Political Authority and the state of Russia In war Time

Question 1

How did WW1 Initially ease pressure off Nicholas?

Answer 1

• Surge of patriotism
• Weren’t any strikes
• Duma supported the conflict

Question 2

What were some early setbacks in WW1 for the Russian military?

Answer 2

Battle of Tannenberg -Major defeat –> 300,000 dead or wounded

-Successive defeat at the battle of Masurian lakes

Question 3

what was the political impact of WW1?

Answer 3

-national industries assumed responsibility for supplies

-Duma accused gov of incompetence-
‘Progressive Bloc’–> demanding constitutional reform (1915)

Question 4

How did Nicholas respond to the progressive bloc?

Answer 4

-Dismissed Duma as they were a challenge to authority.

Question 5

What was the significance of the Tsar taking becoming commander in chief of the military in August 1915?

Answer 5

-Didn’t have any military experience

-Performance of Army now reflected on Tsar
ie Brusilov offensive failed –> many blamed Tsar

Question 6

What were the problems with the Tsarina Taking control of the government?

Answer 6

1. suspicious relationship with Rasputin

2. German by Birth

Question 7

What was the Socio-economic impact of ww1?

Answer 7

• Cost of the War: 14.5 Billion roubles (1918)
• Russia lost Trade in Baltic sea ( Naval Blockades)
• Lack of raw materials & emphasis on heavy industry–> light industry factories closing

1. Unemployment
2. hampered supply of cosumer goods –> Fucked peasantry.
3. Shortage of munitions and weapons -> negatively impacted War effort.

+Conscription eased population crisis in the towns.

Question 8

What factors indicated that the War wasn’t going very well by 1917?

Answer 8

• Mass striking: 58 factories were on strike
• Duma demanded the tsar Abdicated
• Rationing. e.g bread–> caused panic

Question 9

What was the pulitov works strike?

Answer 9

20,000 workers went on strike

–> demanding better working conditions and higher wages and food rationing

Question 10

What did Strikers increasingly call for in February 1917?

Answer 10

-overthrowing of the Tsar

Question 11

How did Nicolas deal with these strikes in 1917.What did this do?

Answer 11

Authorised use of troops (shooting)

=>Caused more hostility towards Tsar

Question 12

What did the Troops do?

Answer 12

-Unlike 1905, most refused to shoot (Mutiny)

Question 13

What happened to Nicholas as a result of authorising troops and his generals?

Answer 13

-Nicholas lost support of his generals

They advised him to abdicate and he did

Question 14

Who proclaimed control of the military after Nicholas had abdicated?

Answer 14

The petrograd soviet

Question 15

What type of Power did the Provisional government hold and who were it’s members?

Answer 15

• Theoretical power ie laws

- Mainly Octoberists and upper-class liberals

Question 16

Following the Tsar’s abdication, what two ruling authorities was Russia Left to?

Answer 16

• The provisional Government
• The petrograd soviet

(Dual power system)

Question 17

What did the Provisional government Initially promise?

Answer 17

-civil liberties, amnesty , for political prisoners and end of capital punishment.

Question 18

What type of power did the Petrograd soviet hold and who were it’s members?

Answer 18

• Had conrol over the streets and Military

- Dominated by Bolsheviks

Question 19

Who was Kerensky?

Answer 19

Member of Both P gov and p soviet

–> (main line of communication between the two)

Question 20

Why was the Provisional government unpopular?

Answer 20

• Continued to fight in WW1 despite losing

- Food shortages –> Mass desertions in Army + Peasant land seizures.

Question 21

Why did Germany allow for Lenin to pass Through to get to Russia?

Answer 21

-Stir up domestic revolutionary trouble ,thus harming Russia’s war effort

Question 22

What did Lenin demand when he returned to Russia

Answer 22

• Abolition of the provisional government - All Power to the soviets
• An end to the war

Question 23

What were Lenin’s April Theses?

Answer 23

-Toured Country: Promises of “peace, Bread and land”

=> Blamed PG for dire social circumstances ie WW1

-Appealed to a crippled peasantry=> Bolsheviks support increased.

Question 24

What happened in the July days?

Answer 24

• uprising of workers and Bolsheviks against the Provisional Government
• PG used troops to break up protest

(Revolution too premature)-Bolsheviks not strong enough yet.

Question 25

What was the Kornilov affair?

Answer 25

• Kornilov became commander in chief of military
• -> Believed he could reinstate the Tsarist gov
• -> Military coup
• kerensky (opposed) asked Petrograd soviet help defend the city
• Bolsheviks givens arms –.> challenge Army.Kornilov defeated.

Question 26

What effect did The Kornilov affair have on the Bolsheviks?

Answer 26

• Increase support for Bolsheviks

- Arm Bolsheviks–> future rev

Question 27

How did The Bolsheviks grow at the expense of the Mensheviks and the Sr’s

Answer 27

-SR’s and Mensheviks continued to support the provisional government and therefore the unpopular war

Question 28

What evidence is there for the growth of Bolsheviks

Answer 28

-By sep 1917 Bolsheviks had 200,000 members