WORLD WAR I AND THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
CAUSES AND ALLIANCES OF WWI
THE COURSE OF THE WAR
THE END OF THE WAR
BACKGROUND TO THE SOVIET REVOLUTION
Causes:
In 1914-1918 the War World I broke out in Europe, after called Great War
IMPERIALIST AMBITIONS
THE ARMS RACE
NATIONALIST RIVALRIES
AN AGGRESSIVE DIPLOMACY
Alliances:
France and Germany, two of the biggest industrial countries, remained opposite
Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) + possesion of territories of Alsace-Lorraine
Tensions in the Balkans
People fought to gain independence or to expand their territories
For instance Serbia, supported by Russia, was rival of Austria-Hungary
Germany was in disadvantage, but at the start of 20th century it was Europe's main economic power
and claimed its own territorial colonies
Each power tried to protect its interests by forming alliances
Armed Peace
The World War I begins with the assesination of the crown prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
2.SECOND PHASE (1915-1916)
1.FIRST PHASE (1914)
3.THIRD PHASE (1917-1918)
(CASUS BELLI- specific reason why a conflict starts)
WAR MOVEMENT- where Germany started a rapid attack against France through Belgium (neutral)
with intention to dominate it
Thanks to new weapons powers were confident of victory
This confidence disappeared quickly because this was only the start
In 1915, the Triple Entente troops interfered with Germans
THE BATTLE OF VERDUN (1916)
A new phase started, TRENCH WARFARE, both armies didn't progress
A lot of deaths on both sides
It lasted nearly 10 months
They used deadly weapons that caused 700,000 deaths or wounded people
21 February 1916, one of the bloodiest wars in the Great War, fought in Verdun (France)
To protect themselves soldiers dig complex trenches
From North Sea to Switzerland became a death trap : rain, cold, illnesses... (human suffering)
attempts to break the front that resulted on battles (Battle of the Somme 1916)
CONDITIONS
Difficult living conditions
Discontent and tired soldiers
High levels of death and destruction
SPREAD
The war spread to places like Africa, the Caucasus and Middle East
The Battle of Gallipoli 1915-1916, the Triple Entente wanted to attack the Ottoman Empire
Last phase began in 1917, CRITICAL year.
Russia was out because won the Revolution of Russia it signed a treaty
The Triple Entente overcame this problem thanks to the intervention of the US
1915, British ship LUSITANIA was attacked by a German submarine
1,200 US citizens died
This led to people be in favour of US in the war
The counterattacks and losses of germany led to the conclusion that they won't win the war
So Weimar Republic was proclimed
Near the end of the war, Woodrow Wilson, the US president proposed the Fourteen Points
Armistice was signed
1918 wars finished
Schlieffen Plan- surprise attack
Germany ignored the rules of the war
Germany againsy France (Western Front) and Russia (Eastern Front) +Austro-Hungarian
THE TRIPLE ALLIANCE (Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary)
THE TRIPLE ENTANTE (France, Great Britain and Russia)
Consequences of the war
Peace treaties
collectively known as Treaties of Paris (1919-1920)
TREATY OF VERSAILLES 1919
Terms of this treaty:
Creation of a demilitarised zone in the German territory bording France
Exclusion of the League of Nations
Payment of high finantial compensation to the winners
Prohibition of any attempt to union Germany and Austria
This treaty imposed on Germany
limiting the German army to 100,000 men
The US entered the war in 1917 and played a important role
Peace was declared through 5 treaties
deep and tragic consequences of the WWI
POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES:
ECONOMIC LOSSES:
HUMAN LOSSES: 10 million soldiers died
Germany, Russia, Austro-Hungary, France and Great Britain suffered the most
Germany had to pay high price compensations
Great Britain was an indebt country
The United States the largest creditor of European debt
an internatinal organisation was cretaed to keep peace " The League of Nations"
Territorial consequences:
Turkey ans Saudi Arabia were created in polace of the Ottoman Empire
Alsace- Lorraine returned to France
Austro-Hungarian empire desintegrated in Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia
German colonies were divided between Belgian, French, British and Japanease empires
FEMALE LABOUR FORCE
Women were incorporated to the world of work
also in some countries they has the right to vote
THE OCTOBER REVOLUTION
TSARIST RUSSIA
Russian empire had around 150 inhabitants, from different nationalities and cultures
Their economy was based on agriculture slowly developing indutrially
the standar of living was low and poverty
AUTROCRATIC MONARCHY
the tsar exercised his power (divine right) as an absolute power
sovereign was backed by corruption
Political opposition to tsarism grew in Russia, opposition was tied to cultural elite
Russian Social-Democratic Worker's Party (RSDWP) was founded
they thought that the working class should carry out a revolution to eliminate injustice and inequality
divided in 2
BOLSHEVIKS- were radical and seized power for the working class, leader Vladimir Lenin
MENSHEVIKS- were more moderate and had an alliance with reformist liberalism, leader Julius Martov
Grigori rasputin
he cured the tsar's elder son Alexei, so he became a big religious influence on the tsarina
he was assassinated in 1917
because he was accused of manipulating the appointment of goverment possitions, spying and influencing the tsarina in favour of the Germans
THE BIRTH OF THE SOVIET UNION
The February revolution
During a period of economic hardship, general demoralisation and war
the goverment introduced RATION CARDS
they allowed families to acquire small provisions to subsist in times of scarcity
The October revolution
In February 1917, striking workers and women led demonstrations
with the slogan" peace, bread and land"
The forces of order and the Duma, agreed with the revolutionaries
tsar had no support, were obligated to abdicate
The February Revolution triumphed, peasants and workers seized local power
2 new poles of power (heirs to the Revolution of 1905)
- LIBERAL- duma
- REVOLUTIONARY- soviets
Both of them formed a Provisional Goverment, to establish democracit freedoms and grant political amnesty
The amnesty allowed Lenin to return from his exile
He presented the April Thesis, at the Conference of Soviets
He refused to cooperate with the Provisional Goverment, he defended a revolution to take power
The Provisional Goverment increased war effort
Alexander Kerenski, entrusted the army of the general Kornilov who tried to overthrow the goverment and install military dictatorship
Cause of a new revolution
Lenin moved to an armed uprising
Bolsheviks organised the October revolution
24-25 of October, troops had occupied strategic points of the city
The triumph of revolution, led to the spread of communism
RUSSIAN CIVIL WAR + FOREIGN INTERVENTION
THE SOVIET STATE
The economic situation was chaotic
The growing power of the Bolsheviks led to counterrevolutionary armed groups
Foreign power saw the October revolution a serious threat
they aspired to create a communist society without social classes
Soviets wanted to expand the revolution to the whole world
Despite the chaos, revolutionary institutions appeared like USSR or the Soviet Union
War Communism
forced labour, militarised industry and seized food
A lot of hunger and protests
To control this situation, the goverment consolidated one party dictatorship
Lenin died in January 1924
