The First World War and the Russian Revolution
Name the military alliances that fought in The First World War:
- Triple Alliance: Ottoman Empire, Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria
- Triple Entente: USA, France, Belgium, Great Britain, Portugal, Greece, Russia, Italy-Serbia, Romania, Japan, USA
What was the Arms Race?
A competition between nations for armament superiority (and overall general superiority). The countries spent their resources in strengthening their armies, preparing themselves for a war that could start at any moment.
Why was Italy on both sides?
Italy was initially part of the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary, but in 1915, it switched sides and joined the Allied Powers (Britain, France, and Russia) in exchange for territorial promises. The Italian government believed that siding with the Allies would result in territorial gains in the Balkans and the Adriatic Sea, which they had long sought. While Italy was with Germany and Austria-Hungary, they signed a secret agreement with France. Italy finally ended in The Triple Entente with France and Great-Britain.
Explain the outbreak of the war:
On the 28th of June of 1914, Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austria-Hungarian Empire was assassinated in Sarajevo (Bosnia) by Gaunelo Princip, a Serbian nationalist member of the “black hand”, a terrorist group. Austria-Hungary declared the war to Serbia. Russia declared the war to Austria-Hungary to protect Serbia. Germany declared the war to France. Italy remained neutral.
Explain the phases of the First World War:
War of movement (1914-1915): This phase started with the German invasion of Belgium and France in August 1914. Initially, both sides thought that the war would be short and decided to fight in the open, engaging in rapid movements and attacks. However, the war became more complex and costly as both sides became heavily fortified and began to use trenches. The war of movement ended in 1915 with the Battle of the Marne and the failure of the German Schlieffen Plan.
Trench Warfare (1915-1917): This phase was characterized by the establishment of trenches and the use of modern weapons such as machine guns, artillery, and gas. The front lines barely moved and millions of soldiers spent years in squalid and deadly conditions. Several major battles occurred during this phase, including the Battle of Verdun and the Battle of the Somme. New technologies such as tanks, flamethrowers, and airplanes were developed during this phase, but they did not change the nature of the war. The trench warfare phase ended with the Battle of Cambrai in 1917, which marked the first successful large-scale use of tanks.
Last Phases of the War (1917-1918): During this phase, the Allies gained the upper hand and started to push back the Central Powers. The entry of the United States into the war in 1917 was a significant factor in this phase. The war became more mobile again, as the use of tanks and aircraft increased. The last phases of the war included major battles such as the Battle of Amiens and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The war ended with the Armistice of November 11, 1918.
Explain the peace treaties: The Peace of Paris:
The Treaty of Versailles, signed on June 28, 1919, was the most important of these treaties. It imposed heavy penalties on Germany for starting the war, including massive reparations payments, territorial losses, and strict limits on its military. The treaty also established the League of Nations, a precursor to the United Nations, which was meant to prevent future wars.
The Treaty of Saint-Germain, signed on September 10, 1919, dealt with Austria-Hungary. It dissolved the Austro-Hungarian Empire and created a number of new countries in its place, including Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia.
The Treaty of Neuilly, signed on November 27, 1919, dealt with Bulgaria. It imposed territorial losses and reparations payments on Bulgaria.
The Treaty of Trianon, signed on June 4, 1920, dealt with Hungary. It also imposed territorial losses and reparations payments on Hungary.
The Treaty of Sèvres, signed on August 10, 1920, dealt with the Ottoman Empire. It dissolved the Ottoman Empire and created a number of new countries in its place, including Turkey, Iraq, and Syria. It also imposed territorial losses and reparations payments on Turkey.
Reasons of the Russian Revolution:
Absolute monarchy (Tzarism), poor conditions for peasants, poor conditions for the workers of the factories, First World War (FWW).
Explain the February Revolution:
23 February 1917. The reasons were they wanted to have rights, better living conditions and to leave the FWW. There were general strikes and riots and as a consequence the Tzar abdicated and a republic was proclaimed. The republic was headed by a provisional government (Bourgeoisie Party; Mensheviks). They did a series of political and social reforms, however they did not leave from the FWW. As a consequence, people started to revolt again and a new revolution started in Russia.
Explain the October Revolution:
The Bolsheviks and the Menshevicks fought each other because Lenin returned to Russia, he wrote the April theses and wanted to establish a government of worker peasant soviets. He also wanted to sign a peace with Germany. He advocated distributing the land among the peasants and gave workers control of factories. He nationalized the banks. The revolution was done by the Bolsheviks by occupying Petrograd, taking over the Winter Palace and overthrowing the provisional government. They proclaimed the workers’ government by Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin. In the elections the Bolsheviks only got 25% of the seats. Fearing that the opponents would take over the Duma (parliament), Lenin dissolved the Assembly and put an end to political pluralism. The new measures were the land was expropriated, the workers committees were given control of factories and the peace of Brest Litovsk was signed with Germany.
Explain the civil war and the formation of URSS:
The Red Army (Bolsheviks + Germany) fought against the White Army (Mensheviks, Tsarists, G.Britain, France, Japan and the US) because of Lenin’s reforms. The Red Army won the war; the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was formed; the monopoly of the power was taken; they organized a political police force (Chleka); war communism was introduced; the industry was nationalized; land was distributed to the peasants, who were forced to give harvest to the state; there were food shortages.
Definitions:
Russian Social Democratic Party: Political Party of the Russian Empire founded in 1808 in Minsk, when they had their first Congress. To this Congress assisted nine delegates who approved and published a manifesto. In 1903, the Party got divided into two halves: the Bolcheviques and the Mencheviques. In 1918 it was renamed as “Russian Communist Party” and all the Mencheviques were expelled.
Constitutional democratic party: Liberal party of the Russian Empire formed in 1905.
Socialist Revolutionary Party: It was supported by Agrarian Socialist and supporters of the democratic socialist Russian republic. They won a mass following among the Russian Peasantry by endorsing the overthrow of the Tzar and the redistribution of land to the peasants.
Bloody Sunday: It was the day when the Russian population party walked peacefully to the palace of Nicolas II to ask for peace and to have better living conditions. The Tzar responded with brutal repression and it led into the 1905 revolution.
White Army: It is the group of members that fought against the Red Army during the Russian Civil war in 1918. It was composed by Mensheviks, Tsarists, Great Britain and France. They were defeated by the Red Army.