Question

How did ww1 help to bring about the russian revolution?

Answer 1

The First World War broke several European powers, Russia being one of them.

Explanation:

The First World War was enormously expensive in terms of lives, finances, and material and the strain of the war broke several empires. Austro-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire were all broken by the war, the German lost their overseas colonies (and their financial stability). Even the French endured a major mutiny -- the British lost their place as the world's leading economy, but were alone among the major powers to not have armies collapse and/or mutiny in the field.

The Russian Empire performed badly in the field, and received several sound defeats in 1914 and 1915, largely at the hands of the Germans. The tactical paradigm of the war (in which defenders could reinforce failure faster than attackers could exploit it) saw 1916 emerge as the year in which the Allies tried to grind the Germans down through massive attrition at Verdun and the Somme on the Western Front, and with the Brusilov offensive.

The Brusilov Offensive was a massive Russian effort (and revealed some good generalship and tactical sense). It was aimed at the weaker Austro-Hungarian armies, but soon drew in German reinforcements. However, it wasn't decisive -- despite the loss of 504,000 Russian troops against some 730,000 Austrian and German casualties and 400,000 Austrian prisoners.

Russian morale, food shortages and unrest at the front and at home sank in the winter of 1916-17, resulting in the February revolution, where the Russians urged the Czar to reliqnish power and allow a Parliamentary system in stead. The Germans assessed that Russian willpower was wavering and unleashed a secret weapon.

The Russian Bolshevik leader, Vladimir Lenin was confined to Switzerland by the war, and angry at his inability to sway events. The German General Staff offered him transport through Germany in a sealed railway car, and thence by ferry to Neutral Sweden. This put Lenin back into play, and the turmoil of the continuing war was something he could work in his favor.