These are my notes for THEME III of the history course Russia and its Rulers . I personally used these notes to revise from for my A-level exams. They are been checked by my teachers and contain all the right and necessary information. Each theme is divided into necessary subtopics.
Theme 3: The impact of war and revoluton on the development on the Russian government
Explain the impact of war on societes
Assess the signifcance of war and its impact 1855-1964
“War is the locomotve of History” – Trotsky
War brings huge changes to society and brings upon a turning point ie. a big and irreversible
change
Political, Social ad Ecodoiic codsequeqdcqse of waa
Political Social Ecodoiic
Poseitiiq - After winning a war the internatonal - More military trained people - War is a stmulus for
image of the victorious country - More living space and more productvity
improves and the country becomes a resources due to the increase of - Wealth could increase by
dominant power that other states fear wealth overtaking the other state: can
- As a leader your reputaton is going to - Higher access to a wider variety of seize its wealth
improve goods at perhaps a lower price
- Increase in natonalism - Natonalism
- Industrial and professional progress
made by women
Nqgatiiq - Popularity of the country and its leader - Large human cost: reducton of - Natonal debt will rise
goes down populaton and work force - Borrowing may increase
- Seen as weak - Trauma - May perhaps have to pay war
- Leader may be overthrown/forced to - Citzens of certain countries become reparatons
abdicate/resign members of other countries when - May have to raise tax
- Might be a revoluton boarders move and land gets taken - May have assets and wealth
- Could lead to further internal confict away/accumulated taken away
- Reducton of military size due to human - Rise in unemployment and poverty - Industrial depression: do not
cost and military seizures; therefore - Refugees need such high producton levels
the country becomes weaker of ammuniton and weapons
- Colonies and land may be taken away - Increase of unemployment due
so your empire becomes smaller to decrease in industrial
productvity and demobilisaton
- Lose land which may be
industrial land agricultural land
or populaton ie. work force
Which consequences of ‘this’ confict are the most signifcant?
Politcal?
Social?
Economic?
Thq C iiqad Wa 1853-1856 (Alqxad q II):
The Crimean was extremely important to Russia because of trade security and access to the sea
which does not freeze in the winter (other ports were close to the Arctc Circle).
Lack of infrastructure played a major role in the loss of the war
o Lack of supplies
o Disease
o Lack of motvaton because the soldiers were forced to fght
Why did Russia fght in the Crimean War?
i. Many Slavs lived in the Balkans and were consequently Orthodox. They often faced
prosecuton from the Otomans and looked towards Russia for protecton.
, Theme 3: The impact of war and revoluton on the development on the Russian government
o The Russian government felt like it was their duty to ensure protecton for the fellow
Orthodox Christans
ii. Russia feared that if the Otoman Empire split other foreign powers would take control and
establish their infuence too close to the Russian boarder.
iii. Wanted control over the Straits (rivers) so that they have constant access to the Black Sea
for security and trade
iv. Monks of the Orthodox Church wanted beter access to Jerusalem; however France
favoured the Catholic Monks
Why and how did the Russians do so badly?
i. 500 000 losses from the Russian army the entre army consisted of 700 000
However more people died from disease and exposure
ii. The lack of infrastructure played a major role in the failure of the Russian army
Peasant armies had to march down to the Crimean
No trains to transport the soldiers or the supplies
The Britsh French and the Otomans had more professional armies
More modern ways of military
iii. Russia was stll used outdated military structures and techniques which were not
effectve
iv. Lack of communicaton was another problem of the infrastructure
Soldiers could not communicate with the generals
The generals couldn’t communicate with the government
v. Poor infrastructure also meant that there was a lack of needed industrial producton
Limited weapons
Old fashioned weapons etc.
How great were the changes brought by the war?
