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The Conditions of Russia Before the Revolution of February/ March 1917:

WW1 contributed to the end of Tsardom because it affected:

MILITARY –

  • Battles
  • Russians win at Battle of Gumbinnen (20 Aug 1914), obtain some of East Prussia against Germany
  • Lose at Battle of Tannenburg (27 Aug 1914) and Masurian Lakes (9 Sep 1914) – showed the win couldn’t be sustained
  • Causes loss of morale in army and in SOCIETY
  • 1916 – some improvement in the war – General Brusilov
    • Jun 1916 – Brusilov Offensive – won, pushed back A-H, capture 130,000 A-H troops
  • Not being prepared
  • Great Military Programme – intended to quicken Russia’s mobilisation had not been complete
  • War drove on for too long – loss of even more morale – only prepared for 6 months of war
  • Class divide/hierarchy in army
  • Poor people – foot soldiers, wealthy people – officers
    • Correct, experienced people may not be in charge
    • Poor people get frustrated – no chance to be promoted
  • No NCO (Non-commissioned officer) rank – when a foot soldier becomes an officer without a university education, causes problems with divides in SOCIETY
    • Tsar is at fault for not including it
  • Leads to mutiny and desertion of troops eventually
  • Morale
  • The original army – killed/injured/imprisoned by end of 1916
    • The people who actually are loyal and enthusiastic are gone
    • Those who are left are conscripts and ‘peasants in uniforms’
    • Won’t support Tsar when under pressure
  • Injured people don’t feel supported – 4 million people go through hospital, only 100,000 beds
  • Lose 200,000 men out of 1.5 million in first 3 weeks of fighting
    • Casualties, deaths or prisoners
  • Lose 8 million men out of 15 million in the army during WW1
  • *Supply problems
  • No organisation on a national level
  • Lack of ammunition, weapons or uniform – showed issues with supply
    • 5 million men, but only 4.5 million rifles
    • In some areas, the army ran out of ammunition and had to stop fighting
  • War-Industry Committee and Zemgor (local councils joining together)
    • Solved ammunition and medical supply problems eventually
    • Tsar imposed strict limitations on power – afraid of losing power even to supporters
    • Tsar used expensive imports instead – caused issues with the ECONOMY
  • Only 100,000 hospital beds for nearly 4 million wounded during course of war
  • Tsar becoming c-i-c
  • Allowed himself to be blamed for military mistakes by people
  • Not qualified
  • Goes away from central Russia to front line – invites criticism to flourish
  • Horrors of war
  • Soldiers and officers alike are shocked by high numbers of casualties
  • Become prone to indoctrination and radicalisation with extremist views
  • More radical – revolutionary groups may have provided answers

SOCIETY –

  • Morale
  • 2 million died
  • Losses of MILITARY battles at Tannenburg and Masurian Lakes dampened morale
  • Rationing
  • Extended problems rather than solving them
  • Linked to supply problems
  • Queues for food become a catalyst for complaints, opposition to Tsar are talked about and ideas are spread by word of mouth
  • *Supply problems
  • Only receive 1/3 of food and ½ of fuel required in Petrograd
  • Causes starvation and PROTESTS
  • As many factories divert goods to army and become armaments factories – other goods become scarce
  • Requisitioning of grain
  • MILITARY took the grain – caused problems for peasants
  • Underemployment
  • Factory workers can’t work due to lack of fuel
  • Find themselves out of work
  • Supply problems are to blame – e.g. Putilov Steel Works – shuts down, people are out of work, causes complaints
  • Conscription of peasants
  • Male peasants were conscripted – farming left in hands of women and elderly
  • Agricultural work – made harder as horses were requisitioned
  • Grain produced was requisitioned – inadequate prices – peasants became discontent
  • Actual conscripts won’t support MILITARY – don’t want to be there
  • ‘Scorched earth’ policy
  • Burning the land while retreating so the enemy doesn’t have supplies or grain
  • Causes people to lose their land and possessions
  • Not a widespread problem but affected those who experienced it a lot

ECONOMY –

  • Inflation
  • Money lost value as government tried to print more money than its revenues could support
  • Prices rose
  • Revenue lost by alcohol ban
  • Less money to support economy
  • Lack of modern infrastructure
  • Trans-Siberian railway clogged by movement of troops and equipment
    • Logistical issues brought to light
  • Many areas of the country were poorly served by roads

Opposition to Tsarism:

Liberals:

Loose collection of groups that favoured reform and a constitutional monarchy

Included the Constitutional Democrats (Kadets), Octobrists & Progressives

The SRs:

Founded 1901, represents peasant interests inc. land reform, suffered from internal divisions, some extreme SRs believed in political assassination, but moderate wing gained influence after 1905