Nicholas post 1914

Question 1

What were some of the reasons Nicholas II had to abdicate?

Answer 1

-The war > the workers’ strikes, becoming commander in chief.
-Rasputin and his relationship with Tsar and Tsarina
-Economic distress and mismanagement
-People wanting more democracy

Question 2

What were reasons that the First world war was so detrimental to the Tsar’s downfall?

Answer 2

-Military failures
-Difficult living conditions due to war
-Role of the Tsarina and Rasputin
-His failure to make political reforms

Question 3

How did Military failures during WWI contribute to the downfall of Tsar Nicholas?

Answer 3

-A huge No. of Russians were killed in 1914 and 1915
-Disillusionment and anger about the way the tsar and govt were conducting the war

Question 4

How did Difficult living conditions during WW1 contribute to the downfall of Tsar Nicholas?

Answer 4

• war > acute distress in major cities > Petrograd and Moscow
  -Disruption of supplies > food, goods, raw materials > short supply
  -Prices rocketed and inflation was rampant
  -Lack of fuel > cold swell as hungry
  -Urban workers = hostile to Tsarist govt
  -Peasants became angry about conscription of all young men who rarely came back from the front

Question 5

How did the Tsar’s failure to make political reforms during the war contribute to his downfall in 1917?

Answer 5

-Had chances to make concessions to political reform > may have saved him
-Could’ve had a constitutional monarchy > taken pressures off of the Tsar
-Duma > fully behind the Tsar in the war
-The ‘Progressive Bloc’ group emerged > suggested Tsar establish a govt of public confidence - meant letting them run the country > he rejected and retained autocracy

Question 6

How did the Role of the Tsarina and Rasputin contribute to the downfall of Tsar Nicholas?

Answer 6

-Tsarina and Rasputin > left in charge of govt
-They made a terrible mess of the country > dismissed ministers frequently
-Cities deteriorated quickly > Food and fuel were in short supply
-Circulations of mockery cartoons of the Tsarina and Rasputin in bed > credited the tsar for putting them in charge
-Beginning of 1917 > few prepared to defend him

Question 7

How did the Tsar contribute to his own downfall in 1917?

Answer 7

-Personality and leadership
-Attitude to political change
-Reform
-Misjudgements and mistakes

Question 8

How did the Tsar’s Personality and leadership contribute to his downfall in 1917?

Answer 8

-Weak but obstinate, indecisive and lack of world knowledge
-did not have the skills or capabilities to rule
-Repression was his main weapon
-relied on the army as a police force

Question 9

How did the Tsar’s attitude to political change contribute to his downfall in 1917?

Answer 9

-Resisted all forms of change pre 1905 > believer in autocracy > not keen on Zemstva or local govt.
-October Manifesto 1905 > never committed to it > missed opportunity to bring liberal intelligentsia to his side
-Did not want Dumas or representative body > fundamental laws
-No cooperation with Dumas 1906-1914 or with progressive Bloc during the war

Question 10

How did the Tsar’s attitude to reform contribute to his downfall in 1917?

Answer 10

-Never supported Witte’s or Stolypins reforms > Didn’t want changes in society
-Wanted to protect > court power, landowning classes’ power > sided with right-wing groups that resisted reform
-Resisted extension Zemstva to western provinces
-No real concessions to workers > working hours and conditions > rejected trade unions or bodies representing workers

Question 11

How did the Tsar’s Misjudgements and mistakes contribute to his downfall in 1917?

Answer 11

-Failed to see the seriousness of situation building in 1904 > blind to demands of liberals and workers > Bloody Sunday 1905 = loss of respect for Tsar \
-Appointment of nonentities to run govt after Stolypins death
-Support for Rasputin’s damaged royal family rep
-Going to the front line 1915 > personal responsibility for war
-rejecting proposals of the Progressive Bloc in 1916

Question 12

When did Nicholas II go to the front lines?

Answer 12

1915

Question 13

When did Nicholas reject the proposals of the Progressive Bloc?

Answer 13

1916

Question 14

How many losses were there in WW1 for the Russians?

Answer 14

1.5million dead

Question 15

What was the Russian Army like in 1916?

Answer 15

-Commanders and veteran soldiers = well equipped
-Pre-war army = mostly gone
-Higher proportion of older soldiers with no experience
-Brusilov offensive damaged moral

Question 16

What happened at the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914?

Answer 16

-Russians took heavy losses
-Driven back
-Long retreat through 1915 due to this

Question 17

What happened in the August of 1915 due to the war?

