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