Political Social Ecodoiic
Poseitiiq - Emancipaton of the Serfs 1861: was a - Emancipaton of the Serfs 1861 - Railways: seen as a point of
reform that came about due to the loss - Humiliaton and defeat in the war development steam ships
of the Crimean War. Task was to showed that the victors’ armies advanced rifes and artllery
strengthen his government and his were not serf armies – needed - Industrialisaton: Emancipaton
positon: kept the peasants on side and modern soldiers: led to allowed serfs to be more
guarantees autocracy. Allowed Emancipaton industrious free trade era
Alexander II to modernise the army. - Restructure of society foreign loans and investment
- Zemstvos created in 1864 as a response - Army reforms: led to reducton of o For the frst tme the
to the emancipaton: role was to conscripton period beter economy was run by
handle local maters and they were not treatment beter training the state and under
seen as politcal bodies. Their tasks - Educaton reforms: improve literary Alexander II the
were to look after the buildings and and skills industrial and economic
upkeep of roads assistance in developments started
emergencies such as famine etc. happening
- Military Reforms: more training more
professional conscripton.
Nqgatiiq - Loss of territory through the Treaty of - Social structure essentally the - Limited impact because of lack
Paris: weakened Russia politcally as same peasants stll had worse land of social and politcal change
they couldn’t have a feet in the Black educaton limited hierarchy in stll peasant society and the mir
Sea society remained stll control them
Which seqcto waase qfqctq thq ioset by thq C iiqad Wa ?
, Theme 3: The impact of war and revoluton on the development on the Russian government
What waase thq iipact of thq Reseseiad-Te kiseh Wa ?
What was the cause of the war?
i. Russia stll had the ambiton to dominate Turkey
ii. Massacre in the Balkans by Turkish forces fghtng Christan Orthodox rebels against Turkish
rule in Bulgaria
o Feel that all Slavonic people should be free from Turkish rule and join with Russia
was strong
o Was an excuse to expand its empire
Victory of loss?
i. Military victory
Made progress within military
Larger army than the Otomans
However there was stll room for improvement because they didn’t completely
overrun the Otomans: implies that the reforms were not fully successful
ii. However negotated that Bulgaria would be divided and second treaty was much less
generous
Treaty of San Stefano: Turkey gives Russia victory and Bulgaria
Conference of Berlin: Russia was forced to divide Bulgaria by Britain and Austria
iii. Exposed Russia’s weakness of inefcient supplies medical care and Russian artllery was less
modern that the Westernised weaponry of the Turks.
Political Social Ecodoiic
Poseitiiq - Russia gets territory and payment from - War was generally supported - Showed some progress made in
the Otomans. - No mass backlash to second treaty industrialisaton and
- Otoman empire further weakened modernisaton eg. use of stem
- Some politcal backlash to Treaty of ships
Berlin natonalism and Pan-Slavism
was high
Nqgatiiq - Russia fearing Austria-Hungary and - Financial crisis and collapse of
Britain negotated second treaty which the rouble – end to free trade
is less generous to Russia era of relying on foreign
- Military performance disappointng: investment economy far more
showed reforms stll had not state managed eg.
modernised and improved army Vyshnegradsky and Wite
enough
Thq C iiqad Wa ise. Thq Reseseo-Te kiseh Wa : wahich waase io q iipo tadt
Thq C iiqad Wa 1853-1856 Thq Reseseo-Te kiseh Wa 1877-1878
- G qatq political, qcodoiic ad seocial iipact - Able to win the war because of the reforms implemented after
- Led to reforms the Crimean War; however the result of the victory was not as
- Greater backlash had to implement reforms to stabilize benefcial as Russia hoped
autocracy: Emancipaton and Zemstvos - Conference of Berlin: a limited amount of backlash; however
- Understood that they had to improve their army and military: there was no need to stabilize autocracy and implement reforms
led to success in Russo-Turkish War - Realized that military reforms were not as successful as they
- Loss of territory and negatve impact on security and trade hoped: there was stll space for improvement
- Gain of land although not as signifcant as hoped
, Theme 3: The impact of war and revoluton on the development on the Russian government
Thq Reseseo-Japadqseq Wa 1904-05:
Under Nicholas II
Japan wanted to expand its territory and the confict evolved over the Korean peninsula
i. What were the causes of the war?
