Impact of WW1 on Russia

Introduction 

Vladimir Lenin once opined that, “War tests all economic and organizational forces of a nation 1 .” The foregoing statement applied perfectly on Russia, following the consequences that the nation suffered due to their participation in World War 1. Reports made by economic war experts indicate that Russia failed the test in the case of World War 1. In the years between 1905 and 1917, Russia was faced by numerous challenges among them political instability and unrest. The circumstances forced the citizenry to join a revolution that eventually ended the Tsarist government leading to emergence of Marxist state 2 . However, the stroke that broke the back of the camel in the case of Russia was its unfortunate participation and involvement in the First World War. The citizenry was left frustrated, dejected, full of resentments, and unable to contain the situation, called for revolution in 1917 3 . In the following discussion, the focus is mainly on the effects of World War 1 on Russia. Indeed, although various nations of the world namely Germany, France, England, Italy, USA, Turkey, Serbia, and Austria-Hungary participated in the First World War, Russia was equally a serious participant, but the war left it with far-reaching consequences that eventually led to a revolution. It affected the country’s economic, social, and political sphere among other sectors. 

Effect of World War 1 on Russia’s Economy 

The First World War left Russia’s economy in a rumble. The government was unable to operate due to reduced cash, and big hole in the annual budget. In a bid to mitigate the impact, the Finance Ministry decided to introduce new taxes, foreign and domestic borrowing, and massive printing of money 4 . The decision to print money led to inflation, and German territorial conquests and control of foods only worsened the situation. The cost of living went up and riots were heavily witnessed as the people resolved to bring the regime on its knees. The Provisional authority that took over the government was faced with financial challenges that made it difficult for it to normalize the situation. Prior to the start of World War 1, analysts rated Russia highly and believed it would pull through. The country was enjoying huge old deposits, and highly qualified bankers, economists and financial analysts that offered the much-needed support on financial management. 

The gold business was not Robust as it was during the 1905 Revolution. Although Russia was heavily affected by the recession, the gold industry became robust. However, Russia was facing challenges, considering that the turnover from the gold trade was not huge such as the one in Britain and Belgium. Specifically, Russia’s markets were not superbly developed, as it was the case in other European countries. As revealed by the financial experts, between 1912-1914, Russia securities were merely 2% of the country’s assets. In Germany, United Kingdom, USA, and France, securities were 11%, 41%, 18% and 26% respectively, of the national assets 5 . Despite the fact that the Russian stock market experienced massive growth between 1900 and 1914, lack of foreign investments made things difficult. Experts say that, the numbers were seriously against the Russian government, following the participation in the World War 1, which turned out extremely expensive 6 . 

When the Russian government declared that it was getting involved in the First World War, it made some decisions that seriously affected the use of public funds 7 . The Russian Emperor Nicholas II was of the idea that, in a bid to discard social ills, temperance was the only solution 8 . In that sense, he banned the sale of vodka during the warring period. In its wisdom, the government though that the only way to avoid past mistakes was by banning the sale of beer. Previously, Russia had lost in the Russo-Japanese War due to the drunkenness among the masses. However, temperance only made the situation worse as government revenue went own drastically. Thus, it opened floodgates of fiscal problems. In Russia, almost 30% of the government budget was financed by revenues from Vodka sales 9 . Reports indicate that, it was one of the largest sources of revenue. By shooting down the sale of beer, the Russian government found itself struggling financially in an ongoing war. According to analysis done by Andrei Ivanovich Shingarev, a leading analyst of state budget, he observed that, he had never seen a country discard its major revenue source during a warring period. According to him, countries involved in war have always been in constant need of funding. By the end of the war, the Russian government found itself in a state of helplessness and confusion, having destroyed a sector that was booming and promising. 

