v The Russian Revolution (1917)

Ø The March Revolution=> unplanned

§ Military & Domestic failures=> casualties & starvation

· Labor strikes, peasant unrest, military incompetence

¨ Massive discontent throughout Russia

§ Petrograd strikes/demonstrations=> army refused to fire

· Without backing of Army => Tsar Gov doomed

¨ Tsar abdicates => Duma forms provisional gov.

Ø Formation of the Provisional Government- The Duma

§ Comprised of Constitutional Democrats=>

· Party members with Western orientation

§ Role of the Mensheviks

· Organize workers into councils of “soviets”

· Initially allow Prov. Gov to function (w/o support)

§ Role of the Soviets

· Soon become disillusioned w/Gov=>

¨ Failed to control Army & purge “reactionaries”

§ Staying with the war & its consequences

· Prov. Gov stays the course w/West=> Eastern Front

· Renewed 1917 offensive soon collapsed=> last straw

¨ Alex Kerensky unable to solve massive problems

Ø Germany seizes opportunity=> Lenin & the Bolsheviks

§ Bolsheviks worked against Prov. Gov from start (April)

§ Germans bring Lenin to Petrograd to undermine Gov.

· Objective: cause mischief & chaos in Russia

· Lenin attempt pre-mature coup=> fails

¨ Forced to flee to Finland

Ø Trotsky organizes another Bolshevik coup (6 Nov 1917)

§ Reactionary forces attempt overthrow of Prov. Gov

· Provides another opportunity for Bolsheviks

§ Oct 1917: led Petrograd soviet in prep for another try

· Lenin returns & decides “time is right”

· 6 Nov: coup initiated & Prov. Gov attacked & falls

· Bolsheviks quickly fill power vacuum

§ Role of Red Army=> disperse Constituent Assembly

· Bolsheviks will take power despite election results

· Soon all other parties become irrelevant & banned

Ø Bolsheviks government

§ Promulgate decrees: nationalize lands => to peasants

· Factories turned over to workers for control

· Banks taken over & debts under Tsar repudiated (US)

· Church property confiscated by state

§ What action taken had most strategic impact on Allies?

Ø Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (Mar 3, 1918)

§ Extremely harsh terms accepted with little other choice

· Bolsheviks faced with domestic unrest & outside press.

· Limited window to consolidate power

§ Russia forced to pay high price in land, pop, resources, $

· Must yield populations & natural resources (food) of:

¨ Finland, Poland, Baltic states, & the Ukraine

¨ Bolshevik gov. also agree to pay heavy indemnity

§ Lenin had little choice=> Germany ready to renew fight

· Time to consolidate Bolshevik power running out

§ Massive domestic resistance & civil war soon followed

· Reds vs. White Russians (directly supported by West)

· By 1921 Red Army & Lenin in charge

§ Tsar & entire family murdered- 1928

v End of World War One

Ø Military Resolution

§ Germans benefit much from Brest-Litovsk Treaty

· Gain workers, food, & land, and indemnity $$$

· More import: release of troops from east front

¨ Strategic significance? (where troops redeployed?)

§ NTL=>offset by intervention of whom? (impact 1 year off)

§ Both sides try to win (or improve position) before arrival:

· 1917 Nivelle Offensive(west drive for break-thru- Map)

· German Spring Offensive – 1918=> Result of attempts?

§ Italians badly defeated at Caporetto

§ Americans finally arrive in force- play key role in 1918

Ø End Game:

§ Ludendorff realizes jig is up=> urges for new Gov- why?

· Insists it seek peace immediately based on US 14 points

¨ Woodrow Wilson’s idealistic proposal to end war

Ø Self determination & League of Nations

· German Army virtually disintegrates

· William II abdicates on 9 Nov 1918

· Social Democratic Party declares Republic

· 11 Nov: sign armistice under protest to end war:

¨ 10 million dead & great $ & physical damage

§ Strategic Results of War (p. 873):

· Old international order destroyed

· Russia ruled by Bolsheviks & Germany in chaos

· Austria-Hungary disintegrates into competing states

· Colonial empires overseas never would be the same

· Europe no longer center of world

¨ Confidence in imperial power shattered

· War’s legacy shape post-war attitudes

Ø Settlement of Paris

§ The Peacemakers & their role & objectives

· “Big Four” (Wilson, George, Clemenceau, Orlando)

· France & Britain => make Germany pay for war

· Wilson’s idealistic 14 Points urge “Peace w/o victors”

§ Wilson idealism vs. reality & secret treaties & conflicts

· Many varied & often conflicting national aims

¨ France: Alsace-Lorraine & keep Germany prostrate

¨ USSR: control Constantinople & transit Dardanelles

¨ Britain: Egypt & imperial interests

¨ Italy: Italia Irredenta (conflicted w/Serbia’s aims)

¨ Japan: Korea & China interest in Pacific

¨ US: Freedom of the seas and Monroe Doctrine

¨ Conflicting aims/promises: Balfour Declaration ‘17

§ Impact of communism’s potential spread

· Fear of communism’s spread during global turmoil

· Actions taken to contain & defeat potential spread:

¨ Japan, Britain, & US send troops into N & S Russia

Ø Provide direct support to anti-Bolshevik forces

¨ Suppress burgeoning comm. Govs in western Europe

§ The Peace settlement (5 separate treaties)

· Negotiations (among victors)=>18Jan1919-10Aug1920

¨ USSR & Germany (& small states) excluded

· German presented w/Final Draft: “take it or leave it”

¨ Felt settlement was “dictated” (Hitler to use later)

· Wilson’s idealism derided as hollow mockery

¨ “self determination” doctrine violated many time

§ The League of Nations (Wilson’s prime objective)