Port Arthur was rented by the Japanese from the Chinese after their victory in
1894
Russia and other greater powers were worried that Japan might expand further
to threaten their own economic interests in the east.
Using skilled diplomacy the Great Powers were able to persuade Japan to return
Port Arthur to the Chinese
Meanwhile Russia was expanding its infuence in Manchuria by building railways
and by giving China money to pay off its debt
Russia was able to negotate a 25 year lease of Port Arthur from China and
turned it into a naval base
o Japan felt threatened
Russia and Japan contnued to reveal an interest in occupying and controlling
Korea
Some historians have argued that Japan was willing to work a trade-off that
would have allowed Russia to stay in Manchuria while Japan took over Korea
o Nicholas II was advised to ignore Japanese diplomatc approaches
o The Japanese had no other opton that to atack the port and use
violence
1903: Japan launched an atack on Port Arthur
o Damaged Russian naval ships and had a negatve effect on Russian
morale
o Japan proceeded to blockade Port Arthur
ii. Course of the war:
Batle of lalu:
o Japan outnumbered the Russians by three to one
o Russian forces were well beaten
The siege of Port Arthur contnued isolatng about 60 000 Russian troops
December 1905: port was eventually surrendered
May 1905: Rozhestvensky’s Baltc Squadron on its way to relieve Port Arthur
came up against Admiral Togo’s feet. This provided another terrible defeat for
Russia and emphasises Japanese superiority
1905: the fnal straw for Russia came with a humiliatng defeat at Mukden
iii. Victory or loss? Impact
Political Social Ecodoiic
Poseitiiq - - Lead to the October Manifesto -
1905: introduced civil rights
freedom of speech assembly etc.
- Creaton of the democratc Duma
system
- Was benefcial for the people;
however undermined autocracy
and was negatve politcally
Nqgatiiq - Fall of Port Arthur happens a month - Discontent rises due to economic - War caused infaton
, Theme 3: The impact of war and revoluton on the development on the Russian government
before Bloody Sunday situaton caused by the war ie. - Material shortages
- The Tsar didn’t listen to the petton unemployment various shortages - Food shortages
but rather sends in the Cossacks to etc. - Unemployment rises because
massacre the partcipants factories were shutng down
- The situaton was exacerbated - Serious communicaton and
- Due to the loss the reputaton of the transport weaknesses
Tsar suffered (similar to the Crimean - Fail to get troops and supplies to
War) war zones quickly
- In July 1905: mutny in the Russian - Spurred further investment in
navy: linked with failure of the war. infrastructure and industry
- War revealed that Russian military - Leading to increased
leaders had a lack of knowledge urbanisaton and public health
understanding and skill in dealing with problems
the enemy
- August 1905: Treaty of Portsmouth:
Russia was forced to withdraw from
Port Arthur south Sakhalin and south
Manchuria. Russian leaders had to
acknowledge Japanese sovereignty in
Korea.
- Embarrassing loss of land
- Strikes contnue due to economic
impact eg. Putlov’s Steel Workers:
October Manifesto
- Leads to 1905 Revoluton
- Sparks rebellion throughout the
empire.
- Following the assassinaton of his uncle
the Grand Duke Sergei Nicholas agrees
to meet worker’s representatves
promises an elected consultatve
assembly appoints new minister
Bulygin to prepare proposals
- Illegal trade unions begin to become
widespread
- Bulygin’s proposals were rejected and
this sets off a new wave of strikes.
- Strikes and demonstratons have
overwhelmed the major cites. Peasant
uprising consume the countryside. The
Poles Finns Latvians and other
minorites demand independence.
- The frst Soviet is formed in St
Petersburg to direct a General Strike
across Russia
- By October 1905 the Russian empire
seemed to be near total collapse.
- Strikes and demonstratons have
overwhelmed the major cites. Peasant
uprising consume the countryside. The
Poles Finns Latvians and other
minorites demand independence.
- The frst Soviet is formed in St
Petersburg to direct a General Strike
across Russia which begins in Moscow
on October.
