Russia - 1917 Revolution Flashcards
What were the 5 main causes of the 1917 revolution?
- Workers
- Peasants
- WWI
- Nicholas II
- Tsarina
What was the most important factor in causing the 1917 revolution?
(sorry Joe if you’re using these)
WW1
When did the Battle of Tannenberg occur?
August 1914
How many Russian soldiers were killed/captured/wounded during the Battle of Tannenberg?
30,000
How many Russian soldiers escaped during the Battle of Tannenberg?
10,000
Why did the Battle of Tannenberg help to cause the 1917 revolution?
- Defeat reflected poorly on Tsar
- Seen as incompetent at controlling his armies
- Lost loyalty from his soldiers so more difficult to quell revolutions
How many Russian soldiers were there during WW1?
6 million
How many rifles were there for Russian soldiers?
4.5 million
How many shells per day were artillery units limited to?
3 per day
Why did the lack of equipment during WW1 reflect badly on the Tsar?
- Seen as incapable of properly looking after his men
- Government unable to efficiently run army and so shouldn’t be in power
- Soldiers turned against him
What was the Brusilov Offensive?
Successful offensive against Austria-Hungary
When did the Brusilov Offensive occur?
1916
How many Austria-Hungarian soldiers were killed/captured? How did this effect Austria-Hungary?
- Half of the Austria-Hungarian army
- Almost knocked them out of the war entirely
Why did the Brusilov Offensive reflect positively on the Tsar?
- Showed Tsar could successfully lead an army in battle
- Russian army started to achieve more military successes closer to 1917 (revolution)
- Made Tsar look more competent
What was the Duma called when they reformed after disbanding for WW1?
Progressive Bloc
What fraction of the Duma made up the Progressive Bloc?
2/3
Why was it a key error to ignore the Progressive Bloc?
- Turned a major political force in Petrograd against the Tsar, hence turned people against the Tsar
- Caused more dislike of the Tsar
What position did the Tsar take on later in WW1?
Commander in Chief of the Russian army
When did the Tsar become Commander in Chief?
August 1915
Why did the Tsar being Commander in Chief effect his image negatively?
- Any defeat of the Russian army could be directly linked to the Tsar
- Loss of life/injuries due to war were Tsar’s responsibility
- Lack of equipment directly Tsar’s fault
- Turned more people against him
When were the major defeats of the Russian army during WW1? Near the start or end of the war?
Start
Why was the Tsar’s position as Commander in Chief less impactful on causing the 1917 revolution?
- Major losses happened at start of war, before Tsar became Commander in Chief
- After Tsar took over, Russian started winning battles, such as the Brusilov Offensive
- Partially reflected positively on Tsar
What was the average life expectancy of a peasant during the early 19th century?
Around 40
Why was the life-expectancy for peasants so low? Give 3 reasons.
- Poor housing
- High taxes
- Difficult conditions
- Shortage of land
Where did the government try to encourage peasants to move to? Why was this?
- Siberia
- To create more land for peasants
Why did the government’s aim to move peasants to Siberia not work?
- Conditions were too harsh
- Unable to farm/make a living
- Forced to move back
How many peasants families moved back from Siberia? What did this mean?
- Around half
- Still land shortages
Why peasant living conditions a cause of the revolution?
- Poor living conditions caused unrest + discontent
- Less support of the Tsar + more likely to revolt
Why were land shortages a contributing factor to the revolution?
- Land shortages meant peasants couldn’t provide for themselves or feed their families
- Led to unrest + discontent
How did the Agrarian reforms help to appease peasants’ wants?
- Land bank meant that peasants could afford land independently thanks to loans, could provide for themselves
- Redemption payments abolished so less families in poverty
Why did the Agrarian reforms help to prevent the 1917 revolution?
- Peasants were content so less likely to revolt
- More loyal to the Tsar
What significant strikes happened after 1905?
Strikes at Lena Gold Mines
How many died in the Lena Gold mine strikes?
200
Why was Petrograd hard to provide with food?
- Railways poor
- Far away from farmland
How much did food prices rise due to WW1?
Food prices quadrupled
How much did wages increase by 1917?
Wages doubled
Why did the severe punishment of the Lena Gold mines lead to the revolution?
- Workers unable to express political views due to harsh punishment
- Made unrest more common due to anger at Tsar
How did food prices and wages contribute to the 1917 revolution?
- Workers unhappy due to poor living conditions
- Discontent spread which made strikes and revolution more likely
Why was the impact of rationing less significant in causing revolution?
- Other countries were fairing much worse
- These countries did not experience revolution as a result
What countries were struggling with rationing during WW1?
- Germany
- Austria-Hungary
- Turkey
How did Rapsutin make the Russian government unstable?
- Convinced Tsarina to dismiss reliable + experienced ministers
- Took bribes to implement less experienced + useless ministers
Why were these new ministers implemented through bribes poor for the Russian government?
- Made government look incompetent
- Ministers couldn’t make good decisions for the country due to lack of political experience
How many Prime Ministers did Russia have in 18 months?
4
How many Foreign Ministers did Russia have in 18 months?
3
How many War Ministers did Russia have in 18 months?
3
Why did “ministerial leap-frogging” help lead to revolution?
- Made government look unstable + not fit to rule
- Allowed more citizens to question Russian government
When was Rasputin assassinated?
December 1916
Why did Rasputin’s assassination mean that the Tsarina’s action weren’t the sole cause of the revolution?
- If Rasputin was key in causing the revolution, it would have occurred while he was alive
