History

Why did Russia get involved in World War 1?

Russia entered World War I in August 1914, drawn into the conflict by the alliance system and its
promises of support to Serbia, its Balkan ally. War patriotism helped douse anti-government
sentiment, which had been building steadily in months beforehand, peaking with a general strike in
July 1914. Russia’s first military forays were disastrous. Its soldiers were poorly equipped, many
lacking rifles, and its generals and officers were barely competent. In September 1915, the tsar took
command of the army despite his lack of combat experience. This move associated him with future
defeats and losses. By mid-1916, two years of war had decimated the Russian economy. It triggered
downturns in agrarian production, triggered problems in the transportation network, fuelled
currency inflation and created critical food and fuel shortages in the cities. Like the other great
European powers, Russia was drawn into World War I by a series of misjudgements and follies.
Among them were imperial rivalry, poisonous nationalism, overconfidence in the military, placing
too much trust in alliances and not enough in diplomacy. Russia might have entered the war for
similar reasons, but she did not do so on an equal footing. Russia’s economy was still developing and
reliant on foreign investment; her industrial sector was incapable of competing with the powerhouse
German economy. Three years of total war would exhaust the Russian economy and leave its people
starving, freezing and miserable. In this soil, the February Revolution would germinate and grow.