Russia's problems in the First World War

Russian Problems at War.

The war of 1914 interrupted the work of the duma, and Russia faced severe problems. Russia’s decline was due to its economy rather than its military, with three years of total war being too much of a strain, and Russia which was already weak, was put under intense pressure. Russia like many of the six empires of Germany, Austria, Turkey and itself, collapsed due to the war. The impact of war can be put uunder six headings of Inflation, Food, Transportation, the Army, Morale and the role of the Tsar

Inflation set in because of the war. Witte’s policy had stablised the finanical areas of Russia and it had huge gold reserves. Government spending increased from 4 million roubles to 30 million and heavy taxes/foreign loans did not cut the bill. Gold standard was then abandoned, and inflation set in to allow wages to be paid. However earnings doubled whilst prices quadrupled.

Food Supplies, the requisitioning of fertilisers for the military made the peasant farmers struggle, and it did take years to set in however. Part of the shortage of food was because peasants started to hoard their stock as it was no longer profitable due to inflation. Hunger went on to famine, and the military took most of the available food and transport too which was vital in transporting food.

Transport was the major cause of war-time shortages, and the increase in railways was simply not suistained. The massive pressure upon the trains put by the military led to mass blocked lines and trains stranded by engine failure and signalling. The Russian railways essentially collapsed. Food rotted on trains that had broke down, partially causing the shortages, and Moscow/Petrograd only received a third of their regular food by 1916.

Russia put fewer than half the amount of troops out in the war on comparison to its population than any other nation. However, the strength in numbers was undermined as it lacked equipment, not due to under spending but poor administration and distribution of the equipment. The President of the Duma, Rodzianko complained that this had dismal effects, such as hospitals were 10’s of miles away from the soldiers, and lacked the equipment to treat people, with soldiers being bare-footed

Rodzianko believed that strong central leadership was needed in order to be organised but the tsar did not provide. The Tsar then faced criticisms, as he had formally taken control over the armed services, intentionally to rally the country around him but this was a risky business if the war was being fought badly.

Morale had arrived at an all-time low, as food shortages, bad transport and bad news from the war mounted such as the appalling casualty list, and mutinies also began, though on a similar scale to that of other countries.

SUMMARY
Total war, huge strain on Russia socially, politically and economically

INFLATION – wages doubled but prices quadrupled.
FOOD SUPPLIES – lack of fertiliser and claiming of food by the army, hoarding by peasants and mostly the broken transport led to famine
TRANSPORT – Broken and abandoned, food not delivered and struggled under weight of military
ARMY – Fought well and valiantly, but let down by the administration and distribution of equipment and hospital beacons in conjunction to positions
TSAR- Nicholas II fault if war was going badly, and it was.
MORALE – once high, now low due to inflation, famine, casualty list and transport set in a low point for Russia.