Lesson summary on the topic “Russia in the First World War” (lesson in 9th grade)

Before the start of the First World War

At the beginning of the 20th century, with the development of capitalism, contradictions between powerful industrial countries intensified. They sought to capture new markets for their goods, acquire natural resources and capital. The world on the eve of the First World War resembled a hornet's nest, in which everyone tried to find and “sting” the weaker neighbor.

The countries of Asia, Latin America and Africa could not keep up with the rapid industrial development of European states, which sought to enrich themselves by seizing colonies and semi-colonial possessions. For example, the territories of Korea were divided between Russia, the USA and Japan, while Germany, Russia, Japan, France and Great Britain fought for power over China. Iran, Afghanistan and other Asian countries have become the cause of numerous conflicts between the most powerful industrial countries of Europe.

When Great Britain, Japan, Italy, Germany, Russia, France, the USA, Austria-Hungary, Portugal, and Spain captured almost all the countries lagging behind in their development, they began to fight among themselves for a new redivision of the world. Since the goals of the largest industrial powers did not coincide, serious contradictions arose between them.

Germany in the First World War sought:

• to the removal of England from influence in the territories of Europe, the conquest of English colonies;
• the seizure of industrial areas of France and Belgium;
• receiving indemnities from defeated states;
• establishing total control on the Balkan Peninsula;
• the annexation of Russian territories: Belarus, Poland, Ukraine, the Baltic states, with the aim of establishing an agricultural base for Germany there;
• the absorption by Germany of all countries in whose territories the majority of the German population lives.

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Contributions are post-war payments from the defeated state to the victorious countries.

Russia's goals in World War I:

• maintaining Poland under the sphere of influence of the Russian Empire, annexing part of Galicia, southern Silesia, and eastern Poznan to Poland;
• the capture of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles belonging to the Ottoman Empire;
• weakening the influence of the German Empire and Austria-Hungary through territorial losses and indemnities.

Austria-Hungary planned in World War I:

• bring the Balkans under its influence;
• tear away from Russia part of its western lands;
• preserve Bosnia and Herzegovina conquered in 1908;
• weaken the influence of the states that are part of the Entente;
• suppress the national liberation movements of the Slavs on the Balkan Peninsula.

France wanted:

• weaken the German Empire, seize part of the lands along the left bank of the Rhine and colonies;
• seize Syria and Palestine, partially the lands of Egypt and Morocco;
• return Alsace and Lorraine.

Thus, with each passing year the global redistribution of the world was approaching, in which the confrontation between the Entente and the Triple Alliance was realized.

Lesson outline on the topic: “Russia in the First World War”

" Grade 11.

Lesson objectives: - systematize and generalize knowledge about the First World War and Russia’s participation in it;

— develop the ability to work with additional sources of information.

Objectives: - find out the reasons and goals of Russia’s participation in the First World War;

- determine the nature of the war on Russia’s part;

— characterize the course of military operations on the Eastern Front;

- analyze how sentiments changed in Russian society during the war;

- draw a conclusion about the role Russia played in the war.

^ Lesson type: combined.

Equipment: textbook O.S. Soroka-Tsyupa “The World in the 20th Century”, textbook A.A. Levandovsky, A.Yu. Shchetinov “History of Russia. 20th and early 21st centuries"

fragments of documents, memories, a map of the First World War. ^ Progress of the lesson. Frontal survey: students remember the causes of the war, what event was the reason for its beginning, the dates of the beginning and end of the First World War.

Next, we find out what the nature of the war was on the part of its participants. Let us specify why it is aggressive, imperialistic. To do this, let us determine what goals the states pursued.

Germany.

To end England's dominance of the sea;

seize the colonies of Western European countries;

to conquer the Baltic states, Crimea, and the Azov region from Russia;

annexation of industrialized areas of northeastern France.

Austria-Hungary.

Capture Serbia; assert their dominance on the Balkan Peninsula; Conquer part of Poland, Volyn, Podolia from Russia.

.^ Türkiye.

Claimed Russian Transcaucasia; sought to restore its influence in the Balkans.

Japan.

Seize islands in the Pacific Ocean and “leased territories” of China.

France.

Reclaim Alsace and Lorraine; annex the left bank of the Rhine and the Saar coal basin.

Great Britain.

Maintain colonies and supremacy at sea; take away oil-rich Mesopotamia, part of the Arabian Peninsula, from Turkey.

Thus, the war was of an aggressive nature.

The original date for the start of the war is August 1, 1914. What event exactly happened on this day? (Germany declared war on Russia.) Why did Germany declare war on Russia? (Mobilization.)

