Impact of WWI Flashcards
What are the six key factors of this?
Heavy losses Very poor leadership The role of the Tsar The situation at home Failure to make political reforms Revolution
What were the two heavy losses in the war?
August 1914 - the Battle of Tannenberg.
September 1914 - the Battle at the Masurian Lakes.
Why was the quality of leadership so poor?
Officers had been appointed due to their loyalty to the Tsar and not for their ability to lead.
Lack of supplies and equipment
Why was the morale of soldiers so low?
Morale of soldiers was very low due to the incompetence of their officers who had a lack of regard for their welfare.
What was the situation was necessary equipment for the war?
Riffles, ammunition and boots, but they were often available, just not where they were needed.
When did the Tsar take direct control of the army?
August 1915 - he took direct control of the army.
What did the Tsar taking charge of the army mean for the war effort?
He became directly responsible for the conduct of the war. If things went badly, he personally would have to take the blame.
What did the Tsar taking charge of the army mean for Russia?
He was away from Petrograd for long periods of time, leaving the Tsarina and Rasputin control of the government.
How did the Tsar’s absence cause instability in the government?
Constant change in ministers, e.g. The War Minister, Polivanov was rebuilding the army and supply system, yet was discharged in 1915.
What did the Tsarina do?
Incompetent people were appointed under the Tsarina’s control.
They either flattered her or were recommended by Rasputin.
What was the situation at home?
Difficult living conditions.
What were the four main difficult living conditions?
- Disruption of supplies meant food and fuel shortages were common, so people were cold and hungry.
- Hundreds of factories closed down so people were left unemployed at a time where the cost of goods was increasing massively.
- Peasants were angry about the millions of deaths due to the conscription of all the young men.
- Engineers etc. had been instructed to fight in the war, leaving very few to operate the railways.
This caused a shortage of food, fuel and war supplies.
What did the Tsar choose to do?
Failure to make political reforms
Tsar had the chance to make some concessions that could save him.
He rejected the idea of a constitutional monarchy, which would have lessened the pressure on him.
What did the Tsar reject?
The ideas of the “Progressive Bloc.”
A group who suggested the Tsar needed to let them run the country.
He opted to retain autocracy and paid the price for it.
What happened during the revolution?
Nicholas II ordered troops to put down the trouble in Petrograd.
One by one, regiments moved to the side of the people.
Death toll at 1,500.
The Tsar lost control of the army, so lost control of Russia.
