War Flashcards
When was the Crimean war and what caused it?
1853-56, caused by issues between France and Russia over who had the right to control the holy lands in the decaying Ottoman Empire.
Give three consequences of the Crimean war
- Led to 450,000 Russian deaths. 2. Revealed Russia’s backwardness. 3. Led a spate of reforms from Alexander II to try to modernize Russia and catch up with the west.
Give three terms of the treaty of Paris
- Russia barred from maintaining a fleet in the Black Sea. 2. Russia loose its claim to protecting Christians in the holy land. 3. Russia had to cede land in Bessarabia.
What happened to the army?
Reformed under the Milyutin plan, service reduced from 25 to 15 years, all men over 21 were conscripted, courts no longer allowed to give service as punishment, officers and soldiers better educated and army colonies banned.
How did the Crimean war effect modernization?
Revealed that Russia needed to modernize, leading to a greater drive for railway construction with 2billion roubles spent on railway construction 1861-78. Also served as a major catalyst for the emancipation of the peasants, legal reforms and the setting up of the zemstva.
When was the Russo Turkish war?
1877-78, was meant to be a grand and swift victory for Russia, whilst they did emerge victorious, victory took longer then expected.
What happened with the treaty of san stefano?
1878, very generous to Russia but was unpopular with Britain and Austria who forced Russia to accept a new treaty at the congress of Berlin which gave Britain the right to administer Cyprus, set up a smaller Bulgaria and gave Austria control over Bosnia.
Give two consequences of the Russo Turkish war
- Congress of Berlin was a humiliation for Russia, the tsar lost respect and opposition grew. 2. War undid Reutern’s economic gains, he retired in protest and the crown was once again in debt.
When was the Russo Japanese war?
1904-05, caused by japan attacking the Russian fleet in port Arthur. Seen as a massive humiliation for Russia as they viewed the Japanese as an inferior race, yet were defeated by them and forced to withdraw from port Arthur and south Manchuria.
Give two consequences of the Russo Japanese war
- Revealed the lack of skill in the Russian army and played a major role in the 1905 revolution. 2. Led the tsar to push for more rapid industrialization which led to worse living and working conditions.
How did WWI initially effect Russia?
Led to patriotism as people rushed out to support the tsar and people wanted to help fellow slavs in Serbia, this soon changed with major defeats at tannenburg and marsurian lakes.
How did Nicholas worsen the situation?
Set up military zones where army authorities had full control, went to go and lead the troops on the front in September 1915, leaving the unpopular german empress in charge.
How else did Nicholas worsen the situation?
ZEMGOR was set up in June 1915 to aid organization of the war effort, but Nicholas ignored it and accused it of being disloyal, it became an outlet for liberal discontent, he also ignored the duma’s demands for more control over the war effort.
What happened during WWI?
The army suffered from munitions and equipment shortages caused by bad organization, by 1917 they had lost 9 million men and the tsar’s decision to take control of the war effort was very unpopular.
What was Russia like when war broke out?
Coal output was 10% of Britain’s and GNP was 20% of Britain’s, most people still worked in small scale handicrafts.
How did war effect the economy?
It could not cope, the gold standard was abandoned and the price of food and fuel quadrupled. Food shortages and 8 hour bread queues were common as most food was used for soldiers and grain could not reach cities.
