11.1. Wartime problems and lead up to Petrodgrad Soviet Flashcards
Entry into WW1
LT reasons
- Growth of German Imperial threat.
- Threat of Austro-Hungarian Empire in south-east Europe.
- Decline of Ottoman Empire may provoke interest in Balkans.
- Wanted to ensure that Poland remained in tact as a buffer state.
- Perception of being the defending force by the Slav peoples of the Balkans.
Entry into WW1
ST reasons
- Assassination of Austro-Hungarian Heir by Serbian Nationalists.
- Austro-Hungary declares war on Serbia.
- Russian Full Mobilisation (intended as a deterrent) forced Germany to act swiftly by full mobilisation and a declaration of war. – Made war inevitable.
What did the delcaration of war do?
created wave of national unity behind tsar - seen to defend interests of Russian nation and its people.
* Strike activity ceased.
* Exterimists imprisioned for lack of patriotism.
in the end the would expose the extent of Russia’s problems and stretch their resolve.
Problems of the war
Inflation
- Abandoned gold standard (root of its prior stability) and put money into circulation to raise capital. – ST success but in the long term the currency went into severe inflation.
- 1914-16 = wages doubled BUT price of food and fuel quadrupled.
Problems of the war
Food supplies
- By 1916 inflation major impact on agriculture. Peasants began to hoard rather than sell grain as money became worthless.
- Army had first call on supplies leaving cities with dwindling supplies worsening inflationary pressure.
- Remote cities (Petrograd) saw bread rationing levels fall to ¼ of 1914 levels.
Problems of the war
Transport
- Growth of railways pre-1914 impressive, but unable to cope with a sustained war effort – lines, signalling, engines continually broke down as supplies and men clogged the communication system.
- Many cases food rotted in ports as the railway system virtually collapsed by 1916.
- Consequently Petrograd and Moscow were receiving 1/3 of supplies required.
Problems of the war
Army
- Mobilised far fewer of population as a % than any other nation thus making its superior numbers less effective.
- Quantity and quality of supplies totally ineffective – government inept.
- Guns highly unreliable and general equipment did not reach front – boots etc.
Problems of the war
Role of Tsar
1915 - Tsar took on the post of overall commander – success would lead to credit; failure would lead to a direct criticism of him as opposed to appointees.
Problems of the war
Morale
- Desertion was rife as conditions/defeat + general lack of faith in the command structure generated alarmingly low morale.
- ST military successes did emerge but the war continued to drag on.
- Shouldn’t over-estimate depth of morale - GB and France faced similar problems, though one can argue that the scale was far greater given conditions at home.
- Huge numbers of dead had a significant impact on morale at the front.
Economic problems faced during outbreak of war
- Stolypins land reform produced a growing class of alienated poor peasants .
- 1911 – 1914 show a steady increase in number of strikes.
- Despite periodic famines population continued to rise putting further pressure on resources especially the land.
- Spending rose 1,500 million in 1914 to 14,500 roubles in 1918.
Condition sin city and urbanisation
- Many disgruntled peasants moved to the cities.
- Industrial boom with tremendous rates of growth in coal, iron and oil
- Huge modern factories employed large numbers of workers
- Wages did not rise much above 1903 levels (pitiful)
- Wages in St Petersburg were a third higher than in Moscow
- Growing number of strikes and workers remained disillusioned with economic and political progress e.g. 30,000 strike in St.P and 145,000 Moscow 1917.
How well prepared was Russia for war
Russian Military high command had two basic mobilisation schemes:
* Partial - plans based on plans for a limited campaign in the Balkans v Austria-Hungary
* Full – based on plans for a full-scale war against both Germany and Austria-Hungary
* As a result of the Schlieffen plan – Russia was at war with Germany.
* Initially the outbreak of hostilities greatly enhanced the tsar’s position
Stability of Russia on eve of WW1?
- Eco and social change gaining momentum.
- It was a deeply divided society revolutionary parties, middle and upper class elites, radical intelligentsia, and backward looking tsar.
- The Liberal or positivist view saw the First World War and its consequences as derailing Russia’s stable ‘evolution’.
- War was seen as integral to development of world revolution, mainly as a consequence of Lenin’s 1916 thesis Imperialism, the highest state of Capitalism.
St. Petersberg name change?
To Petrograd, St = sounded too German
What caused the spirit of victory to dampen?
when initial victorys gave way
1. 1914 - defeat at Tannenberg, 300k died
2. - Defeat at masurian lake forced russian army into temp retreat from east prussia.soon clear war wouldn’t be a quick win as military incompetence inflamed discontent in capital.