, Theme 3: The impact of war and revoluton on the development on the Russian government
Siiila itiqse ad Difq qdcqse: C iiqad Wa , Reseseo-Te kiseh Wa , Reseseo-Japadqseq Wa :
Siiila itiqse Difq qdcqse
- Russia lost to enemies that on paper they should have - The Crimean War was different from the others in that Russia
defeated had to fght Britain and France as well as Turkey
- The Russian people were critcal of leaders and protested - The level of social unrest that followed the Russo-Japanese War
- The wars all led to programmes of reform; however neither of was much higher than that which led on from the other two
them were fully successful and they got watered down over wars. Some historians go as far as to say the protests of 1905
tme eg. Emancipaton 1861: watered down by redempton consttuted a revoluton
payments peasants stll controlled by the mir. Establishment of - The Russo-Turkish War had the least signifcant impact on the
the Duma system: watered down by Fundamental Laws 1906 development of Russian government
- Some of the reforms were designed to change the way Russia
was governed but autocracy remained in place after each
confict
- The wars were costly but not as damaging to the economy as
later wars proved to be
Wo l Wa I:
Triple Alliance
Triple Entente
Conficts between the alliances due to clashing aims and land acquirement etc.
Trigger of war was the assassinaton of Archduke Franz-Ferdinand
o Germany threatened to invade Serbia
o Russia threatened to mobilise if they invaded
o Other allies got involved in the war
Nature of war changed so although the war was expected to be over by Christmas the war
went on for 4 years (1914-1918)
o Total warfare the entre naton was involved
Russian lacking infrastructure limited its producton output transport of supplies and troops
o Communicaton was poor too
Great natonalism at the beginning of the war
o Unite together to protect Mother Russia
o St Petersburg was renamed to Petrograd
Was much more Russian sounding
o August 1915 Nicholas II takes command of the army
o Tsarina was left to behind to rule Russia
She was not loved by nobility
She is of German decent so people though she was conspiring against
Russia
o Infuence of Rasputn and how he was popular disliked
The majority of people through the Tsar was weak and was infuenced too
much by Rasputn
i. War and autocracy
The government made it clear that the autocracy should exercise sole control
over the war
Popular controversy was about the formaton of the ‘military zones’ comprising
most of Finland Poland the Baltc provinces the Caucasus and Petrograd
, Theme 3: The impact of war and revoluton on the development on the Russian government
Military took over various administratve functons and eliminated civilian
partcipaton
The failure at the front lines and of the war in general was blamed on the Tsar
who in August 1915 took command of the army
o The failure had a negatve politcal impact because it weakened the
Tsar’s autocratc rule
ii. The organisaton and equipment of the army
Serving for the armed forces was one of the main challenges
Only 9% of the Russian populaton was mobilised in comparison to France and
Germany 20%; however Russia’s large populaton to an extent compensated
that
Russian soldiers were treated worse and were led badly not all of them were
properly equipped
Poor communicaton between soldiers and the commanders
Horrendously high human cost
iii. The impact upon the civilian populaton
Industrial development stopped and manufacturing of weapons took over
There was a huge shortage of produce which civilians actually needed
The railways were in constant use of the military and this led to the breakdown
of communicaton and distributon systems that was the main cause of the
urban food shortages
Conscripton led to a shortage of male work force in the cites and in the
countryside
o Horses were taken from the countryside too
Fuel shortages
Food prices rose
o Price of four rose by 99% between 1913 and 1916
Coal producton fell dramatcally after the loss of the coalfelds in Poland
Although wages did increase by 133% it did not impact the amount of food
civilians could buy because the food prices rose signifcantly too
The zemstva opposed the military zones on the grounds the government was
insensitve to the needs of the people and believed that civilians had a large part
to play in the war effort.
The zemstva established the Union of Zemstva to provide medical facilites such
as dressing statons and war hospitals which the State did not.
Factory owners and businessmen also got together to form the Congress of
Representatves of Industry and Business to help coordinate producton. This
included members of the Duma and workers’ representatves.