In its context, the Russian government was not yet out of bad financial decisions. It resolved to put on hold the specie payment and one-to-one gold payment in a bid to print the paper money beyond the usual legal parameters. The decision was informed by the idea of providing instant revival and mobilizing the army and counter liquidity and facilitate run on banking institutions. According to the government finance minister at the time Petr L’vovich Bark, the government was taking measures to avoid past mistakes. He observed that the Russian currency went down following the Russ-Turkish War and was equally at the brink of collapsing in the Russo-Japanese War were it not for loans from England and France. Following the emergence of the World War 1 in 1914, government maintained that it was willing to move an extra mile in retaining its international reputation and the credit-worthiness of Russia. In that sense, it took a unique approach of protecting all the gold reserves. The military was urged make use of paper money rather than specie, in the newly occupied territories 10 . The idea failed terribly as the army defied the orders forcing the Russian government to use much of the reserved gold as collateral for British loans 11 . Clearly, the government officials failed to analyze that the use of paper money was only setting the country into an inflation mood. Russia had high expectations of taking over Austrian and German territories owing to the amount of force it has applied in the war. However in mid 1915, the finance minister informed Duma that the nation was struggling financially. He went ahead to announce that all was under control as the government surpluses had balanced with the ordinary budget. At the start of 1916, he termed Russia’s economy as healthy and stable, and promised that the country would become rich, powerful, and sober 12 . 

Russian finance minister at the time were worried by the financial impact the country was undergoing. However, he was vocal about the figures involved and other financial challenges that included deficit in the huge military budget, and ban on sales of vodka. In addition, the government had given out aid to the families of those wounded in the war and other citizens whose livelihoods and property were affected by the war. The expenditure by the government has gone up and the situation was getting out hand 13 . In the face of the consequences, the minister in charge of war complained that the Finance Ministry was slow in releasing war funds. Bark had a ready answer saying that the military knew nothing regarding banking principles, international finance, and bookkeeping. He went head to bash the military for the huge spending that had negatively affected the Russian economy. The country was massively affected negatively, and it was even difficult to get any loans abroad. 

Social Impact of World War 1 on Russia 

In the context of the First World War were the social consequences that Russia suffered. In Russia’s case, the noncombatants paid a heavy price. In the country’s major cities, they recorded high numbers of civilian deaths, which made it difficult to sustain the mourning ceremonies. The government machinery was in the forefront to employ propaganda in the wake of high number of deaths 14 . Although the cost of living went up in all European nations involved in the war, Russia’s case was even worse. The cost of living tripled and government measures and controls did not help a great deal. Communities were simply being sacrificed to keep the war going. Although majority of people in Russia were feeling the heat, sections of people were the most affected. The impact was huge on the children, who were left orphans after losing their parents and siblings in the war. Although the Russian government was focused on providing help to the families of the soldiers involved in the war, others too were equally on the receiving end. Clearly, the war had left the entire future generation wiped out. 

In terms of veterans, Russia had mobilized men to participate in the First World War. Most of the Russian men who were in the battle’s frontline did not survive. Some were left wounded, and scores permanently disabled 15 . The injuries made it difficult for the men to engage in any economic or social activities. The psychological and social cost that came because of the world war was incalculable. Notably, the Russian veterans were the most affected, considering that the only veterans who got pensions were those of the Bolshevik Red Army. Others were left in the mercies of charity, and employers who would pity and hire them. 

Urban workers were equally faced with hardships in the course of the First World War. Most unskilled workers enjoyed good income, and their lives only became better after the war. However, they were not lucky either, as they susceptible to diseases and shortages, and death of the main wage earner subjected the families into abject poverty. The situation was worse in Russia owing to the shrinking size of the working class families. In the case of Russia, the average size of the urban families went down from 1914 to 1920. The situation remained the same in most towns until after the end of Second World War 16 . Officials in the government made the situation worse as they kept speculating the government was going to collapse. During this same period, most industrial safety regulations were hardly being observed leading to more loss of lives. The social policies the Russian government has promised never materialized and as such, employees resented. The working class people had been left without resources of building their lives once again, or even offer help to the disabled war veterans. The working class community was hated by the lower classes, and the levels of crime went up. Clearly, the effects of World War 1 in Russia left longer-lasting problems on the people. 

In Russia, the war left many displaced. Throughout the war years, ‘voluntary refugees’ kept coming following the continued flight during the war. Most local people had no sympathy for the refuges, considering they were equally suffering the same war fate. Most refugees would come and take local jobs and the hosts were left without jobs 17 . The foreigners who were coming in large numbers disrupted the labor markets, threatened the locals and the situation only got worse. In Russia, the refuges threatened to make it even hard for the unstable demographic stability, and consequently, the policies were further contradicted. 

