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Tsarist and Communist Russia 1855-1964 > 2.11 Political authority, opposition and the state of Russia in wartime > Flashcards

2.11 Political authority, opposition and the state of Russia in wartime Flashcards

1
Q

What did the Duma do after the Tsar’s decision to go to war?

A

Voted for war credits, before dissolving itself, declaring it did not want to burden the country with ‘unnecessary politics’

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2
Q

What is war credits

A

The raising of taxes and loans to finance war

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3
Q

What event initially dampened the spirit of national solidarity

A

Battle of Tannenburg in East Prussia, August 1914

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4
Q

What happened at the Battle of Tannenburg? When was it?

A

August 1914 - defeat to the Germans, left 300,000 dead/wounded + thousands were taken prisoner

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5
Q

What subsequent defeat caused the Russian army to temporarily retreat from East Prussia?

A

at the Masurian lakes in September

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6
Q

Where were Russian troops more successful?

A

in the south against Austria

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7
Q

What disputes over the war effort were there even before the end of 1914?

A

tsarist government’s ‘military zones’, opposed by the liberal zemstva - believed civilians had major role to play in war

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8
Q

What were ‘military zones’? When were they set up?

A

Set up in July 1914 by the tsarist government, within which all civilian authority suspended + military assumed command

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9
Q

What did the government do at the end of 1914? How did this come to negatively impact them?

A

Prohibition of the sale of alcohol
Resented + evaded. Vodka was regarded as a near essential - peasants + workers simply distilled their own -> government lost out on valuable tax revenue from legal sales

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10
Q

What did the zemstva establish in August 1914?

A

Union of Zemstva - to provide the medical facilities that the State seemed to neglect

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11
Q

What was formed in June 1915?

A

the All-Russian Union of Zemstva and Cities (Zemgor)
created as the result of existing zemstva and municipal dumas joining together

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12
Q

What happened with Zemgor?

A

Formed in June 1915
Chaired by Prince Lvov
Claimed right to help government in war effort, but never allowed direct influence + (like state Duma) turned into liberal focus for discontent

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13
Q

What did some deputies from the 4th Duma do in August 1915?

A

Kadets, Octobrists and Progressives from the 4th Duma organised themselves into the ‘progressive bloc’ and demanded Tsar change ministers + establish ‘government of public confidence’

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14
Q

What did the Progressive bloc’s request actually mean?

A

‘government of public confidence’ - effectively a constitutional monarchy

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15
Q

How did the Tsar respond to the Progressive bloc’s request of a ‘government of public confidence’?

A

In September, he suspended sittings of the Duma, and it remained officially closed until January 1917 (although unauthorised meetings continued)

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16
Q

What led Nicholas II to take on role of Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army and Navy? When?

A

Defeats in Galicia (on Austro-Hungarian Front)
–> took on role in September 1915 + travelled to the front line

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17
Q

Why did becoming Commander-in-Chief actually not help Nicholas II’s cause?

A

He had already lost the confidence and support of Russian General Staff + did not possess military experience to turn war around
Instead, made him appear more responsible for disasters of war + distanced him from Petrograd

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18
Q

What rumours were spreading within Petrograd?

A

Rasputin was beginning to meddle in political appointments + policy
–> rumours that the German Alexandra was deliberately sabotaging the Russian war effort

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19
Q

What was the effect of Rasputin in the 12 months after September 1915 (Nicholas II leaves for front line)

A

Many changes of ministers, including three or four changes in some ministries - put down to Rasputin’s influence

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20
Q

Who was the President of the Fourth Duma?

A

Mikhail Rodzianko

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21
Q

What did the President of the Fourth Duma warn Nicholas?

A

of Rasputin’s unpopularity + the damage he was doing to tsarist cause

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22
Q

Who murdered Rasputin? When? Effect?

A

December 1916, Prince Yusupov + Valdimir Purishkevich, in attempt to save reputation of the monarchy
Came too late + did little to quell growing discontent

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23
Q

By Christmas 1914, what was there already?

A

serious shortage of munitions

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24
Q

Between 1914 and 1917, how many men did the government mobilise?

A

around 15 million, mainly conscript peasants

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25
Q

What problem limited the effectiveness of these 15 million men?

