impact of world war i on russia
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Impact of World War I on Russia. Russia enters war in 1914 very unprepared Weak generals, poorly equipped troops Loses more than 4 million in the 1st year While Nicholas II is on the Front, wife Alexandra is running things with Rasputin - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Impact of World War I on Russia• Russia enters war in 1914 very
unprepared• Weak generals, poorly equipped
troops• Loses more than 4 million in the
1st year• While Nicholas II is on the Front,
wife Alexandra is running things with Rasputin
• Soldiers mutiny & desert; food & fuel supplies dwindle, prices wildly inflated
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W1b6j8U46k
Rasputin & Alexandra
• Czarina Alexandra controls daily operations during WWI
• Under influence of Rasputin
• Thought he could ‘cure’ Alexi’s hemophilia
• Life in St. Petersburg becomes corrupt
• Generates disgust & mistrust
March Revolution• Strikes flare up
everywhere over shortages
• Soldiers refuse orders to shoot the rioters
• Czar Nicholas II forced to abdicate
• Provisional Government created - Kerensky
Provisional Government
First Soviets• Lenin – exiled radical
returns• Underground radicals
emerge to lead revolts• Radicals organize
workers, peasants & soldiers into soviets
• Believed that industrial workers would overthrow the Czar
• After the revolution, the workers would rule: ‘dictatorship of the proletariat’
• Bolsheviks favored revolution by a small number of committed revolutionaries
• Other groups want less radical reform – like the mensheviks and Social Democrats
Bolshevik Revolution
Lenin’s Solution
Lenin in Power
• TREATY OF BREST –LITOVSK
• LAND REFORM
Civil War in Russia
• CHEKA
Chaos in Russia
A German Revolution Too?
• Similar to Russia• Popular uprising from below• Brought down Ancien Régime• Established Liberal Provisional Government• Socialists take control of government• Workers & soldiers create alternative governments
Why is German Case Different?
• Liberals & moderate socialists ally
• They triumph over more radical forces in councils
• German Marxists not as radical as Russian Marxists - more revisionist
German Social Democrats
• Accepted defeat (unlike Kerensky)
• Puts a stop to drop in soldier morale
• Limited by status as defeated aggressor of WW1
Spartacists• Co founders: Karl Liebknecht
& Rosa Luxemburg
• Favored uprisings that would give workers political experience (vs. Russian Marxists)
• Based in councils
• Attempt to seize power crushed by Social Democrats with help of army
• Murdered by army leaders- with support of Social Democrats