Impact of WWI Flashcards
Why did Russia enter the First World War?
To protect Serbia against Austria-Hungary, and stopping Austria-Hungary from dominating the Balkans.
During WWI, how many Russian troops:
(a) were captured;
(b) died?
(a) 5 million captured
(b) 2 million died
How many Russian troops died in 1914 alone?
250,000
Of the 18.6 million men who served in the Russian army during the war, how many had already been in uniform before the war?
Only 1.4 million
How successful was Russia in the Battle of Tannenburg and why?
Not at all successful. 100,000 Russian soldiers and 400 guns were captured
What happened to the officer corps as the war progressed and why?
Became less aristocratic and experienced as more and more officers died (40,000 in 1914)
What happened in July 1915 which led to Nicholas taking personal command of the Russian armed forces in August 1915?
Russia lost control of Warsaw
Why was Nicholas taking personal command of the armed forces in August 1915 a significant blunder?
He wasn’t a natural commander and he was now personally culpable for Russia’s performance in the war - defeats could be blamed on him
In which offensive in 1916 was Russia successful and how?
The Brusilov Offensive, June 1916 - killed over half the Austrian troops (200,000)
How much did the First World War cost Russia?
3 billion roubles - far above peacetime spending
What three methods did the Russian government use to pay for the cost of war?
Borrowing (foreign loans)
Tax increases
Printing more money
When and why did Nicholas II introduce prohibition of vodka?
August 1914 - to remove a distraction from the people and stimulate the war effort
Why was prohibition an economic mistake?
In 1913 the vodka monopoly had raised 665 million roubles - 26% of all government income - the Russian state had deprived itself of an irreplaceable source of income
How did soldiers get around prohibition?
Looted alcohol stores and produced ‘samogon’ (illegally distilled vodka)
Give four reasons why there were food shortages in Russia during the First World War
Increasing population
Food requisitioning by the army
Lack of fertilisers
Transport problems
By how much had bread rations in Petrograd fallen in the first three months of 1916?
25%
How much grain did Moscow receive before the war each month? How much were they received by February 1917?
2,200 wagons of grain before the war.
Less than 700 by February 1917
How many train stations could no longer handle freight by 1916?
575
What happened at Archangel that disrupted supplies?
None of the goods could be moved on the railway trucks, they sank into the ground beneath the weight of new supplies, food rotted away
What two steps did the autocracy take to pay wages in the short term during the war?
Abandoned the gold standard
Adopted Quantitative Easing
Between 1913 and 1916, what happened to the price of…
Butter?
Salt?
Meat?
Butter: 845%
Salt: 500%
Meat: 230%
How many workers went on strike to commemorate Bloody Sunday in:
1915?
1916?
And what does this reveal about the impact of the First World War?
1915: 2,600
1916: 61,000
Workers had gone from supporting the government to opposing it due to military defeats and domestic suffering
What happened in Ivanovo-Voznesensk in August 1915? What happened in Petrograd as a result?
Police fired on striking workers, killing 30 and wounding 53.
Led to strikes in Petrograd’s large factories one week later, involving 22,500 workers
How many workers were on the Bolshevik-led strike on:
26 October?
28 October?
26 October: 25,800 workers
28 October: 79,100 workers
