was russia ready for war ?

military developments 1907-1914

• no overall strategic plan

• poor co-operation between departments

• finance limited

• no clear focus to military planning

developments in the army

• comprehensive rearmament programe - 715 million roubles over 10 years

• fortresses: 373 million

• strategic railways: 114 million

• heavy field artillery: 81 million

• reorganisation of army

• other reforms

• “great army programme”

• “railway building”

• increase in the army by 500,000 men

developments in the navy

• navy had to support 3 fleets: the baltic fleet, the black sea fleet and the far eastern fleet

• 1909- an ambitious scheme for naval rearmament was approved

• 1911- a new shipbuilding programme was established

by 1914

• no coherent defence planning

• increase in funding- inefficiently used

• poorly equipped with armaments

• had developed an offensive fleet in all 3 areas of operation but at a huge cost

• railways were improving - woefully inadequate

industrial production

• russia lagged behind france, Britain and U.S.A

• improvements in Russian heavy industry- maintain a fighting force of 12 million troops

economic

• poor development of newer industries

• master the use of gas, machine guns, tanks and motorised supplies

railway

• trans- siberian railway still not complete

• system did not stretch far enough eastwards

• supplies from Georgia and Ural agricultural and industrial areas were either delayed

• lead to starvation by 1916

workforce

• only small proportion of workforce in industry by 1914

• discontent

number of troops

• 1.4 million men with a further 4 million in reserve

• 12 million men had been conscripted into the army

poor training and equipment

• troops badly trained and had poor leadership

• generals relied on outdated tactics

• army was also short of equipment

• great military programme (1912)

low morale

• russians identified the army with repression of the regime

• many resented being conscripted into it