by 300%.
1916 Petrograd had only 1/3 food + fuel required.
1915-16 ⬆️ strikes🦺😡. ⬆️ unemployment as factories shut to produce army supplies or can’t afford to diversify🏭🚫.
Problems created or exposed by the war:
Incompetence of government and Tsar👑🚫
Poor distribution lost them support.
R people had to learn how to run warfare on their own:
🟡Zemstva joined to form Zemgor to support soldiers - provided local medical care, hospitals, uniforms, tents etc🩺.
Businessmen formed War Industries Committee to organise conversion of factories to military pr🏭.
Instead of working w/ or helping Zemgor + WIC, Tsar saw it as undermining his authority🤴🏻.
🟡July 1915 Tsar called Duma. Progressive Bloc formed (2/3 Duma) wanting Ministry of National Confidence (elected deputies to replace ministers as Rs lost confidence in govt).
Tsar felt they were attacking autocracy + refused to work w/ Duma➡️Duma suspended - NII lost chance to win back support.
🟡Met again 1916 + 17 but little effect.
Problems created or exposed by the war:
Unpopularity of Tsarina👸🏼🚫
Tsarina German➡️accused of being traitor + G spy🇩🇪.
Rasputin also hated - seen as degenerate monk w/ sexual spell over Tsarina.
Aug 1915 Tsar took direct control of army - he slows retreat but R still loses to attrition warfare + now NII accountable.
Back at home he left power vacuum w/ unpopular Tsarina in charge.
Instability in govt - Tsarina saw anyone working w/ Zemgor or WIC as traitors➡️ministerial changes (1915-17: 3 Ministers of War + 4 PMs).
1916 Rasputin killed in attempt to save monarchy’s reputation, but damage already done.
How secure was Nicholas II’s regime 1914-1916?
❌not secure
👨🏼🌾❌War➡️loss of young sons + husbands caused despair☠️😖.
👨🏼🌾❌Govt set grain prices so low that👨🏼🌾preferred to hoard rather than sell.
👷🏼♀️❌Inefficient distribution by govt➡️food shortages.
👷🏼♀️❌Unemployment ⬆️ as non-military factories closed due to lack of supplies🏭🚫.
👷🏼♀️❌300% ⬆️ cost of living, many starving, ⬆️☠️ from unsanitary conditions.
👷🏼♀️❌1915-16 strikes ⬆️ in no. + militancy.
💼❌When NII refused to work w/ liberals June 1915 they took independent action➡️set up Zemgor to coordinate medical support for army🩺💂🏻♀️.
💼❌Aug 1915 Progressive Bloc formed in 🟡4th Duma - NII refused to work w/ them.
How secure was Nicholas II’s regime 1914-1916?
✅secure
👨🏼🌾✅Departure of men to front line eased pressure on land + gain ⬆️ in demand.
💼✅Liberals didn’t want rev.
💣✅SRs no longer significant political force.
⚒✅Mensheviks continued encouraging strike activity but w/ limited impact.
How did Tsar Nicholas II abdicate in February 1917?
Key events of February/March 1917
- Early Feb: strikes in 58 factories in Petrograd (Tsarina condemned strikers as hooligans, refusing to see how serious matters were).
- 23rd Feb: striking workers, students + women queuing for bread rations joined women’s march in Petrograd for International Women’s Day.
- Next few days demonstrations became more political (🥖, end war +🚫🤴🏻) + brought Petrograd almost to standstill. Bs encouraged workers to go out on streets.
- 24-28th Feb (revolutionary days): NII sent troops to restore order➡️demonstrators☠️ + many soldiers mutinied. Fighting between soldiers, officers killed.
🟡NII ignored warning from Duma President to take action➡️suspended Duma.
Duma set up provisional committee, supported by army’s High Command who stopped troop movements on Petrograd💂🏻♀️.
NII tried to return to capital but his train was stopped + his generals told him they couldn’t support him (probably hoped for a constitutional monarchy w/ different royal family)*.
•2nd March: NII abdicated in favour of his brother, Mikhail, who refused due to extent of anti-monarchial feeling➡️end of Romanov dynasty❌👑 + setting up of Provisional Govt.
*social change had meant aristocratic + conservative officers were replaced by lower class men, often liberal or socialist.
What happened after the February Revolution 1917?
- Provisional Govt formed to run R until election could be held to choose a constituent assembly (elected Parliament). PG popularly accepted.
- Petrograd Soviet was established by revolutionaries + held real power in capital, creating dual power situation.
- Alexander Kerensky was member of both bodies so provided main line of communication between them.
Petrograd Soviet
Elected by soviets in Petrograd.
Socialist intellectual leaders, dominated by Mensheviks + SRs w/ a few Bolsheviks.
Made up of Workers’ + Soldiers’ representatives.
Protected interests of working classes + soldiers.
Chkheidze was chairman of executive.
Provisional Government
Not elected, chosen by committee of Duma.
Made up of leading figures form Kadets, Octobrists + other liberal parties.
Prince Lvov was the PM.
Run R until a constituent assembly elected.
Order Number 1
🔹Significant move made by Soviet (March 1917).
🔹Gave soldiers’ committees control over ALL weapons⚔️.
🔹Stated that soldiers would carry out orders of PG if Soviet agreed.
Why did the Petrograd Soviet accept the Provisional Government?
🔹Soviet controlled soldiers💂🏻♀️ in Petrograd, factories🏭, railways🚂, power supply + telegraph network (PG no control over capital + it’s armed forces).
🔹R High Command might have intervened if thought socialist govt would take power (Soviet didn’t want to give excuse for counter-rev).
🔹Socialist intellectual leaders of Soviet didn’t know how to run govt + scared they couldn’t control the masses.
🔹Marxist theory - socialist leaders thought not right time for workers to take control. They were going through bourgeoise democratic rev. Educated proletariat needed to grow before socialist rev could take place.
The Provisional Government’s initial measures
These initial measures were met w/ Soviet approval:
🔸Tsarist ministers + officials arrested + imprisoned.
🔸Secret police disbanded🕵🏻♂️🚫.
🔸Freedom of religion✡️+ press🗞.
🔸☠️penalty abolished.
🔸Elections for Constituent Assembly to be by secret ballot + universal suffrage🗳.
🔸Workers given 8hr working day + right to form TUs + strike🦺.
🔸Soldiers in Petrograd garrison wouldn’t be sent to the Front💂🏻♀️.
Initial reaction outside the capital to the new government
‘Honeymoon period’
▪️Supportive where tsarist administrative system being dismantled.
▪️Rapid ⬆️ of soviets in cities + towns.
▪️👨🏼🌾started setting up committees + voicing their opinions + demands.
▪️Some villages declared themselves autonomous republics.
▪️PM Lvov encouraged localities to run own affairs.
❌Would be hard for new govt to meet expectations of different groups in R society.
