Chapter 7- The First World War Flashcards
What were the initial views on war?
The country united behind the tsar and his government in an atmosphere of patriotism
What did the outbreak of war in August 1914 bring an end to? (For the tsar)
Industrial unrest in Russia
In 1914, what happened to the students in st Petersburg who had once protested against the tsar?
They found a new enemy, and took to protesting outside of the German embassy
What caused the battle of tannenburg?
The Russian armies entered east Prussia, the easternmost Provence of Germany, and over ran much of the Austro-Hungarian province of Galicia. The advance forced the German armies to amend their war plan, the schlieffen plan, and armies were diverted to meet the Russians
What happened at the battle of Tannenburg?
German generals Hindenburg and Ludendorf won a crushing victory over Russian generals Rennenkampf and Samsonov. 30,000 Russian troops were killed or wounded,and 95,000 were captured.
How many Russian soldiers were killed or injured at the battle of Tannenburg?
30,000
How many Russians were captured at the Battle of Tannenburg?
95,000
How many Russian soldiers managed to escape the battle of Tannenburg?
10,000 (these were mostly from retreating flanks)
What happened to the Germans at the battle of Tannenburg?
They had fewer than 20,000 casualties and captured over 500 guns.
When was the battle of Tannenburg?
August/September 1914
What did Samsonov do after the battle of Tannenburg?
Shot himself on 29 august 1914 so that he would not have to report his failure to the tsar
In September 1914 what Austro-Hungarian town did the Russian forces surround?
The fortress town of Przemysl
How long did the siege of Przemysl last and what happened?
More than 4 months, Russians captured the town and 110,000 prisoners. The military developments had a mixed effect on the popularity of war at home.
What year proved to be a turning point in the fighting on the Eastern front?
1915
Which battle took place between the Germans and the Russians in December 1914?
The battle of lodz, the Russians were defeated
What followed the battle of Lodz?
The Austro-Germans forces’ launch of the Gorlice-Tarnow offensive in July 1915
What happened by the end of 1915?
Russian forces had been completely driven out of Russian Poland
What was seen to be one of the tsars worst decisions in September 1915?
After the loss of Poland, the tsar dismissed his uncle Nikolai as commander in chief of the Russian army, and took command himself despite being unqualified
Who was the running of the government and its administration left to when the tsar took command of the army?
The tsarina Alexandra
When did the Brusilov offensive occur?
From June to August 1917
What were the initial successes of the Brusilov offensive?
Romania entered the war on Russia’s side
What were the failures of the Brusilov offensive
By august it ran out of momentum
Russian forces had to retreat from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea
The retreat was associated with desertions
What happened by Christmas 1916?
Russian army was facing major shortages of war material and a fall in morale
What were the leading factors contributing to the failure of the Brusilov offensive?
Nicholas II proved to be a very poor commander in chief
Poor internal communications
Problems with the railway
A shortage of military equipment reaching the front
How many artillery shells did the Russians produce in September 1916?
4.5 million
What happened to the Russian army by Christmas 1916?
1.6 million dead,3.9 million wounded and 2.4 million taken prisoner
How many men were mobilised by the country in 1914?
5.3 million men (or 9% of the population)
How many men had experienced military service by Christmas 1916?
15.3 million men
What financed the rise in the national budget between 1913 and 1916?
Higher taxes
Loans and borrowing from Britain and France
When did the national budget rise by eightfold?
1913-1916
How much did the national budget rise between 1913-1916
Eightfold
How much did prices rise by between august 1914 and Christmas 1916?
200%
What was the job of the central war industries committee?(July 1915)
To help stimulate the productions of weapons and ammunition
What did the success of organisations set up in the war highlight to the Russian people?
The incompetence of the government
How did being autocratic hinder the tsar during the war?
He didn’t know how to effectively incorporate groups and political parties in to his own war effort
What was the ZEMGOR(zemstva’s and town Dumas June 1915)
The all Russian Union of zemstva and cities to aid the care of war casualties
What happened as a result of the governments inefficient use of the ZEMGOR?
It became a centre of liberal discontent against the shortcomings of the Russian war effort
What did the progressive bloc call for?
A government of public confidence, it became the centre of political opposition but was not a direct challenge to the Tsar
What was the Progressive Bloc made up of?
236/422 state Duma deputies (mainly kadets, octobrists and progressivists)
