Russia during and after WW1 Flashcards
Strengths of Russia by 1914
- own rich culture transmitted by orthodox church
- industrial boom of 1890s
- steel production rose from 9 - 76 million poods a year
- agriculture doing well - Russia now largest cereal exporter in the world
Weaknesses of Russia by 1914
- underdeveloped
- living conditions appalling
- Nicholas 2 not equipped to rule Russia
1900 onwards Russia entered a depression = wages fell and unemployment
How WW1 contributed to the Tsar’s downfall
- Military failures - defeats and large loss of life led to anger about the war - September 1915 the Tsar took responsibility for the war effort
- Difficult living conditions -war = acute distress in the cities - hundreds of factories closed and prices sky rocketed
- Tsarina and Rasputin - made mess of running of the country - people annoyed the Tsar left them in charge
- Failure to make political reforms - rejected the progressive bloc
Impact of WW1 on the army
by 1915 they had been forced out of Poland, Latvia and Lithuania - Between may - Dec 1915, one million Russians were killed.
Leaders of the army appointed due to relation with the Tsar = inexperienced
Impact on the Tsar
support declined - July 1915 forced into reconvening the Duma ( good as the Duma wanted to help the country ) however he quickly suspended the Duma later on.
Impact on the economy
Peasants stopped selling grain - economy struggled - desperation of good led to inflation and prices of good quadrupled whereas wages only doubled
Labour shortage also
Impact on the government
Tsar took control of the army which mean that the government became unstable with constant changing of ministers
e.g. - 1916, prime minister was named as Sturmer=incompetent and had a German name
Impact on the home front
transport links struggled as military effort taking priority - made moving grain to cities harder - overcrowding in cities as German refugees moved in
Impact on opposition groups
progressive bloc formed - wanted control of the country but Tsar refused them this.
Tsar also reconvened the Duma who had promised to stop the country from slipping into a revolution
The Liberals ( Kadets )
wanted to limit Tsars power through ‘reform instead of violence’
also wanted Zemstva put in place in USSR - would give councils more power
also wanted to continue the war.
Strengths - middle class favoured the Liberals
Weaknesses - members mainly concentrated in Moscow and Petrograd
Social Revolutionaries
Leader - Chernov
wanted peasants to overthrow Tsar and replace with democratic republic - wanted to work with capitalism
wanted to fight a defensive war.
Strengths - lot’s of support from the peasants who made up 80% of the population at the time
Weaknesses - spreading info hard as peasants were illiterate
The Marxists
based on Comunist Manifesto (1848) - wanted to develop industry and grow working-class pop. - believed the rich exploited the working class
Strengths - large following amongst middle class - ideas appeared scientific
Weaknesses - middle class didnt have strong history of revolutions.
Social Democrats
Leader - Plekhonov
similar beliefs to Marxists
split into Mensheviks and Bolsheviks
Mensheviks - believed party should be democratic
Bolsheviks - Lenin wanted a revolutionary party with a small number of professional leaders.
Strengths - lots of working class support
Weaknesses - group was torn so decisions hard to make
Petrograd Soviet
Made up of…
- Workers and soldier’s
- Mensheviks and socialist revolutionaries
- Chairman = Chkeidze
Role was to protect the interests of working classes and soldiers
Provisional Government
Made up of…
- Leading figures from the Kadets
Leader = Prince Lvov
Role = run country until constituent assembly has been elected
Was chosen by the Duma and NOT elected by the people