In June 1915 existng zemstva and municipal dumas got together to form the All-
Russian Union of Zemstva and Cites known as the Zemgor
To what extent did WWI impact Russia?
Optiiiset Idtq p qtatiod of WWI Pqseseiiiset Idtq p qtatiod of WWI
- Blames the war for the 1917 Revoluton - Blames Nicholas II and previous failures for the 1917
- Idea that the extra ordinary circumstances created by WWI led Revoluton
to the Tsar’s abdicaton - Nicholas II was failing before WWI ever since Bloody Sunday
- WWI was the exacerbaton of the previous ongoing problems
,Theme 3: The impact of war and revoluton on the development on the Russian government
- He was unable to solve the people’s problems
- He failed at being war commander
- He was a weak Tsar and this was exacerbated by Rasputn
having a great impact on his decisions
WWI lq to thq 1917 Rqioletiod:
As a result in January 1917 30 000 workers went on strike in Moscow
In Petrograd a demonstraton of 150 000 workers took place on the anniversary of Bloody
Sunday. It was a hint of things to come
February 1917:
Following the demonstraton of 150 000 Petrograd workers on the anniversary of Bloody Sunday
in January 1917 further strikes begin in early February
100 000 workers from 58 factories go on strike (February 14 th)
After disputes with management 20 000 Iron workers are locked out and strikes begin in
solidarity (22nd February)
The following day 90 000 workers on strike and 50 factories close. Workers join marches from
Internatonal Women’s Day militant students with nearly 250 000 protestors on the streets. The
police eventually restore order
On Friday another 200 000 workers are on strike and protestors begin to tear down tsarist
statues emblems and begin chantng revolutonary slogans waving red fags.
Mainly spontaneous and lacks formal organisaton by any radical party
Saturday 25th – 50% of the capital’s workforces goes on strike all major businesses and shops are
shut. The city grinds to a halt. Police Chief Shalfeev who tries to use repressive tactcs to control
the crowd is overwhelmed and murdered.
Some Cossacks begin to refuse to follow orders to atack protestors and strikes
Sunday 26th February – Duma President Rodzianko telegrams the Tsar ‘The capital is in a state of
anarchy. The government is paralysed; the transport service has broken down; the food and fuel
supplies are completely disorganised. Discontent is general and on the increase. There is wild
shootng in the streets. Troops are fring at each other. It is urgent that someone enjoying the
confdence of the country be entrusted with the formaton of a new government’
Nicholas refers to it as ‘some nonsense’ and doesn’t respond to Rodzianko’s claims.
Monday 27th – Major-General Khabalov commander of the Petrograd garrison is sent to restore
order by military means. Demonstrators are shot and killed.
Mutny begins in the Volynskii regiments where a sergeant shoots his commanding ofcer.
66 000 soldiers mutny and join the protests armed with 40 000 rifes.
Prisons are opened police are atacked law and order breaks down.
Establishment of Dual Power:
The Duma meets to set up a 12 man Provisional Commitee to take over the government. The
army command lend their support by ordering troops to support the commitee rather than
disband it.
Revolutonaries within Petrograd meet and form the Petrograd Soviet which also intends to take
over the government and begins to order food supplies for the city.
End of the Tsar:
,Theme 3: The impact of war and revoluton on the development on the Russian government
Monday 28th – Nicholas leaves his military headquarters for Petrograd he informs Rodzianko
that he is prepared to power share with the Duma but he replies that it is too late.
The Tsars train is diverted by rebellious railway workers and forced to stop 200 miles south of
Petrograd at Pskov.
Nicholas is put under pressure to resign and appoint his son Alexi as Tsar.
March 2nd – Following an agreement that the Petrograd Soviet would recognise a Provisional
Government formed of members of the Duma Nicholas agrees to their demands.
Fearing Alexi’s health he appoints the Grand-Duke Mikhail as the new Tsar. By the tme the
Duma members reach Pskov on March 2nd Nicholas’ abdicaton has been agreed the royal
family are placed under house arrest as were most of the Tsar’s Council of ministers.
