EAM – 3rd Year Russia out, USA in

Name: Sofia Ullisky, Federica Exner, Jazmin Fassbind

RUSSIA OUT, USA IN

THE USA ENTERS THE WAR

Section B
4) Study Sources A and E.
a) What do they tell you about:
● why the USA entered the war?
Observing the two sources, we could say that source a is the one that gives us more
information about why the US entered the war. We can see a woman drowning with
her son after a u-boat attack. This represents how the US was suffering the effects of
the war and how they had to defend themselves in some way. Staying neutral wasn't
going to help so they decided to join the allies.

● the uniforms of US soldiers?

Looking at source e we can tell by seeing the soldiers uniforms that they are well
prepared and good looking. Their uniforms look clean. They are wearing a hat that is
a little bit weird.

● the US flag in 1917?

About the flag, in 1917 the flag of the United States had 48 stars while now it has 50
stars and 13 horizontal lines.

b) Which is the most valuable to historians, Source A or Source E?

Give reasons for your answers.
We would say that source A is more valuable because it shows the impact of the war
on civilians. It shows the emotions and experiences of the people from us and how
they were being affected by the war without being involve in it. It also provides
information about the propaganda tactics used during that time. In addition, this
source shows the consequences of the war and how many people were losing their
lives. This provides historians another way to understand what people were going
through during the war.

REVOLUTION IN RUSSIA
Section A
1) a) Explain the following terms:
● Tsar: Russia’s emperor, head of government and leader of the armed forces.
● soviets: councils of workers and soldiers that took control of the cities.
● Bolsheviks: communists with popular policies that promised to withdraw from
the war.

2) Look at Source D. It is a Russian poster showing Lenin, the leader of the

Bolsheviks. What does the poster tell us about Bolshevik policies?
EAM – 3rd Year Russia out, USA in
Name: Sofia Ullisky, Federica Exner, Jazmin Fassbind

The poster tells us that the Bolsheviks, led by Lenin, not only looked for economic
and political reforms in Russia but also wanted to eliminate kings, capitalists, and
priests of the world. It also shows how they were against aristocracy, religion and
politics, and how revolutionary and internationalist they were.

3) a) Why was the withdrawal of Russia from the war such a blow to the
Allies?
The withdrawal of Russia from the war had significant consequences for the Allies:
1. Loss of a major military power: Russia's withdrawal disadvantaged the Allies of a
significant military force on the Eastern Front, weakening their strength.
2. Strategic disadvantage: Germany could transfer troops from the Eastern Front to
the Western Front, gaining a lot of advantage and launching a major offensive before
American forces could fully mobilize.
3. Destabilization of the Eastern Front: Russia's exit created a power vacuum in
Eastern Europe, allowing Germany to establish puppet states and influence, creating
a threat to neighboring countries and the balance of power in Europe.
4. Disruption of supply chains: Russia was a crucial source of supplies for the Allies,
and its withdrawal interrupted the flow of resources, leading to shortages and
logistical challenges for the remaining Allied forces.
5. Impact on morale and propaganda: Russia's exit from the war damaged the
morale and confidence of the Allies while supporting German optimism and
propaganda, as they could claim victory on the Eastern Front and focus only on the
Western Front.

b) "Source B shows how badly they needed Russia's support”. Explain this
statement.
The cartoon in Source B reflects the importance of Russia's support to the Allies
during World War I. It shows the British Prime Minister, the U.S. President, and the
French Prime Minister turning their backs on Tsar Nicholas II, indicating the
abandonment of their former ally. This signifies the Allies' reliance on Russia's
military contributions and the significant blow they suffered when Russia withdrew
from the war.

Section B

4) Explain why the Tsar became unpopular and was overthrown. Use the
following headings to help you.
• military reasons
• economic reasons
• political reasons.
Tsar Nicholas II of Russia faced many problems during World War I that made
people dislike him and eventually remove him from power. This happened because
of military issues, economic difficulties, and political factors.
EAM – 3rd Year Russia out, USA in
Name: Sofia Ullisky, Federica Exner, Jazmin Fassbind

The Russian military was not strong enough to win battles in the war. They were
poorly prepared and led by the Tsar , which made it hard for them to fight against the
modern armies of their enemies, especially Germany. The war caused a lot of
Russian soldiers to die or get hurt. By 1916 the Russian Army had already over 3.5
million deaths. Due to the need for soldiers, the workers had to leave the factories to
go to participate in the war, this led to factories and businesses going bankrupt. One
of the consequences was the food shortage and the prices of things went up a lot.
People had a hard time finding basic things to eat, and they couldn't afford to buy
what they needed.This made people angry and led to strikes and protests. Through
the political view, people wanted more say in how the country was run, but they
weren't allowed to have a voice. This happened because the power was directed by
only one person, the Tsar Nicholas II.

5) ‘Military failure was the main reason for the overthrow of the Tsar.' How
far do you agree with this statement?
It is true that military failure played an important role in the overthrow of the
tsar. The soldiers did not have a good strategy when they were in the
trenches and the tsar was not a good leader at all. Furthermore, at that time
the Russian economy was very unstable and bad prepared for a conflict of
that magnitude. This caused military supplies to disrupt transportation
networks causing many factories to close. The diversion of men and horses
from farms also caused food shortages, which made the general situation
worse. There began to be many strikes and demonstrations by workers who
blamed the tsar for the country's problems. The socialists and communists
took the opportunity to promote their ideologies. The Soviets, which initially
represented workers and soldiers, were influenced by the Bolsheviks, who
had popular policies and promised radical changes. Making fewer and fewer
people follow the tsar.