The impact of war and revolution and the development of the Russian Empire and the USSR Flashcards
1
Q
When was the Crimean War?
A
1853-6.
2
Q
Who was the Crimean War fought between?
A
- Russia and the Ottoman Turks (supported by France and Britain).
3
Q
What did the Treaty of Paris following the end of the Crimean war lead to?
A
- Public discussions about the future of the Russian Empire.
- Slavophiles questioned Russian superiority - felt that Russia’s position as a world power had been damaged.
4
Q
How many casualties were there in the Crimean War?
A
- 650,000 - 750,000
- The Crimean War involved far heavier casualties than any other European war fought between 1815 and 1914.
- 450,000 of these casualties were Russian.
- 1/5 thought to have died from disease.
5
Q
What was the Treaty of Paris (March 1856)?
A
- Duty to protect christian subjects in the Ottoman Empire was handed over to other European powers.
- Russia had to agree to hand a substantial chunk of Bessarabia to Moldovia.
- Russia was prohibited from maintaining a fleet in the Black Sea and had to remove all naval fortifications along the Black Sea.
6
Q
How did the Crimean War influence the emancipation of the serfs?
A
- Crimean War showed Russia to be backwards in terms of transport, communications and the use of technology.
- Many felt that the root of this was serfdom.
- Emancipation edict comes 20 years after the war - shows it wasn’t a top priority.
7
Q
What changes in local government did the emancipation of the serfs lead to?
A
- Creation of the Zemsteva.
- Meant that members of the local gov now had to be elected.
- This democracy was diluted by the fact there were property qualifications attached to voting.
8
Q
How did the Crimean War provide evidence for the poor Russian military?
A
- 1833-55 - 1 million osiers died from disease.
- they had a lack of decent clothing and equipment.
9
Q
Who was responsible for enacting reforms to the military following the Crimean War?
A
- Dmitri Milyutin
10
Q
What reforms did Dimitri Milyutin make to the Russian Army following the Crimean War?
A
- Reduced service to the army to 15 years.
- Modernised training and provided rigorous instructions for officers.
- This helped to form a far more professional army.
11
Q
What economic developments were stimulated by the Crimean War under Alex III ?
A
- Expansion of the railway system.
- 2 billion roubles spent on building 20,000km of tracks between 1861 and 1878.
12
Q
When was the Russo Turkish War fought?
A
1877-8
Russia wins this won.
13
Q
What were the terms of the Treaty of San Stefano following the Russo-Turkish War (1879)?
A
- Russia to regain South Bessabarabi - it had lost it during Crimean War.
- Russia had made substantial territorial gains in the Caucuses.
- Turkey was forced to pay war indemnities to Russia.
- Recognition was given to the independence of Serbia, Montenegro and Romania.
14
Q
Why was the Congress of Berlin held?
A
- The conditions of the Treaty of San Stefano following the Russo-Turkish war worried Britain and Austria-Hungary.
- Russia feared that this upset would lead to wider war in the Balkans.
- This then leads to the Congress of Berlin.
15
Q
What were the terms of the Congress of Berlin (1878) ?
A
- Russia was allowed to retain its right to South Bessarabia.
- Austria-Hungary was to govern Herzegovina and Bosnia.
- Britain took over the administration of Cyprus.
16
Q
What was the reaction to Alex II’s agreement to the Congress of Berlin following the Crimean War?
A
- Russian-nationalists and pan-slavic supporters unhappy.
- Felt that the concessions to Austria-Hungary and Britain were unacceptable.
- Suggests that this event was responsible for his assignation in 1881.
17
Q
When was the Russo-Japanese War?
A
-1904-5.
18
Q
What were the general impacts of the Russo-Japanese war?
A
- Disastrous outcome of the war led to doubts being expressed over the ability of the tsar to maintain Russia’s world status.
- Concerns about autocracy in general.
19
Q
What was the Treaty of Portsmouth (1905), following the Russo-Japanese war?
A
- Russia was forced to withdraw from Port Arthur and South Manchuria.
- Russian leaders had to acknowledge Japanese sovereignty in Korea.
20
Q
What reforms occurred as a result of the Russo-Japanese War (1904-5)?
A
- social unrest in 1905 led to the establishment of the Duma.
- Russo-Turkish war unveiled serious transport and communication issues.
- The trans-siberain railway was unfinished and made it difficult for troops and supplies to be moved across Russia.
- Expansion in railway led to urbanisation and increased industrialisation.
21
Q
What are the similarities between Crimean, Russo Turkish and Japanese wars on the development of Russian government?
A
- Russia lost to enemies that on paper they should have defeated.
- Russian people were critical of leaders and protested.
- The wars all led to programs of reform.
22
Q
What are the differences between the Crimean, Russo-Turkish and Russo-Japanese wars on the development of Russian Government?
A
- Crimean war was different as Russian had to fight Britain and France as well as Turkey.
- The level of social unrest hat followed the Russo-Japanese war was significantly higher than for the other two (some historians argue that the protests of 1905 constituted a revolution.)
- The Russo-Turkish war had the least significant impact on the development of Russian government.
23
Q
Evidence of Russia’s military failures during WW1?
A
- Defeats at Tannenburg and Masurain Lakes.
- Russians lost twice as many troops as the enemy during its early campaigns.
24
Q
What were Russian casualty figures for WW1?
A
- 1.7 million dead.
- 2.4 million captured.
25
By 1915, what did Stavka blame Russian military failures on?
- 'Shell crisis'
- argued that industry was struggling to keep up with the demands of the army.
26
Was there a lack of supplies for Russia during WW1?