During the World War 1, food rationing heavily affected the citizenry and the soldiers who took part in war. Although people embraced the act of rationing as a patriotic act, things took a different turn of events. Towards the end of the war, public officials failed to observe the adherence of uniformity. Towards the end of the 1918, the Russian empire was suffering from massive food shortage. The agricultural sector was suffering from lack of work force, fertilizers, and horsepower 18 . Besides food, Russia suffered massive shortage of leather, wood, coal and other items needed in the war. The deficits were extremely worse in the urban regions leading to breakdown between the working poor and the middle class. The shopkeepers were even forced to hoard goods in order to trade them with food. In the same vein, the World War 1 affected the colonial populations and the minorities in Russia. The minority groups suffered heavily during and after the war. Prolonged period of persecution was ended by the Ottoman Turks. They complained that there was presence of Armenians in the Russian military. They subjected over 1.5 million Armenians in desert camps. In Russia, numerous anti-German programs in 1915 led to prolonged Russian-German communities. At the start of 1917, the war had led to violation of minorities rights. 

Political Impact of World War 1 on Russia 

Russia political landscape was heavily affected by the First World War. The country was locked in ideological and organizational stagnation. The political parties in Russia were not affiliated to any specific social class. The Russian parties were well represented in the two parliament houses namely the State Council and the State of Duma 19 . Following the Warsaw fall in August 1915, the political conflict worsened. Krivoshein was the head of Ministers Council and attempted to strike an agreement with the parliament. The Duma alliance was interested in forming an inter-chamber alliance. 

Prior to the outbreak of World War 1, Russia had suffered military failures. The country had lost war to Japan in 1904-05. Most of its fleet suffered heavily in the Japanese war. Russia was suffering from lack of advanced technology, which led to loss of over 120,000 troops. In 1915, Germany was determined to attack the Eastern Front. The Germans were well trained, better supplied and they were well equipped than the Russian forces. Towards the end of 1916, Russia had lost over 1.8 million soldiers 20 . The country had over two million war prisoners and millions went missing. These were massive losses, and soldiers were left hungry and they lacked weapons. In some cases, soldiers were sent to fight without guns. Heavy artillery overpowered the Russian forces and led to numerous military defeats. At the start of 1915 autumn, Nicholas took over command of the army. He left the inexperienced wife of Alexandra to oversee the government. There emerged reports graft and incompetence was evident in the government. Following these incidences, the Russia Tsarist regime collapsed during the February Revolution in 1917. 

The First World War had devastating impact on the political landscape of Russia, considering that, at its start; the people were rallied behind Nicholas II. The disasters at the Tannenburg and Masurain Lakes led to a weakened Russian army in the first stages of the war. The Romanov had great influence from Gregory Rasputin, and led to destruction of the royal family towards the end of 1917 21 . The Romanovs had been at the helm for over 300 years and they had been overthrown by the Kerensky. Towards the end of 1917, Bolsheviks had subdued major Russian towns and brought the communist rule. The transition that took place in Russia was outstanding, as the autocracy fell apart and communist regime was ushered. 

From a rather positive perspective, the World War 1 led to the 1917 Russian Revolution. Towards the end of 1916, the two years of nonstop war had strained the soldiers taking part in the war. Russia was most affected because it had gone into the war with extreme confidence. Although the economy had been booming prior to the start of the war, it lacked the strength to sustain a prolonged war. The tsarist autocracy had become a bother to the people, and they were more than willing to realize change 22 . The tensions led the government to make promises of enacting reforms, but nothing was coming forth. Russia was simply surviving on unstable pillars, which were easily collapsed in the prolonged warring period. Although Nicholas was determined to cling onto power, the Russian people were determined they needed change. By 1917, people were tired and led by Vladimir Ulyanov, or Lenin, the much-needed revolution was brought forth. His promises were embraced by the sailors, soldiers, and Russian workers. When he took over, he started peace negotiations with Germany and Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed in 1918. 

