Russia in Wartime

• Germany declared war on Russia on 19 July 1914 and patriotism surged in Russia.
• The Duma voted for war credits and strikes ceased.
• An All-Russian Zemstvo Union was created in 1914 to relieve sick and wounded soldiers.
• The Kadet Prince Lvov was President of the All-Russian Zemstvo Union.
• St Petersburg was renamed to Petrograd in August 1914 to sound less German.
• The country was divided into military zones and civilian authority was suspended.
• The invasion of East Prussia in August 1914 was met with strong German resistance.
• The Battle of Tannenburg took place in August 1914 and 300,000 Russian soldiers died.
• The Battle of Masurian Lakes took place in September 1914.
• Russian retreats took place in Germany and Austria and reports soon came out after over a lack of raw materials.
• The zemsvta resented a loss of authority because they were doing more medical relief than the government.
• Local and national industries assumed responsibility for supplies in the absence of Tsarist action which encouraged political ambitions.
• The zemstva and the Duma accused the government of incompetence.
• The Duma formed the Progressive Bloc in August 1915 which demanded a constitutional monarchy.
• The Tsar took over the role of Commander-in-Chief in August 1915 but he lacked military experience.
• 15 million men were mobilised by the government between 1914 and 1917 but they weren't provided with appropriate equipment.
• Nicholas II was held responsible for the Brusilov Offensive which took place between June and August 1916.
• Lack of trained officers and a small railway network contributed to the Brusilov defeat.
• Alexandra and Rasputin had influence over appointments in Russia because of Nicholas' absence.
• Rumours spread about Alexandra and Rasputin that they were sabotaging the Russian war effort.
• Rodzianko was the 4th Duma President and he warned Nicholas II about the rumours about Rasputin and Alexandra.
• Prince Yusupov assassinated Rasputin in December 1916.
• Production slumped in Russia because of conscription.
• Industrial capacity was lost because the Germans overran Eastern Europe and trade ended in the Baltic Sea and Black Sea because of naval blockades.
• Distribution was an issue because of a small railway network which was also disrupted by a fuel shortage.
• Railways were prioritised to the military which meant that food would rot before it got to civilians.
• Hoarding grain was ineffective because there was nothing to buy after the war and workers suffered from unemployment.
• Non-military factories closed because of a lack of raw materials.
• Living rates increased by 300% in Petrograd and strikes escalated.
• Edward Action said that "political developments directly reflected mounting social tension".