A

Government was not able to provide for them - without suitable weaponry, basic warm clothing, or properly fitting waterproof footwear

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26
Q

In 1914, how many rifles did the infantry have for every 3 soldiers

A

2 rifles for every 3 soldiers

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27
Q

In 1915, what was it not unusual for Russian artillery to be limited to?

A

two to three shells per day

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28
Q

What did the winter months of 1915-16 allow?

A

the winter months of 1915-16 were relatively quiet for the Russians + allowed more time for training + production of ammunition

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29
Q

What was the situation by the Brusilov offensive in June 1916

A

Most front line units had a reasonable complement of machine guns and artillery shells
However, serious lack of experienced officers - most had been killed in early stages of war

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30
Q

The Brusilov offensive

A

succeeded in destroying Austro-Hungarian armies, but within 3 months ground to a halt by the Germans

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31
Q

How many desertions were there in 1916?

A

1.5 million

32
Q

How did spending on war rise from 1914 to 1918?

A

1,500 million Roubles in 1914
14,500 million Roubles in 1918

33
Q

What overrun parts of the country removed important industrial capacity

A

Poland + other parts of western Russia were overrun by Germans - removing important industrial capacity

34
Q

What overrun parts of country brought Russian trade to a virtual standstill

A

Naval blockades of Baltic and Black Sea ports + loss of overland routes to Europe

35
Q

What percentage of the population did the 15 million soldiers represent, compared to Germany and France?

A

only 9%, compared with 20% in Germany and France

36
Q

How did railway locomotive production change between 1913 and 1916?

A

halved between 1913 and 1916

37
Q

What happened to armament production in 1916?

A

rifle production doubled
heavy artillery production quadrupled

38
Q

Why did unemployment soar in in urban centres (particularly Petrograd and Moscow)?

A

non-military factories, deprived of vital supplies, were forced to close
lock-outs + strikes (some encouraged by Germany) financially crippled what little industry survived

39
Q

How did the cost of living rise?

A

300% increase

40
Q

What was part of the reason for lack of foodstuffs in cities?

A

Left to rot beside railway beside railway sidings + huge cargoes of grain sent to front line, leaving none for desperate townsfolk (whose number had swelled as war industries increased employment)

41
Q

Why did death rates rise?

A

worker’s insanitary lodgings + inadequacies of their diets

42
Q

In January 1917, how many workers went on strike in Moscow and Petrograd?

A

30,000 in Moscow
145,000 in Petrograd

43
Q

On the anniversary of Bloody Sunday in January 1917, how many Petrograd workers were in demonstration?

A

150,000

44
Q

By 25 February, how many people are on strike?

A

25,000 people (over half of the capital’s workforce)
Cossacks refuse to attack a procession of strikers when ordered to do so

45
Q

What does the Duma President, Rodzianko, telegram the Tsar on 26 February? How does Tsar respond?

A

calls for immediate ‘formation of new government. There must be no delay. Hesitation is fatal’
Tsar, in diary: ‘some nonsense’ - tells Duma to stop meeting

46
Q

How many soldiers mutiny on 27 February? What do they do?

A

66,000 soldiers join mutiny in Petrograd + arm protestors with 40,000 rifles

47
Q

What do the Duma do on 27 February?

A

The Duma hold a meeting (against Tsar’s orders), set up 12-man provisional government - supported by army’s high command

48
Q

What do revolutionaries set up on the 27 February?

A

Petrograd Soviet, which also intends to take over government - begins to organise food supplies for the city

49
Q

What does the Tsar telegram Rodzianko on 28 February? How does Rodzianko respond?

A

The Tsar offers to share power with the Duma.
Rodzianko responds ‘the measures you propose are too late’, ‘there is no return’

50
Q

What did the Petrograd Soviet produce?

A

The ‘Order No.1’ - a charter of soldiers’ rights

51
Q

What were the terms of Order No.1?

A
  • All units to elect a deputy to the soviet and agree to the political control of the Petrograd Soviet
  • The Military Commission of the Duma to only be obeyed if it agreed with the soviet’s orders
52
Q

Who was the Tsar under pressure to resign from?

A

The Chief of General Staff, General Alekseev
- Suggested that the Tsar should reign in favour of his son, with the Tsar’s younger brother Mikhail acting as regent

53
Q

What had General Alekseev been reassured of by agreement of 1 March?

A

The Petrograd Soviet would recognise a Provisional Government formed by members of the Duma

54
Q

What did Nicholas agree on 2 March?

