What impact did WWI have on the stability of Russia?

Aim - To evaluate the effects of the First World War on Tsarist

Russia.

Starter Questions:
1. Who was Pyotr Stolypin?
2. What was so controversial about Stolypin's field court
marshall’s?
3. What happened to Trotsky and Lenin following the 1905
Revolution?
4. How did Stolypin try and reform the Russian land system?
5. What evidence is there that Stolypin was successful?
6. What criticisms can be levelled at Stolypin?
7. What happened at the Lena Goldfields Massacre?
1. Who was Pyotr Stolypin? Stolypin was a Russian statesman who 1. What was the cause of the strike at the
served as the third prime minister and the interior minister of
the Russian Empire from 1906 until his assassination in 1911. Lena Goldfields in 1912? Working
2. What was so controversial about Stolypin's field court marshall’s? conditions, trigger was rotten horsemeat
Stolypin’s “field courts martial” carried out 1,144 death
sentences in the nine months preceding May 1907.
2. What did the strikers demand? 8 hour
3. What happened to Trotsky and Lenin following the 1905 Revolution? days, 30% pay increase, no fines,
Trotsky and other Soviet leaders were tried in 1906 on charges improvement in food, improved medical
of supporting an armed rebellion. On 4 October 1906 he was
convicted and sentenced to internal exile to Siberia. Lenin was 3. What happened in April 1912? Leaders
also exiled to Siberia. arrested, army sent in to deal with
4. How did Stolypin try and reform the Russian land system? Stolypin
initiated major agrarian reforms, known as the Stolypin reform,
strikers
that granted the right of private land ownership to the 4. Roughly how many unarmed marchers were
peasantry. killed/wounded? 160 - 270
5. What evidence is there that Stolypin was successful? He had plans
to streamline Russia’s local government system, getting rid of 5. What were the consequences of the
land captains and giving the zemstva more powers. He proposed massacre? 300,000 people went on strike
educational reforms & wanted to introduce compensation for
workers’ hurt in industrial accidents. Peasants could own land.
after, no improvements (10,000 left
6. What criticisms can be levelled at Stolypin? By 1914 only 20% of Lena), workers from Korea and China
peasants had left the village commune.Conservative Russia began make up the shortfall
to turn against him - when assassinated in 1911 he was on his
way to being dismissed.

7. What happened at the Lena Goldfields Massacre? Striking workers

were shot and killed in Siberia.
What do the events at the Lena Goldfield tell us
about the nature of Tsarist rule in Russia? How
does this compare to 1905?
 Homework - The Lena Goldfields Massacre 1912

1. What was the cause of the strike at the

Lena Goldfields in 1912? Working
conditions, trigger was rotten horsemeat
2. What did the strikers demand? 8 hour
days, 30% pay increase, no fines,
improvement in food, improved medical
3. What happened in April 1912? Leaders
arrested, army sent in to deal with
strikers
4. Roughly how many unarmed marchers were
killed/wounded? 160 - 270
5. What were the consequences of the
massacre? 300,000 people went on strike
after, no improvements (10,000 left
Lena), workers from Korea and China
make up the shortfall

What do the events at the Lena Goldfield tell us

about the nature of Tsarist rule in Russia? How
does this compare to 1905?
WWI - What do
we know?
 The British and the
French referred to the
Russians as the
‘steamroller’. What does
this suggest about
expectations for Russia in
WWI?
 Long Term Causes Short Term Causes

The Growth of a United Germany Franz Ferdinand!

The formation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1867 Russian full mobilisation in preparation of war with
Germany and Austria-Hungary.
The decline of the Ottoman Empire threatening Russian
interests in the Balkans.

Slavic identity

The Triple Entente

Annexation of Bosnia by Austria-Hungary in 1908

The Balkan Wars 1909-1914

Russian weaknesses in 1914:

● Nepotism
● Soldiers were unfit, uneducated and unmotivated
● Poorly equipped - in 1914 the Russian army needed 100,000 rifles a month,
they were provided 27,000.
 Why Russia were not ready for war in 1914

Russian weaknesses in 1914:

● Nepotism
● Soldiers were unfit, uneducated and unmotivated
● Poorly equipped - in 1914 the Russian army needed 100,000
rifles a month, they were provided 27,000.
 What impact did WWI have on Russia? - Using the handout to complete the table

Inflation Food Supplies Transport The Army The Role of the Morale
Tsar

How was Russia’s How did the War Why did the How well did the How did Nicholas How was Russian
financial position disrupt the Russian organisation of respond to the morale affected
damaged by the supply of food? transport system the Russian army war? during the
war? prove inadequate adapt to the course of the
in wartime? needs of war? war?

Which factor had the greatest impact on Russia?

Rank them from highest to lowest.
What impact did WWI have on Russia? - Using the handout to complete the table

Inflation Food Transport The Army The Role Morale

Supplies of the
Tsar

Increased At first Transport Lack of Tsar takes Peasant

taxation there is issues weapons personal desertion
positive result in control of
Printing production shortage Poor army in Lack of
more money then it (not administrat 1915 success -
to pay decline production) ion and lack morale
wages - after a few of liaison / He didn’t drops
loses value years - Signals communicat know what No strong
inflation broke down ion he was leader
makes it between doing
1914-17, less Failing to department Death
spending profitable supply food s This tied rates had
$4mill -> to sell outcome of dropped
$30mil Shut down Weren’t the army to Mutinies in
Army took in 1916 - able to the Tsar Russian
Gold horses and 575 adapt army -
standard fertiliser stations same as
abandoned and priority out of other
over food order nations
Strain of
war
 How significant was the impact of WWI on
Russia? Answer this question and explain your
position

Think about the position Russia was in before the war -

does it seem as though it is the FWW specifically that
impacts this?
How significant was the impact of WWI on Russia? Answer this question
and explain your position

Homework - read chapter 8 of ‘Towards

the Flame’

Due next lesson 31st October