Grand Mikhail refuses to become Tsar.
Provisional Government:
Members were made up of infuental elites and liberals who had previously favoured
consttutonal monarchy.
Intended only to be temporary untl electons could be held to form an accountable Consttuent
Assembly which would produce a consttuton.
Given legitmacy after Grand-Duke Mikhail refuses the throne and relinquishes politcal power to
the Provisional Government.
Old tsarist civil service army ofcers and police accepted it.
The Petrograd Soviet:
Representatves made up from workers soldiers and peasants.
By March 10th has 3000 members from other smaller soviets.
Dominated by Mensheviks and Social Revolutonaries but also had some Bolshevik members
(Lenin is in exile in Switzerland)
Due to its size work is done by the ‘executve commitee’ primarily composed of radical socialist
intellectuals only 7 of the inital 42 members were workers themselves but were democratcally
elected by the St Petersburg soviets.
Regarded the Provisional Government as a self-appointed commitee of the wealthy and Tsar’s
associates concerned only with their own self-interest.
However lacked the confdence to assume direct and sole control.
Alexander Kerensky a member of both negotated a Dual Power structure between the two
organisatons.
Dual Power:
Provisional Government early promises and actons: an amnesty on politcal prisoners basic civil
libertes legalises trade unions and strikes freedom of religion and the press abolished the
death penalty at the front and replaced the Tsarist police with a people’s milita dismissed
provincial governors elected zemstvas take over electons for a Consttuent Assembly.
The Soviet agrees to these.
Soviet “Order No1”:
The Soviet produces a set of soldiers and workers rights: all units to elect a deputy to the soviet
and accept politcal control of the Petrograd Soviet the Military Commission of the Duma is to
, Theme 3: The impact of war and revoluton on the development on the Russian government
be obeyed only if it agrees with the soviet’s orders all weapons to be controlled by the elected
soldier’s commitees all soldiers to enjoy full citzen’s rights.
The State of the Naton:
Beyond the revoluton in Petrograd disturbances spread throughout the empire.
Workers seized control of factories setng up worker’s commitees. In the countryside
peasants atacked landlord’s propertes seizing land and rebellious people set up regional
assemblies and soviets.
The army technically came under the control of the Petrograd Soviet (following Order No. 1) but
disbanded into soldier’s soviets and independent groups without central leadership.
In Finland Poland the Ukraine and the Caucasus minorites declared their independence from
the empire.
Dual Power in Acton:
Combined rule by radicals and liberals was difcult.
Central to ‘Order No. 1’ was that soldiers and workers should obey the PG only if it agree with
the Soviet which it frequently didn’t.
The PG tries to restore order and discipline in the army towns and countryside. The Soviet
encourages peasants and workers to assert their rights and defy authority.
The PG want to push to win the war while the people want a swift end to wartme deprivaton
The Woes of War:
The PG’s intenton to keep fghtng untl the war is won is hugely unpopular. Peasant
disturbances strikes and military desertons multply.
Between March and May 1917 365 000 soldiers desert. As desertons peak the death penalty is
reinstated.
Two senior members of the PG are replaced by socialists from the Soviet.
In July Prince Lvov head of the PG is replaced by Alexander Kerensky.
Atempted Coup:
General Kornilov is appointed the new Commander in Chief by Kerensky.
In August he order troops to march on Petrograd to crush the Soviet and establish a military
dictatorship.
Kerensky panics and releases imprisoned Bolsheviks and arms the Soviet with weapons from the
government’s arsenal to stop Kornilov’s advance. The leaders of the coup are arrested and coup
fails.
The Failed Experiment:
By the summer of 1917 support for the PG had diminished. Food supplies were stll chaotc
wages contnued to fall infaton hit 755% by October worker’s rights were limited further.
The contnuaton of the war did not help at all.
Calls for land distributon were also put off untl after the war so the PG lost the support of the
countryside and peasants seized lands anyway.
Rumours began to be spread that the PG was delaying greater democracy to preserve its own
‘bourgeois’ power.
Lenin’s Return:
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