Russia and WW1

What happened as WW1 broke out?

Nicholas II tried to work with his cousin Kaiser Wilhelm II to bring their nations back from the brink of war

What was an immediate result within Russia of WW1

Internal conflicts were temporarily forgotten as everyone turned to support the war effort

This included a wave of support for Nicholas II

How did Russia fair during the start of WW1

Russia made a promising start, with early victories over the Austro-Hungarians and having the largest army in Europe.

How did Russia fair during the 1915-1916 period

This was short-lived, however, as throughout 1915, Russia was forced into a long retreat, losing Poland, Lithuania and Latvia

There was a slight comeback however, in 1916 with the Brusilov offensive, but they were ultimately overwhelmed and forced to retreat.

What were the prominent weaknesses within Russia during the war (5)

Russian leadership

No Clear command structure

Severe lack of supplies

Lack of strategies to help wounded soldiers

Soldiers Moral

Russian Leadership weaknesses

Many commanding and high-level officers had been chosen due to their loyalty and friendship to the Tsar over their actual capability or experience

Weaknesses in command structure

There was never a clear command chain/structure, or an actual war plan developed

Lack of supplies

There was a severe lack of supplies and equipment, including rifles, boots, ammunition, etc. This left many needing to share guns or scavenge off fallen comrades

Strategies/Help for wounded soldiers

There was little to no help available and many were left for days at a time

Morale

Soldiers morale was impacted the worst and tens of thousands deserted

What was life like on the home front (6)

The strain of equipping and feeding millions of soldiers tolls the economy

Railways were often overflown

There was a large shortage of grain entering the market

Inflation was ripe

Refugees flooded major cities

Strikes and riots became more common

The Strain of equipment (Home Front)

The strain of equipping the army proved strenuous and revealed mass weakness within Russia’s economy

Over flown railways (Home Front)

With railways overflowing, systems for transporting equipment and supplies to both the army and cities were crippled

Grain shortages

Peasants weren’t offered incentives for grain production and could do little with any money earned, as factories were prioritised for war manufacturing.

Grain production was at 15% that of pre-war levels

Inflation during the war

Russia abandoned the gold standard and began mass printing money for war expenses. This led inflation to rise exponentially.

While wages doubled, the price of food and fuel quadrupled

Refugees

Refugees flooded major cities and caused mass crowding. Petrograd was only receiving a third of the needed supplies

Strikes and Riots

Throughout 1915 and 1916, strikes and riots became common and increased in frequency and violence.

This only worsened with the ban on Vodka

Who was Rasputin

Rasputin was a supposed holy man who came to wield tremendous power/influence in court