In connection with what did general mobilization begin in Russia? Why did Russia enter the war? The men in Russia said: “It’s a known fact - again a German and an Austrian attacked our Tsar. Again, the Slavs need to be coaxed and the foolish Turk needs to be taught a lesson.”

What goals did Russia pursue when entering the war? Maintain your influence in the Balkan countries; annex Galicia and lands along the Neman; establish control over the Black Sea straits of the Bosporus and Dardanelles. Thus, on the Russian side, the war also had an imperialist character.

Let's find out when Russia began to take direct part in hostilities. To do this, let us remember how events developed on the Western Front in the first month of the war. (The rapid entry of the German army into French territory, the threat of the capture of Paris. German soldiers had already seen the silhouette of the Eiffel Tower with the naked eye.)

Under these conditions, France turned to Russia with a request to begin military operations on the Eastern Front. The Russian General Staff decided to launch an offensive without completing the concentration of all forces. On the 15th day of mobilization, Russia was able to concentrate only 1/3 of them. On August 17, the offensive against East Prussia began with the 1st and 2nd armies under the command of Rennenkampf and Samsonov.

At first, military operations developed successfully for the Russian troops. The Germans were forced to transfer several corps from the Western Front to the Eastern Front. But due to the fact that the Russian armies acted separately, the Germans had the opportunity to defeat them one by one, which they took advantage of. In the Grunwald area, Samsonov's army was practically destroyed, then a blow was struck against Rennenkampf's army.

The Russian army was much more successful on the Southwestern Front in the battles with Austria-Hungary. During the offensive operation that began on August 18, Russian troops invaded Galicia and won the Battle of Galicia (August-September 1914). As a result, the Russians occupied almost all of Eastern Galicia, the cities of Lviv and Galich.

In the fall of 1914, battles in Poland took place with varying degrees of success. In November, the largest Battle of Lodz took place, ending in the defeat of the German troops.

In the autumn of 1914, the fronts of both opposing armies reached the North Sea coast in Belgium. To fight Russia, the Germans transferred additional forces here. The command of the Russian army still hoped to carry out a deep invasion of Germany and take Berlin, while the Germans hoped to destroy the enemy group west of the Vistula. But neither side was able to carry out their plans, and the war became protracted.

At the end of November 1914, at the Brest Council, the commanders of the fronts of the Russian army decided to switch from active combat operations to passive ones. The main reason for this decision was, first of all, the lack of weapons, artillery, shells, etc.

Why was the Russian army unable to build on its success in the first year of the war? (document no. 1). During the East Prussian operation, Russian troops showed that in terms of their level of training they were in no way inferior to the German ones. However, the first battle revealed the incompetence of the Russian high command, which was unable to properly use its troops and the capabilities it received.

On November 1, 1914, Russia declared war on Turkey. During the Russian-Turkish war, Turkish troops were defeated.

1915

What plans did Germany and its allies have for this year?

The main events of the year developed on the Eastern Front, as Germany and Austria-Hungary moved their activity here, intending to defeat Russia and force its exit from the war. More than ½ of the forces of the Austro-German bloc were thrown against Russia.

In May-June 1915, Austro-German troops attacked the Russian 3rd Army along the entire length of the Eastern Front, and the German army broke through the front.

Russian troops could not provide constant shelling of the enemy, since there were not enough heavy guns or shells for this. A retreat began, which later became known as the “Great Retreat.” Student message.

April 1915 - retreat of Russian troops from Galicia (Gorlitsky breakthrough).

July 1915 - retreat of Russian troops from the Kingdom of Poland.

What was the reason for the retreat of the Russian armies and abandonment of positions? (technical backwardness, poor organization, unsatisfactory command, difficulties with the supply of ammunition, lack of support from the allies).

As a result of these events, the Russian army left almost all

Territories conquered in 1914. Galicia, Lithuania, part of Latvia and Belarus were lost, and the war began to be fought on the lands of the Russian Empire. But Germany failed to completely defeat Russia and withdraw it from the war.

1916

At the beginning of 1916, the German command decided that on the Eastern Front it would solve only defensive tasks, and would deliver the main, crushing blow to its opponents in the West. The third year of the war began with the Battle of Verdun.

In 1916 in Russia, the situation with the supply of the army began to improve, and troops began to receive weapons, shells, cartridges, equipment, uniforms and shoes in sufficient quantities. All these circumstances allowed the command to move on to active operations on the fronts.

In May 1916, a grandiose offensive of Russian troops began in Galicia, which went down in history in inextricable connection with the name of the commander, General A.A. Brusilov. Student message.

^ Now we need to find out what attitude towards the war has developed in Russian society and how it changed from year to year.