A

To resign, named Grand-Duke Mikhail as new Tsar (fearing son’s health) to lead in ‘complete union with the representatives of the people’, but Mikhail then refused offer of the throne

55
Q

Legitimacy of the Provisional Government

A

Grand-Duke Mikail relinquished political authority to Provisional Government, under Prince Lvov
- therefore accepted as legitimate by old tsarist civil service, army officers, and police

56
Q

Make up of the Provisional Government

A

members represented cross section of influential elites + comprised those who had previously favoured constitutional monarchy - liberals, moderate socialists, and Kadets

57
Q

What was the original intention of the Provisional Government?

A

to be temporary - that elections would be held as soon as possible for new Constituent Assembly, which would draw up new constitution

58
Q

Where did it set itself up?

A

In the Duma chamber in the right wing of the Tauride Palace in Petrograd

59
Q

By 10 March, how many members did the Petrograd Soviet have? What did this mean?

A

3000 members - so large, most of its work was done by its ‘executive committee’, dominated by socialist intellectuals

60
Q

Make up of the Petrograd Soviet

A

Dominated by Mensheviks and Social Revolutionaries, but also contained a small number of Bolsheviks
Primarily composed of radical socialist intellectuals - only 7 of the first 42 members were workers themselves

61
Q

Why was the Petrograd Soviet able to claim itself as the more democratic organisation?

A

Claimed direct democratic authority since its members were elected by the St Petersburg soviets

62
Q

Who supported the Petrograd Soviet

A

The mass of workers, soldiers and peasants - regarded Provisional Government as a self-appointed committee of the wealthy

63
Q

What agreement did the make with the negotiations of Alexander Kerensky

A

Dual Power, where the Soviet accepted the Provisional Government’s promises

64
Q

What did the Provisional Government promise?

A
  • basic civil liberties
  • right to organise TUs + strike
  • that a Constituent Assembly should be elected

They also allowed freedom of religion + press, abolished death penalty, dismissed provincial governors

65
Q

Difficulties within Dual Power

A

While Provisional Government tried to discipline deserters + restore order, Soviet encouraged peasants + workers to defy authority

66
Q

How many districts were affected by peasant disturbances in March 1917 vs July

A

affected 34 districts in March 1917
vs
325 districts in July 1917

67
Q

What did Milyukov announce in April 1917, leading to a massive anti-war demonstration in Petrograd

A

He announced that the government would continue fighting until a ‘just peace’ had been won

Milyukov + Guchkov resigned, replaced by socialists from Soviet + 2 further Mensheviks added to Cabinet

68
Q

How many desertions between 1914 and February 1917, vs between March and May 1917? What was reinstated as a result?

A

Between 1914 and February 1917, there were 195,000 desertions.
Between March and May 1917, there were over 365,000 desertions.
Death penalty reinstated as only way to control troops

69
Q

Who was Prince Lvov replaced by as Chairman?

A

Kerensky

70
Q

What were the street riots in July known as? Who might have organised them?

A

July Days - may/may not have been organised by the Bolsheviks

71
Q

What happened at the Kornilov coup?

A

Kornilov order 6 regiments to march on Petrograd - presumably to crush Soviet + establish military dictatorship
Kerensky panicked + released imprisoned Bolsheviks + provided them with weapons to halt Kornilov’s advance - coup leaders arrested

72
Q

In 1917, what happened to real wages as prices rose?

A

fell rapidly

73
Q

In January 1917, what were prices compared to 1914? What about in October?

A

January - prices 300% of 1914 levels
October - 755%

74
Q

In August, what right of factory owners was confirmed?

A

to dismiss workers who went on strike + meeting of factory committees during working hours forbidden

75
Q

When was an electoral commission created? When were elections set to be?

A

electoral commission established in May to arrange elections for November

76
Q

Why did the government also lose support in the countryside?

A

government’s failure to redistribute land - claimed such an important issue had to be left until Russia had a democratic assembly
However, peasants simply took it into their own hands + seized land anyway

77
Q

Despite the establishment of an electoral commission in May, what suspicion was rife? Who benefitted most from this widespread disillusionment?

A

widespread suspicion that the ‘bourgeois’ government was deliberately delaying a move to greater democracy - most benefitted the Bolsheviks

Tsarist and Communist Russia 1855-1964 (7 decks)

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