· Compromised most “points” to salvage “League”

· Sovereign state body pursuing common policies=>

¨ In consultation w/each other- especially on war

¨ All to submit for arbitration to international court

¨ Decision enforceable by $/military sanction (theory)

· Flaws: No dedicated armed forces to back it up

¨ Required unanimous consent of Council to act

¨ Lack of German & Soviet input- undercuts integrity

§ Colonies

· Colonial areas placed under “tutelage” of victors

¨ Under League “supervision” (but only in theory)

¨ To encourage & work toward independence (theory)

· Shortfalls:

¨ No teeth (no real advancement) toward this aim

¨ No progress toward “disarmament” (quite opposite)

¨ Sovereign states continue to pursue national interest

§ Impact on Germany (Map 30-6)

· France give Alsace-Lorraine (wanted Rhine as buffer)

¨ Allowed to work in Saar coal mines for 15 years

· DMZ established along Rhine – and 50 KM east of it

¨ Allied troops occupy west bank for 15 years

· British & US guarantee to aid to France if attacked

¨ Best France could do & had to accept it on face

· German Army- permanently disarmed& limited to 100K

¨ Fleet virtually eliminated

¨ No war planes, SS, arty, or poison gas (all in theory)

¨ France safe as long as Germany complied (it didn’t)

§ Settlement in the East:

· Germany lost Silesia & part of Prussia

¨ East Prussia separated by Polish corridor

· Austrian-Hungarian Empire no more (Map)

¨ German speakers forbidden to unite w/Germany

· Hungary made separate state of Magyars

· Czechoslovakia formed (w/several million Germans)

· Yugoslavia established w/Serbs, Croats, & Slovenes

· Italy given Trentino & Trieste

· Finland, Estonia, Latvia, & Lithuania=> independent

¨ Territory to make up these states taken from whom?

· Poland carved out of western Russian

· Ottoman Empire no more=>

¨ Turkey formed w/Constantinople & Asia Minor

· Brits control Palestine & Iraq

· France controls Lebanon & Syria (League Mandates)

§ Reparations & their impact (prior German promise?)

· France/Britain: Full cost of war (plus loan debt to US)

¨ Unrealistic- beyond Germany’s capacity to pay

¨ Result: $5B/year=>1921; then specific cost to be set

· “take it or leave” => and the consequences?

¨ Allied justification: Art.231 &“war guilt”- reaction?

Ø Evaluation of the Peace Settlement:

§ Criticized by both defeated & victors

§ France: failed to provide adequate security-why?

§ Brit/US: violated ideals & liberal principles of West

· Not a “peace w/o victors” nor end imperialism

· Grossly violated “self determination” (Map)

§ Critique of John Maynard Keynes

· Consequences of the Peace (1920):

¨ Attack on victors=> especially Wilson- why?

¨ Carthaginian Peace (3^rd Punic War)

¨ $ ruin & war to Europe unless repudiated

· Significant influence in US=> isolation reinforced

¨ Supported critics of Wilson (especially in Senate)

¨ Treaty not ratified & US never joined League

Ø Not bound to aid France if attack

· Critics of peace may have overstated flaws

¨ Imperfect yes=> but under circumstances adequate

§ NTL=> Peace Settlement had major flaws:

· 1. Elimination of Austro-Hungarian Empire

¨ Major negative economic impact

Ø Separated raw materials from manufacturers

§ Producers from markets

· 2. Germany did not accept its defeat

¨ Failed to live up to principals proclaimed

¨ Peace’s validity seriously undercut as result

· 3. Germany & USSR excluded from peace process

¨ Ignored reality of the major role these 2 powers play

¨ Also excluded from League of Nations- big mistake

· 4. Peace not self-enforcing nor give means to enforce

¨ League had no credible way to enforce peace

¨ Too many unhappy parties (Germany) reject peace

¨ France given empty promises of aid to enforce it

Ø France unable to enforce peace on its own

· Bottom line:

¨ Treaty neither conciliatory enough for compliance

¨ Nor harsh enough to another war impossible

¨ Vision & leadership inadequate to task

v Imperialism & WWI from a World Perspective

Ø Impact of Euro Imperialism last half of 19^th cent.

§ West expanded into rest of world=> factors:

· Industrial expansion & growth in transport & comm.

· World economic system

§ By 1914 world divided up among European Powers

· Africa carved up extensively (Map)

· India remained well established under Britain

· China fully exploited for Euro commercial interest

· Pacific islands divided among major powers

· Monroe Doctrine & US control of LATAM firm

· Japan aggressively expands into China & Korea

Ø Impact of Germany’s unification- 1871

§ Major upset of Europe’s balance of power

§ Growing threat to world peace (since 1815)

§ Bismarck’s firm hand held Germany in check

· Complex series of alliances only he could manage

· System worked as long as Bismarck remained in charge

§ All changed when William II came to throne

· Aggressive policies and naval goals reversed Bismarck

· Divided Europe into hostile armed camps:

¨ Triple Alliance vs. Triple Entente’

§ Escalating crises & Balkan Wars grew to World War I

· By end 10 million died & Europe was changed forever

Ø Peace Settlement fell short of espoused rhetoric

§ High moral principles of self determination never met

§ League of Nations lacked credible enforcement capability

§ Reality: Victors simply replaced defeated colonial powers

· League mandate changed little=> promises unfulfilled

¨ But those affected did not forget & worked to attain

¨ Many times with Europe’s sympathetic idealists

§ False picture of powerful Europe emerged following WWI

· Europe’s victors stretched too far during war

¨ Europe seriously hurt politically & economically

· Tensions of unfulfilled expectations created as well

¨ Colonies agitate for independence=>

¨ Origin of global instability created by 1919 treaties