Conclusion 

In overall, the World War 1 had far reaching impacts on the nations that took part in it, among them Germany, Italy, US, United Kingdom and the Austria among others. In its context, Russia was not left behind, as the war influenced the nation economically, socially and politically. Economically, Russia was well prepared for the war, but the result affected its economy badly. According to financial experts, the country lacked the financial muscle to sustain war for a prolonged period. The government was suffering from reduced cash, and the fact that it had massive expenditure on the military. The prolonged warring period left the country struggling to survive, as there were hardly any economic activities going on. The minister of finance tried to introduce measures such as increase in taxes, but it was already late. Socially, the workers, civilians, veterans, children and families suffered a great deal. Families were displaced, and food rationing was a reality. Most veterans were denied pensions, as the government was focused on settling families of the soldiers who died in the line of duty. From a political perspective, Russia was locked in ideological and organizational stagnation. However, the people of Russia were the major beneficiaries, as the war led to Russian Revolution of 1917. 

Works Cited 

C N Trueman "Russia And World War One" historylearningsite.co.uk. The History Learning Site, 22 May 2015. 02 April 2019. 

Christian, David. Imperial and Soviet Russia: Power, Privilege, and the Challenge of Modernity. New York: St. Martin's, 1997. 

Gatrell, Peter. Russia’s First World War: a Social and Economic History , London: Pearson, 2005. 

Siegelbaum, Lewis H. The Politics of Industrial Mobilization in Russia, 1914-1917: a Study of the War-Industries Committees, London: Macmillan, 1983. 

1 Siegelbaum, Lewis H. The Politics of Industrial Mobilization in Russia, 1914-1917: a Study of the War-Industries Committees, London: Macmillan, 1983. 

2 C N Trueman "Russia And World War One" historylearningsite.co.uk. The History Learning Site, 22 May 2015. 02 April 2019. 

3 Siegelbaum, Lewis H. The Politics of Industrial Mobilization in Russia, 1914-1917: a Study of the War-Industries Committees, London: Macmillan, 1983. 

4 Gatrell, Peter. Russia’s First World War: a Social and Economic History , London: Pearson, 2005. 

5 Gatrell, Peter. Russia’s First World War: a Social and Economic History , London: Pearson, 2005. 

6 Siegelbaum, Lewis H. The Politics of Industrial Mobilization in Russia, 1914-1917: a Study of the War-Industries Committees, London: Macmillan, 1983. 

7 C N Trueman "Russia And World War One" historylearningsite.co.uk. The History Learning Site, 22 May 2015. 02 April 2019. 

8 Siegelbaum, Lewis H. The Politics of Industrial Mobilization in Russia, 1914-1917: a Study of the War-Industries Committees, London: Macmillan, 1983. 

9 Gatrell, Peter. Russia’s First World War: a Social and Economic History , London: Pearson, 2005. 

10 Gatrell, Peter. Russia’s First World War: a Social and Economic History , London: Pearson, 2005. 

11 Siegelbaum, Lewis H. The Politics of Industrial Mobilization in Russia, 1914-1917: a Study of the War-Industries Committees, London: Macmillan, 1983. 

12 C N Trueman "Russia And World War One" historylearningsite.co.uk. The History Learning Site, 22 May 2015. 02 April 2019. 

13 Gatrell, Peter. Russia’s First World War: a Social and Economic History , London: Pearson, 2005. 

14 Siegelbaum, Lewis H. The Politics of Industrial Mobilization in Russia, 1914-1917: a Study of the War-Industries Committees, London: Macmillan, 1983. 

15 Siegelbaum, Lewis H. The Politics of Industrial Mobilization in Russia, 1914-1917: a Study of the War-Industries Committees, London: Macmillan, 1983. 

16 Christian, David. Imperial and Soviet Russia: Power, Privilege, and the Challenge of Modernity. New York: St. Martin's, 1997. 

17 Christian, David. Imperial and Soviet Russia: Power, Privilege, and the Challenge of Modernity. New York: St. Martin's, 1997. 

18 Christian, David. Imperial and Soviet Russia: Power, Privilege, and the Challenge of Modernity. New York: St. Martin's, 1997. 

19 Christian, David. Imperial and Soviet Russia: Power, Privilege, and the Challenge of Modernity. New York: St. Martin's, 1997. 

20 C N Trueman "Russia And World War One" historylearningsite.co.uk. The History Learning Site, 22 May 2015. 02 April 2019. 

21 C N Trueman "Russia And World War One" historylearningsite.co.uk. The History Learning Site, 22 May 2015. 02 April 2019. 

22 C N Trueman "Russia And World War One" historylearningsite.co.uk. The History Learning Site, 22 May 2015. 02 April 2019.