Did the First World War Weaken the Tsar? (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE History)

How did the First World War Lead to the Collapse of Tsarist Russia? - Timeline & Summary

In 1913, Tsar Nicholas II's position looked secure. Nicholas survived the 1905 Revolution and continued to use his repressive measures against his people. The Russian economy had improved. 1913 was also a significant year. Nicholas celebrated the tercentenary of the Romanov dynasty. Millions across the Empire celebrated the event and Nicholas stated "my people love me". However, in four years, Tsarist Russia would no longer exist.

Some historians argue that the First World War played a significant role in the end of Tsarist Russia. The First World War, which relied on twentieth-century technology, showed Russia's economic backwardness. The empire was unprepared for war. It is estimated that 800,000 men in the Russian Army did not have rifles. Russian factories could only produce 13,000 rounds of bullets a day. By 1916, over 1.7 million Russians had died in the conflict. Millions of Russian soldiers, most of them peasants, deserted from the front lines.

The Home Front of the Russian Empire could not cope with the pressures of war. Food shortages and taxes caused anger and strikes. The tsar did not cope with the crisis. In 1915, he had placed the army under his personal command. This created a power vacuum in Petrograd that allowed more strikes to occur. By 1917, the Russian Army was failing and the Russian Empire was close to collapse.

The conflict also brought shame to the Romanovs. Tsarina Alexandra was German. Many people began to dislike the German influence on Russia. This became so extreme that Nicholas renamed St Petersburg, which had Germanic roots, to Petrograd in 1914. However, the actions of the Tsarina would disgust the aristocrats and turn more people against tsarism.

Military Defeats and Desertion

• The Russian Empire entered the First World War enthusiastically

  • Russia mobilised an army of 5.3 million people in ten days

  • Patriotism was high

• Russia's first military campaigns were unsuccessful:

• By 1915, the German Army had soldiers in Poland, Lithuania and Latvia

  • There were countries that were parts of the Russian Empire

The Brusilov Offensive

• By 1916, there had been some improvements to the Russian war effort

  • Military supplies to the Eastern Front improved

  • The tsar appointed General Brusilov, a talented military commander, to formulate a counter-offensive

• Brusilov launched an attack on the Austro-Hungarian Army in June 1916

  • It was the largest Russian attack in the First World War

• The Brusilov Offensive was a short-term success that caused long-term damage to the Russian Empire

Desertion

• The Russian Army had a significant problem with desertion

  • Conscripted peasants made up a significant amount of the Russian Army

  • Many soldiers were untrained and not prepared for war

• By 1916, the number of deserters increased dramatically

  • Historians estimate that over one million soldiers had deserted the Russian Army by 1917

How did Russia's military campaign impact Tsarist Russia?

• Tsar Nicholas took personal command of the Russian Army in 1915

  • Nicholas had no military experience

  • The people could blame Russia's military defeats on the tsar

• Defeats lowered morale

  • Many Russians were supportive of the war in 1914

  • The amount of casualties turned people against the war effort

    • The war disproportionately impacted peasants more than any other classes

Economic Impacts

• By 1914, Russia had improved its economy

  • Russia had the largest gold reserve in Europe

  • Russia was the fourth-largest economy

• The First World War destroyed Russia's economic stability

How Did the Economy in the First World War Impact Tsarist Russia?

• Inflation caused workers' real wages to fall

  • Many workers could not afford to buy food

    • This caused food riots in towns and cities

• Unemployment increased

  • By 1917, there were over 1,300 strikes to support the poor and unemployed

• The government did not support widows and orphans

  • Many people did not receive war-related pensions

Rasputin and the Governing of Russia

• Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra had five children

  • They only had one son. His name was Alexei

  • Alexei had haemophilia

    • Alexei's medical condition was kept secret from the Russian people. Nicholas did not want Alexei, the heir to the throne, to appear weak

• Due to Alexei's illness, Rasputin became essential but damaging to the Romanovs

Who was Rasputin?

How did Rasputin impact Tsarist Russia?

• When Nicholas took personal command of the Russian Army, he left Alexandra in charge of Russia

  • Alexandra used Rasputin as her adviser

    • This government made poor decisions

    • They dismissed many ministers

• Alexandra's association with Rasputin ruined her reputation

  • Many people believed that Rasputin was Alexandra's lover

    • Many opponents like the Bolsheviks used this as propaganda to turn the people against Tsarism

    • Historians believe that this rumour is untrue

• The tsarist government lost support of key 'pillars' of Russia

  • The Orthodox Church gave less support to the tsar due to Rasputin

    • Rasputin's religious practices conflicted with Russian Orthodoxy

  • Russian aristocrats murdered Rasputin in December 1916