What would've happened to Russia had it not entered WWI?

[Russophile]

Originally Posted by Iluvbertie

Another point was that despite how poorly prepared the Russians were they still managed to tie down about 5/8s of the German army until early 1918 (meaning that the industrialised nations of Britain and France were only fighting 3/8s of the army in the West).

By sheer numbers only. Massie reports (N & A) that Grand Duke Boris was in charge of outfitting troops w/munitions etc. and grafted heavily on it. The Crawford book states that there frequently wasn't enough food, etc. when GD Michael was fighting.
Even the execution squad of Nicky, Alicky and the children were poorly equipped with guns that jammed, powder that didn't go off and just blew smoke.

[Vasillisos Markos]

I guess the better question on this thread would be what would have happened to Russia if there were no World War I. In such a case, I think Nicky would have been toppled but perhaps when Alexei were older. Of course, something could have happened to kill Alexis and then maybe Nicky would have voluntarily abdicated and become a farmer as he wished.

[AristoCat]

I think that without war or at least participating, Russia might have actually ended up with a less radical revolution or there might have not been one at all.

[ilovemonaco]

but did they have to murder them...couldnt they have just exiled them ...

[Al_bina]

The Bolshevicks decided to follow the model of the French revolution of 1789.

[ilovemonaco]

but that was 1700's ....this wasnt a modern way to do things imo......even now if things were to go downhill with monarchs....people wouldnt resort to killing them...imagine the outcry

[Al_bina]

Any newly minted political regime tries to extirpate a previous one. It is an axiom. Nowadays the judicial system is mostly used. The French did use the court too. Bolshevicks were condemned for this senseless act. As for the outcry, the dogs bark, but the caravan goes on.

[Royal Fan]

ive heard it was done out of weakness not strength the Bolsheviks were losing so they got rid of any rayying point for the Monarchists

[Al_bina]

What were the Bolshevicks in the process of losing? They were in the process of asserting the control of over the country and continuing the old Tsarist politics under a new name. It is sad that careers of great military commanders such as Admiral Kolchak, Baron Wrangel and General Denikin were sacrificed in vain.

[vorky]

Maybe Royal Fan though situation near Ekateriburg when czech-slovak soldiers were coming to rule city. So Reds we loosing this area

[Al_bina]

I see. The Czech legion and its atrocities were mentioned in the official history books. However, it is impossible to determine whether or not the advancing White army prompted the Bolshevicks to execute Nicholas II and his family in haste.

[NotAPretender]

Originally Posted by Al_bina

I see. The Czech legion and its atrocities were mentioned in the official history books. However, it is impossible to determine whether or not the advancing White army prompted the Bolshevicks to execute Nicholas II and his family in haste.

Al bina! How are you?

I just finished re-reading "The Last Days of the Romanovs" which was just incredible. Sad, panoramic, descriptive, and doom-filled.

The book (which I heartily recommend) discusses the Czech & White armies advancing on Ekaterinberg and the acceleration of the plans to liquidate the family. However, the book also makes clear that it was always the fate of the Romanovs to be liquidated, entirely.

So did the advance of the Czech and White Armies hasten the outcome? Perhaps - but by days only, if that.

[vorky]

Originally Posted by Al_bina

I see. The Czech legion and its atrocities were mentioned in the official history books. However, it is impossible to determine whether or not the advancing White army prompted the Bolshevicks to execute Nicholas II and his family in haste.

I dont know what Royal Fan though. I dont have many informations about that. Was there any order from Moscow? or it was separate action by Sverdlovsk Reds? What does official documents say?

[Al_bina]

The All-Russian Central Executive Committee sanction court proceedings against Nicholas II and his family in early April, 1918. However, the Ural Committee decided to execute with a silent, but unathorised approval from Moscow in early July, 1918 because the White Army was advancing. The following link contains some details related to the topic.
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%...BC%D1%8C%D0%B8

NotAPretender,
I have got the same impressions from reading both official and unofficial opinions about those tumultuous times. The Bolshevicks more or less replicated the French revolution. Excessive terror was used to maintain the Revolution and the new Republic.

[Benedict XVI]

I think that there still would have been a revolution but it would be in the 20s sometime. I think the massive loss of life and the poor leadership that Nicholas had militarily and the even worse was his wife's handling of the everyday stuff of the empire. So the revolutions momentum came from all these problems that where brought on by the war.