Russia: War and Revolution

Russia entered the First World War to support Serbia and preserve its status as a great power, but the conflict accelerated a crisis already weakening the tsarist empire. This chapter follows Tannenberg, the Great Retreat of 1915, the Brusilov Offensive, and the army’s mounting exhaustion. It also examines inflation, shortages, railway failures, and political tensions that culminated in the February Revolution. The Provisional Government chose to continue the war while soldiers and workers demanded immediate change. The October Revolution and the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk ultimately removed Russia from the global conflict in 1918, after years of sacrifice and profound upheaval. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.