WW1

• In July 1914, Russia mobilised to go to war to aid Serbia. Within a few weeks Russia had declared war on Germany and Austria-Hungary. This speedy mobilisation gave a false impression of how industrialised Russia was, as in reality they were able to mobilise so quickly because their army was so weak
• The First World War saw the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and the end of tsarist autocracy.

  • Before 1918, the tsar's autocracy had been in place for the past 300 years without much modification or change.
  • The tsar's regime was replaced by a temporary provisional government.
  • A short while later a Communist dictatorial regime took over.
• At the outbreak war, there was a wave o patriotism focusing on on loyalty to the Tsar. Nicholas II welcomed the war as a distraction from the country's internal problems (thus, suggesting tsardom was already coming to an end)
• Military failures during WW1:

  • 5.5 million casualties
  • Defeated in 1914 bat Tannenberg and the Masurian lakes
  • By Jan 1917, 1 million soldiers had deserted
• Poor leadership during WW1:

  • Like the Russo-Japanese War, the First World War was led poorly by the tsar and his military advisers.
  • Lack of confidence in Nicholas II's leadership
  • Aug 1915 - Nicholas II became commander in chief of the army, leaving Alexandra and Rasputin in charge of the government
• Political issues:

  • Tsar hadn't incorporated the Duma into the government (because of Fundamental Laws and Electorate Laws), meaning he had to take full responsibility for the war
• Economic problems during WW1:

  • Wartime inflation ran at 300%
  • Failure of Tsarist economy - persistance of old fashioned bureaucracy meant Russia couldn't meet needs for a modern war
• Social issues during WW1:

  • Strikes increased from 211 (1915) to 684 (1916)
  • Unsuccessful at mobilising public opinion through propaganda as this wasn't developed/ utilised during the war
• • The First World War seriously damaged the Russian economy.
  • Inflation ran rampant through Russia as defeats mounted.
  • The government increased taxation to try to combat the growing inflation.
  • Inflation continued to spiral.
  • The Russian government had relied too heavily on foreign economic assistance.
  • The Russian economy could not function without foreign economic aid during the war
• • WW1 affected the home front to a considerable degree.
  • This led to anger and social unrest.
  • The Russian people were angry that:
  • The tsarina and Rasputin were doing nothing to help the country.
  • Food rotted in railways instead of stocking up the shops.
  • There was a loss of public faith in Russia's ability to win the war.
• The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk:

  • The Treaty of Brest-Litvosk was signed in March 1918 by Lenin and the Central Powers.
  • The Treaty of Brest-Litvosk ended Russia's participation in WW1
  • Lenin felt compelled to get out of the war no matter the cost
  • Russia lost a lot of land as a result of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.
  • These territories included Finland, Georgia, Ukraine, and Poland, as well as others.
  • One third of Russia's agriculture, population, and most of its production in oil were handed over.
  • Despite it being a tsarist war, the war molded early Communist thinking.
• WW1 is to blame for the Tsar's abdication:

  • Military failures led to economic problems and social unrest
  • Military forces/ industry cooperation meant authority struggled to cope
  • War led to huge errors in judgement from the Tsar - led to a loss in confidence
  • Unnecessary continuation of Russia's involvement in the war
• The Tsar was always going to abdicate:

  • Worker opposition to the government existed before the war began, especially with the growth of trade unions
  • Russian autocracy was unstable and at the start of the war Russia was still industrially behind the West
  • The war helped speed up Russia's demise, rather than end its chances of progress