WW1 onwards Flashcards
How prepared was Russia in 1914
The Tsar had lost his authority and the idea of him being a paternalistic figure was fading therefore there was less incentive to fight for your country - pillar of nationalism gone
Economically - the country was over reliant on foreign loans
Reservations to go to war due to loss in Russo Japanese war
Strikes in Russia in 1914
Socially/ economic - 1.4 million striking workers by 1914, with over 2,000 strikes. Lena Goldfields Massacre in 1912 exacerbated this where protesters protesting low wages and working conditions)
Arguments for instability in 1914
- A violent overthrow of Tsarism was inevitable due to Nicholas’s ineptitude in skillful leadership
- Due to the nature of autocracy and Nicholas’s lack of engagement with democracy, the Duma and mass participation in the political process was stifled
- The Tsar went through 4 Dumas in hopes to reduce each ones autonomy further - showed he was unwilling to learn from the lessons of 1905
- Increasingly political terrorism (from left and right) and increase in Russification to suppress opposition showed how far away the country was to be a progressive and liberal Russia
- Police state - martial law was frequently imposed
Arguments for stability in 1914
- After the 1905 the labour movement had retreated due to the repression of trade unions
- Duma provided representatives of the new political parties with experience of government and administration - also helped to develop political culture of various social cultures, including the peasantry, by familiarising them with the procedures of parliamentary elections
- The economic revival from 1907 showed that the rapid economic growth was intentional eg. through vigorous industrialisation and stolypin’s land reforms
Why was Russia involved in the war
- Increased tensions between Austria and Russia during the Balkan wars 1912-1913
- Russian, Britain and France formed the Triple Entente in 1907, agreeing to defend each other if any were attacked
Significance Battle of Tannenburg
Russians took heavy loss and retreated back - creates low motivation
Socially may reduce nationalism in Russia -reduces nationalistic sentiment
Loss of morale and social unrest
These battles put a huge strain on Russian economy
When did Germany declare war on Russia
1 Aug 1914
What happened in the Battle of Tannenberg
August 1914
Russian army marched into Prussia. However, because of the differences in railway gauge between between Russia and Prussia it was difficult for the Russians to get supplies through to their men. The ensuing battle was a heavy defeat for the Russians
What happened in the Battle of Masurian Lakes
Although the Germans were unable to defeat the army completely, over 100,000 Russians were taken prisoners
When did Nicholas go to war
Sept 1915 Nicholas appoints himself Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army
Affects of the battles
These battles put a huge strain on Russian economy -exposed it’s structural weaknesses - Railways overwhelmed
Statistics of war
- By the end of 1914 Russia had lost over 1 million soldiers
- 1,700,000 Russian soldiers died during WW1 and the combined casualties reached 6,700,000
Evidence that the war was initially popular
War was initially popular, supported by a wave of anti-german sentiment
Political:
- End to strike action
- Duma dissolved itself as it didn’t want to be a burden
Social:
St Petersburg renamed to Petrograd so it is anti-german
How did Russia mobilize
Had two basic mobilisation schemes
- Partial - based on plans for a limited campaign in the Balkans against Austria Hungary
- Full - based on plans for a full scale war against both Germany and Austria Hungary
Partial mobilisation = some birders left defenceless
Full mobilisation = provoke germany
Initial reactions to war
- Outbreak of hostilities in 1914 greatly enhanced Tsar’s position - became a hero figure
- Socialist parties abandoned their policies and committed themselves to the national war effort - Lenin bitter in his condemnation
- Bolsheviks vilified as traitors and German agents for their opposition to the war and Lenin fled to Switzerland
Economic and social affects of the war
- 3 years of war put strain on Russian economy
Inflation: - 1914 economy was unstable - currency on the gold standard
- Between 1914 and 1917 government spending rose from 4 million to 30 million roubles
Food supply: - The requisitioning of horses and fertilisers by the military for the war effort made it difficult for peasants to sustain agricultural output. Because the military had priority on food supplies hunger was a constant reality for much of Russia during the war
How was transport affected by the war
- Disruption of transport system was a major cause of Russia’s wartime shortages
- Transporting millions of troops and masses of supplies o the war fronts created unbearable pressures
- By 1916 575 stations were no longer capable of handling freight
How was the army affected by the war
- Only 8.8% of Russia’s population was mobilised - compares to Germany’s 20.5% - In total numbers Russia was the larger army - therefore shows that tactical decisions were the reason for their loss
- A lack of equipment denied the army it’s full potential
- Soldiers fought barefoot as there was a great shortage of boots , war hospitals disorganised
How did the war affect the role of the Tsar
- Strong central leadership was not being provided
- In 1915 Nicholas had formally taken over the direct command of Russia’s armed service - problem as he was now personally responsible for Russia’s performance
How did the war effort affect morale
- The minimal gains of Russia were not enough to justify the appalling casualty lists
- Enthusiasm of 1914 had turned by 1816 into pessimism and defeatism. Although the Russian army was not on the verge of collapse in 1917
- Mutinies occurred but these were not exclusive to Russia
How were relations with the Duma affected by the war
Tsar loses support from the Duma and demands its recall
Refusal of the Tsar to cooperate with the Duma leads to creation of the Zemgov - where the union of Zemstva’s and Union of Municipal Councils join forces - this unification of forces shows they dop not trust the Tsar
How did political scandals affect the Tsar’s authority
- Russian people began espousing rumours about the Tsarina and Rasputin. Once a rumour was spread it became common belief - the fact the Tsar couldn’t control these rumours showed he was losing his political authority at a frightening rate
- Scandals being spread that the ministers were ineffective and untrustworthy
- Because censorship was strong rumours became equally valid as fact
- Alexandra’s ‘sexual corruption’ became a symbol of the diseased condition of the monarchy
Social affects of the war
- Bread queues became a political forum for rumours to spread
- Cities of the north began to experience food shortages, price rocketed, long shifts in their factories
- Society made a great breeding ground for rumours to foster as people wanted ways to blame the Tsar - all confidence in Nicholas lost
Why did the Tsar lose the support of the military
- They were angry that the government were making them fight a war they couldn’t win, providing them with inadequate weapons and supplies
- They did not believe that the state was worthy of their sacrifice showing how national sentiment was fading
