Causes and Consequences of World War I and the Russian Revolution

Causes of World War I

• Alsace-Lorraine: France sought to recover the region lost to the German Empire in 1871.
• Bosnia-Herzegovina: The Austro-Hungarian Empire occupied and annexed the territory between 1878 and 1908.
• Imperialism: Industrialized European nations competed for control of global colonies.
• Naval Arms Race: Britain and Germany engaged in a competitive buildup of powerful naval fleets.

War Participants

• Central Powers: The Austro-Hungarian Empire, supported by the German Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria.
• Allied Powers: Serbia, supported by Great Britain, France, Japan, and others.

Phases of the Conflict

• 1914: Initial German offensives.
• 1915–1917: Trench warfare.
• 1918: Allied victories and the Armistice.

Post-War Settlements

The Allies ratified five treaties at the Paris Peace Conference. Terms imposed on defeated nations included:

• A ban on tanks and air forces.
• Mandatory payment of reparations to the Allies.
• Signing the War-Guilt Clause.

The Russian Revolution

The October Revolution overturned the provisional government and established the Soviet Union. Orchestrated by the Bolsheviks, this coup was prepared in just six months. After realizing they could not maintain power in an election-based system, the Bolsheviks abandoned the democratic process in January 1918, establishing a dictatorship of the proletariat. This triggered the Russian Civil War (1918–1920).

International Impact

Lenin’s government withdrew Russia from World War I, significantly altering the balance of power.

Long-Term Causes of the Revolution

• Poor living and working conditions for peasants.
• The effects of World War I.
• The appeal of Lenin and the Bolsheviks.
• Limitations of the 1917 Provisional Government.

Before the war, Russia faced systemic issues. The government's policies exacerbated the poor conditions of the peasantry, as the state prioritized rapid industrialization to transform Russia into a modern agricultural and military power.