Russia 2: Opposition to Tsar 1914-17

Question 1

Economic effects of WW1

Answer 1

Loss of trade:
* Areas captured included economic areas e.g mining regions of poland
* Germany blocked Russias access to Europe
* All imports had to go through Vladivostok
Lack of workers in factories
* 15 million men fought in war
* 1915, over 500 factories had to close

Question 2

Social impact of WW1

Answer 2

Food shortages in cities
* Not enough peasants to farm
* Railway was inefficient
* Meat price rose 300%
* Flour price rose 200%
Conditions in the countryside
* Less food due to lack of farmers
* Army seized horses for transport
* Large amounts of food was sent to army

Question 3

Military impact WW1

Answer 3

Early defeats
* August 1914 Battle of Tannenberg destruction of 2nd Army
* End of 1915 Russia lost 2 million men
Nicholas in command
* Sept 1915 Nicholas took personal control of the Army
* Ministers advised against this due to lack of military experience
* Accepted personal blame for losses

Question 4

Political impact of WW1

Answer 4

Dumas
* Fourth Duma suspended in August 1914
* 1915 progressive bloc formed
Running the Country
* Domestic policy left to Tsarina and Rasputin
* Rasputin was bribed to appoint ministers
* So many changes disorganisation followed

Question 5

Influence of Rasputin

Answer 5

Pre-1914
* Could allegedly heal Alexie haemophilia
* Rumours around affair with Tsarina
* PM stolypin was acquiring evidence against him, killed 1911
Influence during WW1
* Influence over domestic policy after 1915
* Assassinated by aristocrats in 1917

Question 6

Events in Petrograd

Answer 6

Strikes and demonstrations
* Jan - 140k workers go on strike
* Feb - gov announced bread would be rationed from 1 March
* 250k people marched
Army Mutiny
* Feb - soldiers forced to fire on protestors
* Soldiers of Pavlovsky regiment refused orders
* Full scale mutiny - captured weapons stores and stole 40k rifles

Question 7

Abdication of Tsar

Answer 7

Attempted travel to Petrograd
* Ordered General Ludovich to take troops to capital
* Nicholas decided to travel to Petrograd
* Not allowed to enter as believed his troops would join mutiny
Abdication
* Senior officers and Duma told Nicholas to abdicate
* Agreed to allow his brother Michael to become Tsar
* Strikers hated the idea of a new Tsar
* Michael declined offer ending 300 years of Romanov rule

Question 8

Army Mutiny

Answer 8

Causes
* Tsar based in Mogilev
* 25th Feb ordered police and soldiers to end strikes
* 26th Feb soldiers opened fire and killed 50 people
Events
* 150k soldiers mutinied
* Pavlovsky regiment refused orders
* Stole 40k rifles from stor