Impact of WW1 on Russia (1914-1917)

Question 1

The situation in 1914

Answer 1

• There was still a great deal of opposition to the Tsarist system
• The Tsar still controlled the secret police and the army
• The impact of the war finally destroyed the Tsarist system
• After the start of the war there was a surge in pro-Tsarist feeling
• The capital city was renamed Petrograd which was more Russian

Question 2

Russian defeats on the Eastern Front 1914-1915

Answer 2

• Enthusiasm for the war did not last long
  
  • The defeats at Tannenberg and the Masurian Lakes were disastrous
• In 1914, Russia lost 250,000 men
• By the middle of 1915, Russian Poland and Lithuania and most of Latvia were overrun by the Germans
• By the end of 1914, over 1 million soldiers were killed, wounded or taken prisoner
• By 1915, casualties had mounted to over 2 million dead and over 5 million injured
• Weapons and artillery were in short supply
• By March 1917, over 8 million men were killed, wounded or taken prisoner
• By 1916, supplies to the army had improved but they were still not on the same level as German supplies
• The war exposed serious weaknesses in the Russian economy and the government’s handling

Question 3

How did Eastern Front defeats affect Tsar?

Answer 3

• By 1916, thousands were deserting from the army which were further encouraged by revolutionary anti-war and anti-Tsarist propaganda
• After 1915, anger was turned to the Tsar specifically
• In August 1915, the Germans occupied Warsaw and the Russians were forced to evacuate. The Tsar dismissed the commanders of the Russian army and took personal command. He went to the front himself. This was a serious mistake:
  
  • Nicholas had no military experience so was unsuited
  • Nicholas never returned to Petrograd which meant he was out of touch with events in the capital
  • He made himself responsible for any and all defeats. The Russians saw Nicholas as their ‘Little Father’ but this ended after this.

Question 4

Economic Impact of WW1

Answer 4

• The government spent 17 billion rubles between 1914-17 which is 15x what it had spent on the Russo-Japanese War
• Prohibition of alcohol had begun but vodka tax sales made up 25% of the government’s tax receipts so that meant a drop in income
• Regions captured by the Germans were important economic areas e.g. coal mining areas in Poland
• The military demanded a ban on grain exports from Russia so they could take what they needed
• Over 15 million men were sent to fight which meant there was a lack of men for factories and farms.
  
  • In 1915, 500 factories had to close
• The government printed more money to deal with the problems

Question 5

Social Impact of WW1 - Industrial workers

Answer 5

• In towns, factories changed to war production so other goods became scarce. Fuel shortages also hit the economy. There was a rapid rise in prices and food shortages led to anger
• The railway system was inefficient (poor infrastructure and could not deliver all of the food available. Train loads of food were left rotting in the sidings because most trains had been diverted for the war effort.
• Coal and materials were scarce. Factories closed leading to unemployment
• Prices continued to rise but wages hardly went up.
  
  • The price of meat rose by 300%
  • Flour rose by 200%

Question 6

How did social impact of WW1 for industrial workers affect support for Tsar?

Answer 6

• People in towns and cities began to blame the Tsar
• After a harsh winter in 1916, the railways could not bring as much food and huge bread queues formed

Question 7

Social impact of WW1 - Peasants

Answer 7

• For the peasants that joined the army, conditions were so bad they were turning to revolutionary group
• For the peasants who stayed at home conditions were also bad - farming was left in the hands of women and the elderly who had less experience with farming
• The army seized horses for transport making farming even harder
• Food produced was sent to the army but the prices peasants got was very poor

Question 8

Social Impact of WW1 - land and factory owners

Answer 8

• Even those well off began to suffer
• Landowners had a shortage of labourers and land value collapsed
• Industrialists who failed to get government contracts found markets disappearing and many small businesses were bankrupt

Question 9

The impact of Winter 1916-1917

Answer 9

• At the front
  
  • Desertions increased and officers authority was undermined
  • The Brusilov Offensive had been a success and the army was not in any real danger but rumours that peasants were taking over land prompted many of the peasant soldiers to leave and join in
• In the cities
  
  • Temperatures plummeted to -30 to -40 degrees
  • Food prices rose by 300% and bread almost disappeared from shops and when it was there it was reserved for ‘special customers’

Question 10

Political impact of WW1

Answer 10

• Members of the duma demanded that the tsar’s failing government be replaced by duma deputies in a ministry of national confidence
• The Tsar refused and in August 1915, moderate politicians (‘Progressive Bloc’) became a centre of opposition to the tsar.
• When the duma met again in Nov 1916, they were critical of the tsarist government and Rasputin

Question 11

Tsarina in control (a political impact of WW1)

Answer 11

• The Tsar handed the running of Russia over to the Tsarina
• This was a huge problem and led to the February Revolution
  
  • People mistrusted the Tsarina because she was German
  • Her close relationship with Rasputin further collapsed her reputation - it was rumoured they were lovers. Even members of the royal family were angry as they were usually the ones to give advice.
    
