Russia's Withdrawal from the First World War (AQA GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Zoe Wade
Russia's Withdrawal from the First World War - Timeline & Summary
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Russia entered the First World War in 1914 to honour its alliances with Serbia and other members of the Triple Entente (France and Britain). Russia saw itself as a protector of Slavic nations and aimed to prevent the influence of Austria-Hungary and Germany in Eastern Europe.
Early in the war, Russia faced heavy losses. At the Battle of Tannenberg (August 1914), German forces inflicted a crushing defeat, killing or capturing over 100,000 Russian soldiers. This set the tone for further struggles on the Eastern Front. Despite some successes, like the Brusilov Offensive in 1916, which briefly weakened Austro-Hungarian forces. Russia's poorly equipped and poorly led army struggled to compete with modern German tactics and technology.
Russia’s war effort was severely hampered by internal problems, including food shortages, political unrest, and a struggling economy. By 1917, discontent led to the Russian Revolution, forcing Russia to withdraw from the war. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in 1918, marked Russia's exit, ceding significant territory to Germany and its allies.
What caused the Bolshevik Revolution?
The Bolsheviks were a Russian Communist Party
In 1917, they led two successful revolutions in an attempt to gain power
The Bolshevik Revolution was caused due to many different factors, including:
The actions of Tsar Nicholas II
The First World War
Russia's Provisional Government
The Bolsheviks
However, the consequences of the Bolshevik Revolution had a huge impact on the First World War
It resulted in Russia leaving the war and Germany launching the Spring Offensive on the Western Front
Tsar Nicholas II
Tsar Nicholas II led the Russian Army
In 1915, the Tsar went to the front lines to lead the army
He was a poor leader
Russia suffered many military defeats
The Russian people blamed the Tsar for Russia's military losses
The Tsar left his wife, Tsarina Alexandra, in charge of Russia
The Tsarina was a German
She was unpopular with the Russian people during the war as they believed she was a German spy
The Tsarina was advised by a monk Grigori Rasputin
The Tsarina believed that Rasputin could heal her son, Tsarevich Alexis, who had haemophilia
It was believed that the Tsarina and Rasputin were having an affair
Many people believed that Rasputin was symbolic of everything that was wrong with the imperial government
Rasputin was killed in 1916, however, his actions had already caused too much damage
First World War
Russia's military performance in the First World War was poor
Russia was not economically ready for war
This resulted in an economic crisis which they never recovered from
Russia struggled to supply food, weaponry, resources and clothing to the front lines
This resulted in desertions, poor military performances and high casualties
Russia suffered many military defeats
Causing low morale in Russia and approximately 1.7 million Russian deaths
The people of Russia were starving
Over 15 million men joined or were conscripted into the Russian Army
These men left their jobs in the factories, farms and mines
Food and fuel shortages soon weakened Russia
This resulted in starvation and power failures
The Eastern Front cut Russia off from the rest of Europe
The Allies attempts to create a third front in Gallipoli prevented the Allies from providing food and resources to Russia
The Tsarina and the imperialist government's solutions were not working
In some cases, their solutions made the situation worse and this angered the Russian people
The Provisional Government
On the 15th of March 1917, the Tsar was forced to abdicate
When the Tsar returned from the front, the first revolution happened and he lost the support of the army
A provisional government was created to replace the Tsar
In July 1917, Alexander Kerensky (the Minister of War), launched a military offensive known as the Kerensky Offensive
This was a disaster
Approximately 400,000 Russian soldiers were killed
Russia had to retreat surrendering more than 200 kilometres to Germany
Large sections of the Russian Army deserted
This offensive contributed towards more protests in Petrograd against the Provisional Government, known as the July Days
The Bolsheviks
The Bolsheviks were a communist party who were led by Vladimir Lenin
Lenin was exiled by the Tsar in 1897 however, he returned to Russia in April 1917
Germany helped to smuggle Lenin back into Russia
They believed this would destabilise Russia
The Bolsheviks promised the people of Russia 'Land, Peace and Bread', which promised to:
redistribute the land to the peasants
end the First World War
end food rationing
In November 1917, a Bolshevik revolution happened
They overthrew the Provisional Government
Lenin promised to make peace with Germany
Examiner Tips and Tricks
It is unlikely that you will be asked an exam question about the causes of the Bolshevik Revolution. However, it is important to understand why it happened. The causes of the Bolshevik Revolution had a direct impact on Russia leaving the First World War.
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Russia agreed to a ceasefire with Germany on 5th December 1917
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed in March 1918
This was a peace agreement between Russia, Germany and Germany's allies
Although the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk ended Russia's involvement in the First World War, the terms of the treaty were harsh
Russia lost approximately:
1.3 million square miles of territory
34% of its population
54% of its industrial land
over one-quarter of its farmland
26% of its railroads
Russia was made to pay 300 million Russian roubles to Germany
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Impact of Russia's Withdrawal from the First World War
Russia's withdrawal from the First World War had a huge impact on the war
The Allies lost an important ally and made them vulnerable
Russia was fighting on the Eastern Front
They created a second front in 1914, splitting German forces in two
Germany gained a lot from Russia's withdrawal
Germany claimed important farmland, resources and money from the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
This helped to soften the impact of the British blockade
Germany no longer had to fight on two fronts
They could focus their entire force on the Western Front and defeat the British and French forces
With Russia out of the war, Germany planned to launch an offensive which they believed would end the war and provide them with a decisive victory
This was known as the Spring Offensive
Examiner Tips and Tricks
In the AQA GCSE Conflict and Tension: The First World War exam paper, you may be asked to answer a 'Write an account' question on Russia's exit from the First World War. For example 'Write an account of how Russia's exit had an impact on the First World War.'
When answering this question, students often write their answers like a story. However, the question does not require this. The question wants you to explain two causes and consequences of the Russian exit from the First World War.
More help and guidance on this question can be found here.
Worked Example
Study Source A.
Source A supports the view that the Allies felt betrayed by the Bolsheviks. How do you know?
[4 marks]
Source A: A British cartoon from the weekly magazine, Punch. The image was entitled 'Betrayed' and shows a Bolshevik forcing a Russian woman to kiss the Kaiser. The cartoon was created by Bernard Partridge in 1917.
Answer:
Source A supports the view that the Allies felt betrayed as the source shows Russia being forced to kiss Germany by a Bolshevik soldier against her will (1). The source suggested that this was against the wishes of the Russian people as they were vulnerable from the war and had no other choice. The source suggests the betrayal has come from the Bolsheviks rather than Russia, as it was the Bolsheviks who signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (1).
Source A supports the view that the Allies felt betrayed by the Bolsheviks as it was created by a British cartoonist (1). Britain and Russia were allies during the First World War and British people felt that the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk by the Bolsheviks in 1917 was a betrayal as it left Britain vulnerable on the Western Front (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
In the AQA GCSE Conflict and Tension: The First World War exam paper, you may be asked to answer a 12-mark 'How useful' question on Russia's exit from the First World War.
In this question, you will need to explain how two historical sources are useful to a historian. You should not explain the limitations of the sources.
However, you should focus on explaining how the sources' content and provenance are useful to a historian.
More guidance and help on this question can be found here.
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