- No, industry was working at full capacity.
- Less a lack of munitions and more the fact that military administrators did not have the ability to cope with the logistical challenges posed by the war.
- Worsened by communication issues.
- There were stockpiles of supplies - piles of food rotted and mountains of hardware were so great they began sinking into the ground.
27
Why was tsar Nich II's decision to control the armed forces during WW1 a bad idea?
- Left a political vacuum - tsarina Alexandra as de facto ruler was unpopular
- Unpopular because of her German background and relationship with Rasputin.
28
What brought down tsar Nich II during WW1?
- Failure of the Brusilov offensive in 1916.
29
Evidence that WW1 was an expensive war?
- Cost of the war was 3 billion roubles.
- 1913, gov expenditure was 1.5 billion roubles.
30
How was the cost of WW1 met?
-Foreign loans.
-Issuing of war bonds.
-Increases in tax.
-Printing of money.
31
What was the economic impact of WW1 in Russia?
- Rampant inflation.
- Prices had risen 400% by 1917 from the start of the war.
- Bread rationing fell by 25% in the first three months of 1916.
32
What where the political consequences of WW1?
- Nicholas II's poor military performance alongside pressure from the progressive bloc in the Duma led to his abdication.
- He was replaced by the provisional government.
33
How did Germany help the Bolsheviks during WW1?
- Bolsheviks took German money to finance propaganda and give payments to worker supporters.
34
What was the political impact of the Russian Revolution 1917?
- Led to the Bolsheviks take over and the ending of the Duma.
- Marked the end of autocracy in Russia.
- Had the potential to be revolutionary with the dictatorship of the proletariat - really just led to totalitarianism.
35
When was the Russian Civil War?
1917-21
- The fact that the civil war lasted 4 years shows the determination of opposition to Lenin's regime.
36
What was the event that arguably signalled the beginning of the Russian Civil War?
- Kerensky's Petrograd offensive.
37
How is the Russian Civil War similar to the Crimean War and the Russo Japanese War?
- The loss of Poland was a similar humiliation for the bolsheviks that the loss of Japan was to the tsars.
- On paper Poland was vastly inferior to Russia.
38
What was the personal cost of the Russian Civil War?
- 10 million people died.
- Mainly from famines and disease.
39
What was the impact of the Russian Civil War on industry?
- Industry had fallen to 10-20% of pre-war level capacities.
- Workers had scattered, with the population of cities falling to 50% of their pre-war levels.
40
How did the Russian Civil War influence the nature of Russian Government?
- The post-war communist government consisted of men who had served in the Red Army and in the Cheka.
- Their experience was carried onto the running of Russian gov - focus on comradeship and loyalty to the party.
- Their militaristic approach best seen in War Communism and the terror of the Cheka.
41
When was the Second World War fought?
1939-45.
42
What was the human cost of WW2?
- Over 27 million Russians were killed.
- Civilians consisted of 2/3s of this total.
43
What were Stalin's view of prisoners of war during WW2?
- 5 million prisoner were taken by the Germans.
- Stalin viewed them as traitors.
44
Evidence of Russian-troops being barbaric during WW2?
- During the counter-offensive and the March on Berlin, Russian troops reportedly raped 2 million woman.
- This did little to improve Russian relations with his allies.
45
What physical damage occurred as a result of WW2?
- Physical algae occurred from German shelling and Stalin's scorched earth policy.
- Physical damage was made worse by the fact that during the war many industrial enterprises were relocated to the Urals, Volga basin and Central Asia.
- Many factories had to be reconverted from munitions production back to their original function.
46
Why were the targets set in the 4th 5-year plan achieved early?
- the availability of free labour - 4 million prisoners of war.
- unilateral trade agreements - trade agreements that only benefited Russia.
- external financial aid.
47
Why was Stalin's post-war economic policy overall unsuccessful?
- Great amounts of capital were ploughed into schemes such as the Volga-Don-Canal but with very little economic return.
- Agriculture suffered mainly from neglect - collectives suffered from shortages of labour and materials - leads to the famine in 1947.
48
What was the impact of WW2 on the structure of Russia government?
- Had very little overall impact.
- Stalin became chairman of the State Defence Committee and Supreme Commander of the military - like Nich II did during WW1.
- Russia didn't become overall more restrictive during the war.
- Membership of the politburo remained largely the same.
49
What was the impact of WW2 on party membership?
-Despite high war casualties party membership increased from 3.76 million in 1941 to 5.8 million in 1945.
-Mainly due to additions from the military who were awarded for their gallantry with official party positions.
50
What was the impact of WW2 on the NKVD?
- Very active during the war.
- Involved in the policing go prisons and the deportation of national minorities.
- After the conflict the NKVD return to purging the part - seen particularly in the Leningrad Affair.
51
What was the Leningrad Affair?
- A purge of 200 supporters of Zhdanov.
52
How did the composition of the USSR change following WW2?
- Wartime conferences establish the frontiers established during the Nazi-Soviet Pact.
- Poland was forced to concede most of the Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to Russia.
- Stalin was allowed to influence the nature of government in these areas.
- Stalin also occupied Czechoslovakia, Hungary and parts of the Balkans.
53
When was the Cold War?
1947-64
54
Impact of the Cold War on the structure of Russian government
- de-stalinisation Khrushchev's attempt to present Russia in a more positive light to the rest of the world.
55
What was the economic impact of the Cold War on Russia?
- Arms and space was very expensive.
- High levels of investment in the Russian military were to the detriment of the consumer.
- Living standards in Russia were lower than that of the rest of the west.
