Russian Withdrawal from WWI Flashcards
What was the main impact of the failure of the Schlieffen Plan?
Germany had to fight a two-front war
What was the main disadvantage of a two-front war?
Division of resources
In what year were there 2 revolutions in Russia?
1917
What condition was the Russian army in at the beginning of 1917?
It was in a state of collapse - lack of supplies, food, ammunition. Mutiny and desertion was common.
What happened to Tsar Nicholas II?
He abdicated (gave up his position) because there was so much unrest in his country.
What did Lenin promise to the Russian people?
Peace and land
What was one of the first actions of Lenin’s new government?
The Decree on Peace - an effort to make peace with the Germans
The Russians believed the Germans did not want to keep fighting on the Eastern Front. What type of agreement did they suggest?
No war, no peace. The Germans rejected this and continued to attack Russia.
Where did the Russians negotiate a peace agreement with the Germans?
Brest-Litovsk
When was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk signed?
3rd March 1918
What did the Russians lose in the harsh treaty?
32% of arable (farming) land, 26% of railways, 33% of factories, 75% of iron and coal mines, 62 million citizens
Which Russian territories now came under German control or influence?
Georgia, Finland, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia
What was the situation on the Western Front in early 1918?
There was still a stalemate - neither side could push the enemy back.
What did General Ludendorff know would have to happen for Germany to win WWI?
The Germans would need to launch a major offensive (attack) against the Allies before American troops arrived on the battlefield.
How did the Russian withdrawal from WWI help the Germans?
Ludendorff had a ‘window of opportunity’ to attack and defeat the Allies before the Americans arrived on the Western Front. He transferred German troops from the Eastern Front to the Western Front in preparation for Ludendorff’s ‘Spring Offensive’.
