1. Liberty! Equality! Fraternity!
What do you think this poster is referring to? Why would WW1 have an impact on this? What do you think is happening in Russia?

2. The Russian Withdrawal from WW1.
Learning Objectives
Identify why the Russians withdrew from WW1
Analyse the effects of the withdrawal
Evaluate the significance of the withdrawal

3. Causes of the Russian withdrawal from WW1
Huge fuel and food shortages.
Rising unemployment .
1.7million Russian soldier deaths within two years of war.
Disobediance of soldiers.
In October 1917 most returned home from the war of their own will.
Internal problems – weak royal family, disagreements with government, unrest in the countryside.
Russia was extremely behind industrially Russia was equivalent to 1750 UK. For every factory in Russia there were 150 in the UK.

4. Bolshevik revolution, 1917
Soldiers returned home to join the people in revolting against the Tsar and the Russian government.
As 1917 dawned, riots and mutiny forced Tsar Nicholas to abdicate in February. The new socialist government led by Alexander Kerensky hoped to negotiate a peaceful withdrawal, but neither Germany nor Russia's allies accepted this. Russian soldiers stopped obeying officers' orders and during the summer of 1917, Russian soldiers deserted in droves. The soldiers returned home to support the October revolution, which took Russia out of the war.

5. Effects of the Russian withdrawal
Russia immediately sings a peace treaty with Germany. This is the treaty of Brest-Litovsk
It is forced to give up Finalnd, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Belarus and the Ukraine!
1/3 of its agricultural land and 75% of industrial output!

6. Signing of the treaty of Brest-Litovsk, 1917.

7. Brest – Litovsk was very harsh
Russia at first refused the terms of the treaty, but had to sign in March 1918 when the German army responded to his delaying tactics by resuming an invasion of Russia. The harshness of the treaty, which took so much of Russia's means of economic survival, set a precedent that the Allies used when imposing reparations on Germany in the Treaty of Versailles.
1/3 Agricultural land 75% industrial output

8. Significance of the Russian withdrawal
Russia was suffering higher causalities than any other country – if it had continued fighting millions more would have perished.
Many historians believe the war would have continued until one side was nearly completely obliterated in military and economic terms.

9. Significance of the Russian withdrawal
You might think this would change the war by allowing Germany to move its armies back to the western front to fight the UK, US and France.
In fact, the treaty took so long to negotiate Germany wasn’t able to move many troops west at all before the end of the war.

10. Which was more significant in Germany’s defeat, the US entry to the war or the Russian withdrawal? Explain your answer.
US entry
Russian withdrawal