Did the First World War Weaken the Tsar? (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE History)
Revision Note
Author
Zoe WadeExpertise
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:
Battle | Date | Why was this battle a failure for Russia? |
|---|---|---|
Tannenberg | August 1914 | The battle was a significant victory for Germany. Over 30,000 Russian soldiers were killed or injured. It stopped Russia's advance into East Prussia |
Masurian Lakes | September 1914 | Russia lost 125,000 men and 150 artillery guns. Germany forced the Russian Army to withdraw from East Prussia |
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
Short-term gain | Long-term damage |
|---|---|
The Austro-Hungarian army lost 1.5 million men | The Russian Army lost 500,000 soldiers |
Russia gained 25,000 square kilometres of territory | The cost of the victory turned many Russians against the First World War |
Exam Tip
The Brusilov Offensive is a key turning point for Russia in the First World War. Despite the campaign being a victory for the Russian Army, it caused a significant amount of destruction to the soldiers and the Home Front.
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
Exam Tip
A question could ask you how important the economic failures were to the downfall of Tsar Nicholas II. This factor caused the working classes, which accounted for 80% of Russia's population, to turn against the regime. This made it more likely that Nicholas would fail to keep control.
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
Worked Example
How important was the First World War in the downfall of Tsar Nicholas II? Explain your answer
10 marks
Partial answer:
The First World War was the most important cause of the downfall of Tsar Nicholas II as it worsened the political issues within Russia (1). In 1915, Nicholas II assumed command of the army on the Eastern Front (1). This linked the tsar to the country’s military failures and massive casualties. Therefore, he had to take full responsibility for Russia's failures on the battlefield, showing his weakness as a leader (1)
Exam Tip
A strong response for this Paper One Depth Study question needs to examine both sides of the argument. The next paragraph would explain another factor that caused the downfall of Nicholas. You could use the 1905 Revolution as an example of how Nicholas was failing before the First World War. Continue to use a clear PEE structure as shown above.
You would then need to write a conclusion explaining how important the First World War was to Nicholas' downfall. Remember to use phrases like ‘fully’ or ‘partially’ to explain your opinion.
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