Russia leaving war?

Question 1

Effects of war on russia?

Answer 1

• despite early success - russias lack of effective equipment/poor leadership meant they suffered heavy losses against G and AH - tsar placed himself in direct control of military - lacked experience - made situation worse
• 15 million men joined army - left fields, mines, factories without workers - russias poor infrastructure led to shortages of food and fuel
• By 1916, over 1 million russians killed in fighting - others starved to death at home - tsar and wife unable to deal with problems - increasingly unpopular

Question 2

Revolutions?

Answer 2

• 1917 - riots and strikes across russia - soldiers ordered to fire on protestors refused and joined them instead
• Front line soldiers mutineed and deserted
• In petrograd - petrograd soviet established - coordinated full scale revolution - tsar abdicated 15 march
• Provisional government created but war continued - after another serious defeat, 1000s deserted
• In october 1917, group called Bolsheviks overthrew government and took control - led by Lenin - promised to end war quickly

Question 3

Impact of russian withdrawal from war?

Answer 3

• B and F furious - broke pre-war treaties and left G with a war on only one front
• Germans immediately moved troops from eastern to western front
• Land and resources germany had gained also helped ease problems caused by B naval blockade

Question 4

treaty of brest-litovsk?

Answer 4

• russians signed treaty in march 1918 with germany and its allies
• allowed russia to leave war by giving huge amounts of land to germany - including much agricultural land