Answer 17

-Russia forced out of Poland Lithuania and Latvia

Question 18

How many Russians were killed between May and December 1915 due to the war?

Answer 18

1 million

Question 19

What happened at the Brusilov offensive in the Summer of 1916?

Answer 19

-general Brusilov launched a brilliant offensive
-Austrians were on their knees due to the offensive
-But Germans came and pushed back the Russians

Question 20

What was the percentage growth in artillery and rifle output?

Answer 20

1000%

Question 21

By 1916 were the Russians matching the Germans in shell production?

Answer 21

Yes

Question 22

What happened to the number of strikes in February of 1917?

Answer 22

Increased dramatically ( No. of those on strike went from 100,000 on the 14th to 316,000 by the 27th)

Question 23

What happened on Monday the 14th of February 1917?

Answer 23

-58 factories > on strike in Petrograd
-News that bread would be rationed from the 1st of march
-Violent exchanges > police struggle to keep order

Question 24

What happened on Wednesday the 22nd of February 1917?

Answer 24

-20,000 workers leave Putilov iron works after pay talks collapse

Question 25

What happened on Thursday the 23rd of February 1917?

Answer 25

-International women’s day
-50 factories closed
-workers join women’s march
-240,000 on the street

Question 26

What happened on Friday the 24th of February 1917?

Answer 26

-Crowds > overturn tsarist statues
-Revolutionary slogans > “La Marseille” was sung > red banners

Question 27

What happened on Saturday the 25th of February 1917?

Answer 27

-Over half of capitals work force on strike
-Police chief shot and beaten
-Band of civilians > killed by soldiers
-Cossacks refuse to attack

Question 28

What happened on Sunday the 26th of February 1917?

Answer 28

-Duma president sends Tsar a telegram
-troops firing at each other
-Popular discontent

Question 29

What happened on Monday the 27th of February 1917?

Answer 29

-Use of military force
-40 deaths
-Volynskii regiment sergeant shoots a commander
-Army turns to protest

Question 30

What happened on Tuesday the 28th of February 1917?

Answer 30

-Tsar offers to share power with Duma > Duma rejects

Question 31

Why did the Army support the 1917 revolution?

Answer 31

-Army in 1917 > very different to the one at the beginning of 1914
-14 million men mobilised in war > half had been killed, wounded or taken prisoner
-Fundamental change within the army
-At the beginning of 1917, the generals considered Nicholas was a liability > happy to see him go > although still wanted to retain the monarchy
-Army > more sympathetic to the people > unwilling to suppress disorders > generals played a large role in suppressing orders

Question 32

What was the death toll of the February revolution?

Answer 32

-1500
-7000 injured

Question 33

What was Order Number One?

Answer 33

-A Charter of Soldiers’ Rights>

Question 34

What happened at the Petrograd Soviet?

Answer 34

-Order Number One

Question 35

What did Order Number Once promise?

Answer 35

-Units in the army to elect a deputy to the Soviet> agree political control of the Petrograd Soviet
-Military commission of the Duma to be obeyed
-All weapons > controlled by elected soldier’s committees > not officers
-All soldiers enjoy full citizens’ rights when off duty > no requirement to salute
-No honorific titles to be used for officers

Question 36

What was the dual authority?

Answer 36

-The soviet 27th February
-the Provisional govt 2nd March

Question 37

Who made up the Provisional government?

Answer 37

-Largely leading figures of various liberal parties
-Dominated by the Kadets and their leader Milyutov > Foreign Minister
-One socialist Minister (Kerensky) > Minister of Justice

Question 38

How was the body of the Provisional govt formed?

Answer 38

-Had been chosen by a committee of the Duma > not elected by the people.

Question 39

What powers did the Provisional govt have?

Answer 39

-Could not do anything without support from the Soviets
-Supported by the Middle class
-Had power over the army, the land, National determination
-No control over the economy

Question 40

Who made up the the Soviets?

Answer 40

-Workers
-soldiers
-Socialists > mainly Mensheviks and SR’s

Question 41

How was the body of The Soviets formed?

Answer 41

-Socialist intellectuals formed the leadership of the Soviets

Question 42

What powers did the Soviets have?

Answer 42

-Order Number One > Soviet stronger power in the dual government

Question 43

Why did the Soviet not take power when it had the opportunity?

Answer 43

-Marxist theory stated there would have to be a bourgeoise revolution.
-There were no Bolsheviks