2. Russia Defends it’s
Little Cousin….
How did Russia end up in
this mess?
•Russia entered the war in 1914 to protect Serbia from
Austria-Hungary after the Archduke Franz Ferdinand
was assassinated by Serbian terrorists
•Germany – sticking to their alliance with AustriaHungary – declared war on Russia
3. How is Russia Ruled?
• Russia was ruled by Tsar Nicholas II.
• He was an autocratic (in control of everything) emperor and
not very popular. He took command of the army in 1915.
• He was an inept (incapable) military leader and this resulted
in disaster for the Russian army.
4. Q: If you had control of a massive
country like Russia during war, how
would you move your army from place
to place?
5. Russia’s Military Woes
• The Russian military was massive but underequipped.
• A lack of transportation made it difficult to
move troops and supplies around quickly.
• There was a shortage of materials and
resources. At one point there were 6,553,000
soldiers but only 4,652,000 rifles to arm them!
6. Q and Review:
• World War I was a “Total War.”
• What does that mean for the people of
Russia?
• Where are most of the raw materials
(food, clothing, metal, etc.) going? Why?
7. Civil Unrest at Home
• By 1917 the Russian people were tired and
hungry.
• A shortage of bread in the cities led factory
workers to strike (refuse to work).
• They demanded political change and began to
call for the Tsar to step down from power.
8. Q:
• What is a strike?
• What were the Russian workers striking for?
• What effect do you think these strikes might
have on Russia’s war efforts on the Eastern
Front?
9. Unrest on the Eastern Front
• The Russian army’s last major offensive
against the Germans came in 1916.
• It was a disaster and resulted in the loss of
nearly one million Russian soldiers.
• Russian soldiers, hearing of the unrest and
starvation back home - and angry with their
ineffective military leadership - began to
refuse to fight and as many as 2 million
soldiers deserted.
10. “I can’t do it anymore!”
• In 1917 the ruler of Russia Tsar Nicholas II
abdicated (gave up) the throne and a power
vacuum was left in Russia.
11. Q:
• What effect do you think this revolt will have
on the war?
• What is a power vacuum? (hint: it doesn’t
clean floors…)
• Who do you think might take power now?
12. Profile: Vladimir Lenin
• Lenin was a socialist
• He believed that only a
government ruled by the working
class (proletariat) could make life
better for Russia’s people.
• Lenin called World War I an
“Imperialist War” – a war that
was fought by poor workers only
to benefit the rich Imperialists
and the ruling class
13. What did Lenin do for Russia?
• Many Russians liked Lenin’s message and were
drawn to his slogan of “Land, Peace and Bread!”
• In October 1917 he and his Bolsheviks took
power in Russia.
• Lenin asked for an armistice with the Central
Powers (Germany, Austro-Hungary, Ottoman)
which gave up Russian territory in exchange for
peace.
• Russia is no longer fighting in World War I!
14. WWI Alliances in late 1917
• Allied Powers:
• England/Great
Britain
• France
• Italy
•United
•Russia States
•
•
•
•
Central Powers:
Austria-Hungary
Germany
Ottoman (Turkey)
