Great Stuff you always wanted to know about the Russian Revolution and WW I

 

Russia gets itself going in a Revolution right at the same time that WW I is going on.  But this revolution was a long time in coming.  Here's why, and why also it is important to see the two events has happening in parallel.

-Frustrated expectations in Russian society across all levels as far back as Peter I (d. 1725):  They keep getting ideas of political reformation dangled in front of them and snatched away.

1801 Tsar Paul died

1825 Tsar Alex I (congress of Vienna) died, replaced by his brother Nicholas I, and simultaneous with that there is a "crisis of power" (Decembrist Revolt) by young officer corps. 

1825-55 Nicholas is repressive, reactionary, hard-core conservative

1855-81 Alex II is more moderate.  He is "The Liberator" because he finally gives the people a bunch of badly-needed reforms.  Serfdom is ended in two phases between 1861-63, a series of judicial reforms are implemented in 1864, local representative govt, restrictions on press, etc.  But being liberal did Alex only so much good, as he was assassinated in 1881.

1870:  Vladimir I. Lenin born.  Later, his brother will be arrested, confessed and executed for his part in an attempt to kill Alexander, so under Alex 3 (see below), young Vlad is denied access to the university.  He stays home and reads MARX. 

1881-94 Alex III rules more conservative, reactionary, swinging the pendulum the other way. 

1891-92 sees a huge famine across Russia at the same time there is a huge push for rapid, heavy industrialization overseen by Minister Sergei Witte; people see resources being placed on continuing the push for industry as coming at the cost of their lives.  But in Witte's defense, Russia is under-developed militarily by standards of Europe, and it is a time of rising Nationalism (esp Germany) and you don't have to be Albert Einstein to see war coming down the road.

1894 Alex 3 died, replaced by Nicholas II.  N-2 is not the brightest crayola in the coloring box.  But he is in the autocratic, traditional mode of being Tsar.  He is also the last one, and the troubles that come his way have nothing to do with Bartok the Bat.

1903 Lenin represents at the Marxist convention in Brussels, and creates a split in the party – those that agree with Lenin are "Bolsheviks" and those that do not are Mensheviks (generally the "Social Democrats), generally led by Trotsky.

 

 

  Lenin, undated                                               Trotsky

 

 

1905  Russia at war with Japan, beaten very badly at Port Arthur.  Meanwhile, back at home, Jan 22, 1905, a peaceful demonstration of workers led by a priest, Father Gapon, marched on the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg to present a petition (Nick wasn't home).  Crowd was fired upon.   Rebellion faces him from all sides, and as you all know, people who are unhappy and otherwise have nothing in common will form alliances at this point to get political change.  Here, Nicholas smells the coffee and realizes concessions are needed (think L-16 in 1789 France), and he diverts the upper/middle classes with the October Manifesto, promising civil liberties and a representative govt called the Duma.  But it's too little, too late.

 

 

Meanwhile, back in Europe…

 

Remember that features of the 19th cen were imperialism, and there's some land coming up for grabs in southern and Eastern Europe as the "sick old man" (Ottoman Empire) is collapsing; as well, Europe is making a grab for lands in Africa and other "colonial" areas. 

-Another feature of 19th c Europe is Diplomacy, starting with the Congress of Vienna in 1815.  After a crisis in the Balkans (modern-day Serbia-Croatia-Bosnia, etc) Bismarck called the Congress of Berlin in 1878.  Division of lands followed in a way that formed political alliances among the disgruntled who didn't get the kinds of land they were hoping for; particularly, Austro-Hungary and Germany, A-H being concerned about the rising amount of land they shared borders with Russia.  The three main territory winners were Britain and Russia, along with France; Germany and AH, along with Italy formed a political alliance.  These will later be formalized as Triple Alliance (G, AH, It) and Triple Entente (Brit, Fr, Ru).  Nationalism plays a huge role in this.  The Alliance is a mutual defense pact (Italy got into it later) in the event that Russia attacked either AH or G.  Fr and Ru form their own defense pact in the event of attack by either AH or G.  Smell the gunpowder?

-1908 AH annexed Bosnia and Herzogovinia from Ottomans.

-June 28, 1914 AH Archduke Ferdinand is assassinated in Sarajevo by Serbian anarchist (almost certainly with help or sponsorship of Serbian govt).  Serbia turns to Russia for assistance.  AH invokes the Triple Alliance pact with Germany for help against Russia.  Russia invokes Triple Entente Pact with Fr against Germany. 

7/31/14 Germany demands Russia demobilize within 12 hours; asks what France's intention are.  France responds they will act in their own best interests and moves troops six miles from German border.

8/01/14 Germany declared war on Russia.  He sends troops into Belgium and demands unobstructed passage through for his troops to go fight in Russia; it's a challenge to France.

8/03/14 Germany declares war on France.

8/04/14 England declares war on Germany

(throughout all this, Italy stays neutral, stating that the attack on Serbia is outside the sphere of agreement of treaties of both Alliance and Entente)

 

-For Germany this is a 2-front war, west (Fr) and east (Ru).  On the Western Front, the lines that were drawn at the end of 1914 remain essentially unchanged for the next four years. 

-Read for specific battles, but know that these are largely battles of attrition (planned casualties); additionally, note that while technology has changed the battleground possibilities, for the most part, the actual techniques of battle have not had a chance to modernize since the last wars fought were Napoleonic.