Political Authority and the state of Russia In war Time Flashcards
How did WW1 Initially ease pressure off Nicholas?
- Surge of patriotism
- Weren’t any strikes
- Duma supported the conflict
What were some early setbacks in WW1 for the Russian military?
Battle of Tannenberg -Major defeat –> 300,000 dead or wounded
-Successive defeat at the battle of Masurian lakes
what was the political impact of WW1?
-national industries assumed responsibility for supplies
-Duma accused gov of incompetence-
‘Progressive Bloc’–> demanding constitutional reform (1915)
How did Nicholas respond to the progressive bloc?
-Dismissed Duma as they were a challenge to authority.
What was the significance of the Tsar taking becoming commander in chief of the military in August 1915?
-Didn’t have any military experience
-Performance of Army now reflected on Tsar
ie Brusilov offensive failed –> many blamed Tsar
What were the problems with the Tsarina Taking control of the government?
- suspicious relationship with Rasputin
2. German by Birth
What was the Socio-economic impact of ww1?
- Cost of the War: 14.5 Billion roubles (1918)
- Russia lost Trade in Baltic sea ( Naval Blockades)
- Lack of raw materials & emphasis on heavy industry–> light industry factories closing
- Unemployment
- hampered supply of cosumer goods –> Fucked peasantry.
- Shortage of munitions and weapons -> negatively impacted War effort.
+Conscription eased population crisis in the towns.
What factors indicated that the War wasn’t going very well by 1917?
- Mass striking: 58 factories were on strike
- Duma demanded the tsar Abdicated
- Rationing. e.g bread–> caused panic
What was the pulitov works strike?
20,000 workers went on strike
–> demanding better working conditions and higher wages and food rationing
What did Strikers increasingly call for in February 1917?
-overthrowing of the Tsar
How did Nicolas deal with these strikes in 1917.What did this do?
Authorised use of troops (shooting)
=>Caused more hostility towards Tsar
What did the Troops do?
-Unlike 1905, most refused to shoot (Mutiny)
What happened to Nicholas as a result of authorising troops and his generals?
-Nicholas lost support of his generals
They advised him to abdicate and he did
Who proclaimed control of the military after Nicholas had abdicated?
The petrograd soviet
What type of Power did the Provisional government hold and who were it’s members?
- Theoretical power ie laws
- Mainly Octoberists and upper-class liberals
Following the Tsar’s abdication, what two ruling authorities was Russia Left to?
- The provisional Government
- The petrograd soviet
(Dual power system)
What did the Provisional government Initially promise?
-civil liberties, amnesty , for political prisoners and end of capital punishment.
What type of power did the Petrograd soviet hold and who were it’s members?
- Had conrol over the streets and Military
- Dominated by Bolsheviks
Who was Kerensky?
Member of Both P gov and p soviet
–> (main line of communication between the two)
Why was the Provisional government unpopular?
- Continued to fight in WW1 despite losing
- Food shortages –> Mass desertions in Army + Peasant land seizures.
Why did Germany allow for Lenin to pass Through to get to Russia?
-Stir up domestic revolutionary trouble ,thus harming Russia’s war effort
What did Lenin demand when he returned to Russia
- Abolition of the provisional government - All Power to the soviets
- An end to the war
What were Lenin’s April Theses?
-Toured Country: Promises of “peace, Bread and land”
=> Blamed PG for dire social circumstances ie WW1
-Appealed to a crippled peasantry=> Bolsheviks support increased.
What happened in the July days?
- uprising of workers and Bolsheviks against the Provisional Government
- PG used troops to break up protest
(Revolution too premature)-Bolsheviks not strong enough yet.
What was the Kornilov affair?
- Kornilov became commander in chief of military
- -> Believed he could reinstate the Tsarist gov
- -> Military coup
- kerensky (opposed) asked Petrograd soviet help defend the city
- Bolsheviks givens arms –.> challenge Army.Kornilov defeated.
What effect did The Kornilov affair have on the Bolsheviks?
- Increase support for Bolsheviks
- Arm Bolsheviks–> future rev
How did The Bolsheviks grow at the expense of the Mensheviks and the Sr’s
-SR’s and Mensheviks continued to support the provisional government and therefore the unpopular war
What evidence is there for the growth of Bolsheviks
-By sep 1917 Bolsheviks had 200,000 members
