Opposition to the Tsarist Rule Flashcards
What was the situation in 1914
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
What did Russian defeats on the Eastern Front 1914-1915 cause
Enthusiasm for the war did not last long
The defeats at Tannenberg and the Masurian Lakes were disastrous
By the middle of 1915, Russian Poland and Lithuania and most of Latvia were overrun by the Germans
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
How did the war affect the Tsar
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
The Tsar 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.
Economic impact of WWI
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
The social impact of WWI - Workers
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 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 social impact of WWI - Peasants
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
The social impact of WWI - Land and factory owners
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
The impact of winter 1916-17
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’
Political impact of WWI
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
The Tsarina in control
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.
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
The association of the royal family with Rasputin
His influence over the Tsarina caused much resentment and ammunition to revolutionary groups
He could control the haemophilia of Alexei which gave him very close access to the royal family
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
What happened in February 1917?
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
What caused the 1917 revolution
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
What happened during the revolution
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
What happened for the Tsar’s abdication
By the 1st of March, Tsar was on his way back to Petrograd but did not want to go in
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 collapsed
The regime had long term weaknesses such as discontent
It also had short term weaknesses like WWI
