1. Russia and the First World War

2. Causes for the Russian entry into the War
the ultimate goal of the Russian foreign policy: to obtain free access to the Mediterranean and to be ready to defend her Black Sea coasts
the Turkish Empire was about to collapse → both Austrians and Russians wanted to expand in Balkans
nationalism, panslavism
the assassination of Franz Ferdinand June 1914 → Russia ready to defend Serbian interests in Balkan
the question of mobilisation: Russia was the first country to give a full mobilisation order→ Germany declared war on Russia
the Triple Entente between France, Britain and Russia
diverting attention from Russia’s internal problems

3. Russia at war
people were excited about the war effort (”all for Mother Russia”) → Nicholas II became some kind of a symbol of the nations resistance
the war revealed the backwardness of the Russian state→ problems!!- Russia could not meet the demands (political, social, economic) of the war - inflation, food supplies, transport, army could not handle the situation
By mid 1915 the national unity was shattered by military defeat and political crises

4. Is it fair to say that Russia was experiencing an institutional crisis between 1914-17?
the character of Nicholas II
the autocratic system of Russia
the Tsar turned against the Duma
* did not co-operate with Duma or with local councils
- Duma´s appeal to replace the incompetent cabinet with men up to their task→Nicholas rejected the proposal
(in : Four Prime ministers, Three ministers for defence, six ministers for domestic affairs)
the tsar took up the position of commander-in-chief at the autumn 1915 → the year of ’tsarina rule’ (meaning the Empress Alexandra ’supported’ by Rasputin > p. 129)

5. the majority of Duma´s representatives formed themselves into a Progressive Bloc (mainly liberals)
→ the Bloc tried to make Nicholas II to understand the crisis faced by Russia
organisations established by zemstvas and city-dumas with representatives of industry co-operated efficiently for Russia’s war efforts without support from the tsarist regime; instead of co-operation Nicholas tended to view them as centres of unwanted liberal ideas