    • In December 1916, he was assassinated by conservative noblemen
  • The Tsarina was dedicated to autocracy and did not work with the Dumas at all. She implemented men that would do as they were told. There were so many changes that nobody was organising food, fuel and other supplies

Question 12

The Romanovs’ association with Rasputin

Answer 12

• His influence over the Tsarina caused much resentment and ammunition to revolutionary groups
• He could control the haemophilia of Alexei (Nicholas II’s son) which gave him very close access to the royal family - this sparked rumours of an affair
• Rumours also caused the peasants and workers to lose respect for the Tsar
• Stolypin had Rasputin banished from Petrograd but he returned in 1911 after Stolypin died
• It was only after 1915 that Rasputin had any real political influence

Question 13

Changing attitudes to Romanovs during WW1?

Answer 13

• As the war got worse, support was decreasing with the middle and upper classes
• They were particularly upset that Rasputin had any influence
• Rumours began that Alexandra was purposely losing the war for Russia by sending military secrets, food and guns to Germany, as she was a German herself

Question 14

How did Rasputin’s political influence affect support for Tsar?

Answer 14

• They blamed the Tsar for allowing this situation to develop
• Even after the death of Rasputin, the aristocracy continued to lose faith in the regime

Question 15

February 1917 Revolution: background

Answer 15

• Few people had great hopes for the survival of the Tsar’s regime
• In February, strikes spread they were even joined by members of the army

Question 16

February 1917 Revolution: Demonstrations in Petrograd

Answer 16

• Background
  
  • Food shortages hit the major cities with railway transport focused on military support
  • Peasants sold less of their grains because there was little to buy with the money they made
• Rationing
  
  • Bread would be rationed from the 1st of March. People were desperate
• Demonstrations
  
  • On the 23rd of February, International Women’s Day, thousands of women marched against bread shortages
  • They were joined by striking workers
  • Between 23-25th February, over 250,000 people marched through Petrograd - the mild weather made this possible
  • Clashes between strikers and the police and army led to the revolution
  • Nicholas had to rely on reports from the Tsarina
  • On the 25th February he ordered troops to fire on protestors. They did on the 26th February and more than 50 people died. Soldiers mutinied

Question 17

February 1917 Revolution: Army Mutiny

Answer 17

• On the 26th February, members of the Pavlovsky Regiment, shocked at troops firing on protestors, refused to obey orders
• Over the next two days (27th-28th February) soldiers joined in with workers and captured Petrograd’s main weapons store (40k rifles and 30k revolvers)
• With the involvement of soldiers, the revolution had begun
• 150,000 soldiers joined in the protests
• Without soldier’s support, the Tsar had very little control of Russia and the police force was not big enough to fight 400,000 protesters

Question 18

February 1917 Revolution: Abdication of Nicholas II

Answer 18

• By the 1st of March, Tsar was on his way back to Petrograd but by the time he reached Pskov, some of Ivanov’s troops began to show signs of mutiny and they did not want to send them into Petrograd in case they joined the mutinous soldiers
• On the 2nd March, senior army officers and members of the Duma met with Nicholas and urged him to abdicate in order to save Russia
• He agreed in favour of his brother Grand Duke Michael - the reaction to this was negative
• The leaders of the Provisional Government warned Michael that if he became Tsar, there could be a civil war
• He turned down the offer and 300 years of Romanov rule was over
• One key thing to remember is that Tsarism had not been brought down by revolutionary groups but rather that it had collapsed
  
  • The regime had long term weaknesses such as discontent
  • It also had short term weaknesses like WWI

Question 19

February 1917 Revolution: Setting up the Provisional Government

Answer 19

• There were two powerful groups that filled the vacuum of power
  
  1. The Petrograd Soviet
     
     • It would represent the workers and soldiers
  2. The Duma
     
     • 12 Duma representatives set up a provisional committee
• On the 2nd of March the Provisional Government was formed. Its leader was the well-known Liberal: Prince Lvov
• The idea was that a Provisional Government would run Russia until formal elections
• Police and town and countryside councils collapsed - the government needed these in order to rule
• Russia was still at war which was another problem.

Question 20

The 8 principles of the Provisional Government

Answer 20

On the 3rd March 1917, the Provisional Government set out its 8 principles:

1. An immediate amnesty for all political and religious offences
2. Freedom of speech, press, form labour unions and to strike
3. Abolition of all social, religious and national restrictions
4. Immediate preparation for the calling of a Constituent Assembly by universal and secret ballot
5. To organise a new militia with elective officers in place of police
6. Elections to be carried out on the basis of universal, direct, equal and secret suffrage
7. Troops that have taken part in the revolutionary movement shall not be disarmed
8. Strict military discipline when on duty but when off duty, soldiers should have the same public rights as enjoyed by citizens