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Russian Wars
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Crimean War -1854-56
Massive Defeat
Initial naval success was neutralised with the arrival of the Great Powers. A series of reverses left Russia agreeing to a humiliating peace treaty.
- Emancipation of the surfs
- Highlighted Russian backwardness
- 1/2 million Russian dead, 250,000 allied dead
- Massive reforms
Russo-Turkish War - 1877
Defeat
Initially successful invasion on 2 fronts led to stalemate before eventual progress. All successes were reversed by diplomacy.
- Take Slavic lands from Ottoman Empire
- Initial victories/land gains lost after Congress Berlin
- Slavic tensions
- Confirms success of some military reforms
Russo-Japanese War - 1904-05
Defeat
Attempts to seize Port Arthur backfired and triggered a rushing defeat on both land and sea.
- Spheres of influence war between Russia and Japan
- Wants to take Port Arthur (occupied by Korea)
- Japan also wanted to take over Port Arthur
- Entire Russian Baltic fleet destroyed by numerically inferior Japanese Navy
- Treaty of Portsmouth 1905 reduces Russian influence, Far East
- War accelerates existing grievances i.e.. Civil Rights, Urbanisation
-1905 revolutions, October manifesto, Duma and civil liberties = unprecedented political reforms
World War I - 1914-18
Defeat
Initial success and advances into enemy territory was promising for Russian success. However, the battle front became too wide, and supplies were over-stretched. Despite occasional improvements, attitudes at home deteriorated and defeat followed.
- 5.5 million Russian casualties
- Russia enters war to support fellow Slavs in Serbia threatened by Austria-Hungary
- WWI accelerates existing problems
- Jan 1918 Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Civil War - 1918-21
Partial Defeat/Partial Victory
Fundamental divisions led to the outbreak of conflict. Numerous nations were involved before the long-draw out fighting finally finished.
- 2.7 million casualties
- Red victory
- Followed 1917 revolution
- Consolidates Bolsheviks power (centralises it)
- Secures dictatorship on behalf of the proletariat
- War Communism, NEP both influence and promoted by Civil War
- Full communist control of economy
- Limited capitalism
World War II - 1939/41-45
Victory
Early expectations were for easy territorial gains. However progress was slow, and then Russia suffered a disastrous invasion. This was only defeated by desperate efforts, and eventually turned back by huge industrial and manpower superiority.
- Massive loss of life, 20 million Russians dead
- Great Patriotic War
- 1941-43 Russian defensive
- 1943-45 Russian aggressive
- No major reforms enacted
-Validation of Stalin's regime
- Return to Church persecution
- Russian territory/prestige/influence increase
Cold War - 1945-64
Defeat/Victory
Long drawn out conflict that saw Russia struggle to keep up with her enemies. conflict was carried out through allies and in distant theatres of war rather than by Russia herself.
Didn't leas to direct reforms
- Different to other wars
- Fought outside respective territories
- Ideological, political spheres of influences
- Technologically - space race, arms race
- Hungary under soviet control
- Cuban Missile Crisis
- Unilateral surrender by Russian
- Removal of Russian weapons from Cuba
The impact of war and revolution on the development of Russian government