Economic & Social State Of Russia Flashcards
How did the Government fund the war?
- Increased Taxes
- Huge financial loans from home and abroad
What did financial loans and raised taxes cause for the Russian economy?
Massive inflation; money was virtually worthless by 1917.
Prices rose more steeply than wages
Because millions of men were conscripted into the Russian army, what happened to the amount of workers in the countryside?
- The shortage of men meant there was a shortage of workers in the countryside, which inhibited rail transportation from the towns to the cities
What did peasants do with food due to inflation?
Hoarded it
Poland and other parts of Western Russia were overrun by Germans, what impact did this have on Russian trade?
It brought trade to a virtual standstill; nobody would trade with Russia due to the Germans
What happened to the railway system under the strain of war?
It essentially collapsed. The transportation of food and supplies to the front lines was prioritised over transportation of food to the cities.
Locomotive production halved between 1913 and 1916
What was the fuel situation like regarding trains? And what impact did this have on the transportation of food?
Major fuel shortages led to cargoes of food being left to rot on the side of the railway lines.
What happened to unemployment in Petrograd and Moscow? Why?
It soared because non-military factories were deprived of vital supplies so they had to close down.
What did Germany do to exacerbate the situation in Russia?
They encouraged lock-outs and strikes in a deliberate attempt to exacerbate industrial discontent and decrease the morale of the Russian fighters.
By which percentage did the cost of living rise by 1917?
300%
How many workers went on strike in January 1917 in Moscow? And how many in Petrograd?
Moscow = 300,000 Petrograd = 145,000
By which percentage did inflation increase for the cost of salt?
483% compared to pre-war
