1917 Revolutions Flashcards
In what five main ways did the First World War impact Russia? (5)
1) Defeats and losses
2) Economic dislocation
3) Food shortages
4) Transport problems
5) Inflation
How did defeats during the First World War impact Russia? (5)
1) Russia experienced terrible defeats at Tannenberg and the Masurian Lakes which lowered the morelae of the Russian troops.
2) Russian soldiers had fought well but they were let down by the poor strategic decisions made by General Samsonov and General Rennenkampf.
3) By the end of 1915, Stavka, the Russian command centre in the War, blamed lack of military progress on the ‘shells crisis’, but it was more the case that military administrators did not have the ability to cope with the logistical challenges of posed by the war.
4) The continual defeats and Great Retreat of 1915 prompted Nicholas II to take charge in leading the war effort.
5) Despite improvement in 1916 of Russia’s war effort, the failure of Brusilov offensive and the emergence of attrition warfare indicated that the tsar was incapable of ending the war.
How considerable were Russian losses during the war? (2)
1) The Russians lost twice as many troops as the enemy during the early campaigns and the hope at home that Russia would score an early victory waned.
2) Russian casualties for the whole of the war were around 8 million, including 1.7 million dead and 2.4 million captured.
How did economic dislocation and inflation affect Russia during the war? (4)
1) The whole of the Russian economy was geared up to win the war. This had a negative impact on the lives of Russian people, as industry and agriculture could not cope with the demands of the war.
2) The total cost of the war was in the region of 3 billion roubles, which far exceeded levels of government expenditure during peacetime (1.5 billion in 1913).
3) The costs of the war was met, through borrowing, increased taxation and printing more money.
4) By 1917 prices had risen by 400%, meaning those on fixed incomes suffered greatly.
How did Alexandra influence the rule of Nicholas II?
1) In 1894, Princess Alexandra, the German Grandaughter of Queen Victoria, married Nicholas II and took on the tile of Empress of Russia.
2) Alexandra was very religious and wuick to adopt the Orthodox church, however her faith led her to think the Russian court was too ostentatious, and she sympathised with peasants.
3) In 1915, when Nicholas took control of the Russian military and was away at the Eastern Front, Alexandra was left to govern Russia alongside Rasputin who had become her personal advisor.
4) The governance of Rasputin and Alexandra caused much discontent and a ‘progressive block’ emerged to pur pressure on Nicholas to take a firmer control of proceedings.
Who was Rasputin and how did he influence the leadership of Nicholas II? (4)
1) Rasputin was born in Western Siberia to a peasant family and spent time in an Orthodox monastery before travelling around Russia.
2) He arrived in St Petersburg in 1903 and quickly gained a reputation as a mystical healer and sexual predator.
3) In 1905 he was introduced to the tsar as someone who could help to cure his son, Alexei’s haemophilia. After becoming acquainted with Rasputin, Alexei’s health did improve, which endeared Rasputin to Alexandra.
4) He gained increasing influence over the royal family and came to play an increasing role in the governance of the country, which meant he was despised by royal advisers.
How did the Fourth Duma influence the leadership of Nicholas II?
1) The final duma was dominated by politicians from the far right.
2) Duma members were outraged by the brutal state repression during it’s reign, such as the murder of miners at the Lena Goldfields.
3) Guchkov, leader of the moderate Octobrists warned the tsar and his ministers that the people of Russia had become revolutionised by the actions of the government and that they had lost faith in its leaders, leading to the publication of the Prophecy of Doom in 1914, detailing the mistakes made by the tsar’s governments and the potential consequences in revolutionising the people of Russia.
4) The fourth Duma went on to become infamous for eventually putting pressure on the tsar to abdicate and went on to form the backbone of the provisional government.