To do this, read documents 2, 3, 4 and draw your own conclusion on the question posed.

1st year of the war - stabilization of the internal political situation. Patriotic inspiration prevailed in the country, calls for civil peace and harmony were heard, and the number of unrest and strikes decreased significantly.

2nd year - the mood in society changes due to military failures, the internal political situation becomes more complicated, the labor movement revives, and the slogan of “patriotic anxiety” appears.

3rd year Economic ruin is becoming an increasingly noticeable factor in Russian life (document 4). Attitudes towards war become negative. The Bolshevik slogans about “revolutionary defeatism” became popular.

Thus, during the war, the economic situation of all segments of the population deteriorated. Bitterness and hatred of the authorities grew. It was no longer clear why the Russian soldiers fought.

1917

The situation at the front has stabilized somewhat. However, anti-war sentiment sharply increased in the Russian army: the soldiers were tired of a war whose purpose they did not understand. Fraternization with the enemy, desertion, and failure to follow orders became widespread. Things even went so far as to kill officers by soldiers.

Germany, knowing about these sentiments in the Russian army, hoped to force Russia to conclude a separate peace. In the spring of 1917, such a proposal was made, but the Provisional Government rejected it, since the plans did not include a peaceful resolution of matters. According to the government, it was possible to restore the combat effectiveness of the army in only one way: by organizing a victorious offensive.

In June 1917, an offensive began on the Southwestern Front, but the Austro-German troops, which launched a counteroffensive, quickly gained the upper hand over the demoralized Russian military units during several battles. Germany's last operation against Russia in 1917 was the capture of the Moonsund Islands in the Gulf of Riga.

In the fall of 1917, the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia. The first document of the new government was the Decree on Peace, calling on all warring countries to immediately begin peace negotiations. In November of the same year, the Soviet government effectively ceased fire on all fronts. But the Entente countries rejected all proposals for a truce and peace negotiations. Germany accepted it.

In December 1917, negotiations began in Brest-Litovsk on concluding an official truce and a peace agreement without annexations and indemnities. Having learned about Germany's conditions, Russia decided not to accept them and delayed negotiations. The German side ended the truce and began military operations. Meeting virtually no resistance, the German armies went on the offensive along the entire front line, during which they occupied Pskov, Kyiv and Narva.

The situation at the front worsened every hour, and Russia was forced to agree to a truce. On March 3, 1918, the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed, according to which Ukraine, Finland, Georgia, Poland and the Baltic states were torn away from Soviet Russia, but the country received the respite it needed.

In conclusion, it is necessary to conclude what role Russia played in the First World War.

Military-political alliances of the First World War

In the early 1900s, powerful powers realized that the solution to all their foreign policy goals was possible only by uniting with other powerful states. This is how the famous military-political alliances were formed: the Entente and the Triple Alliance.

First, the Triple Alliance , which took shape during 1879-1882 . The German Empire united into an alliance with Austria-Hungary, then Italy joined the Triple Alliance, and already during the war, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire also joined the alliance.

Entente Alliance was formed during 1904-1907 . First, Great Britain and France signed mutual agreements between themselves, dividing African colonial possessions between them. In 1907, the Russian Empire joined the Entente; together with France, the countries promised to provide each other with mutual military support if necessary. During the First World War, this military-political alliance was supported by: Portugal, Costa Rica, China, Belgium, Montenegro, Peru, Egypt, Panama, Greece, Cuba and many other states.

Start of the war

The pretext for the war was the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. It was attacked on June 28, 1914 by the Serb Gavrilo Princip. As a result of these events, Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia. She accused the Slavic state of propaganda against the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, ordered it to close the People's Defense society and suppress the revolutionary movement.

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An ultimatum is an unquestioning demand.

Exactly a month after the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, World War I began on July 28, 1914 - Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. In response to the shelling of the capital of Serbia, Belgrade, by Austria-Hungary, Russia began a general mobilization.

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Mobilization - bringing the army into combat readiness.

Thus, the First World War broke out, and 38 states subsequently took part in it - 2/3 of the population of the entire planet.

Long before the start of the war, the German Empire had already adopted a plan for conducting military operations - the Schlieffen Plan. The German military leader Alfred von Schlieffen developed this plan back in 1905. His strategy involved Germany carrying out several crushing blows. The first blow was planned to be delivered to France, approaching it through the territories of Belgium, which was neutral at that time. After its defeat, Schlieffen planned to deliver a second blow to Russia, transferring German troops to the Eastern Front.

The Schlieffen Plan in World War I did not provide for prolonged hostilities; the German Empire counted on the lightning defeat of its opponents. However, already at the end of 1914, she became convinced that she would not be able to win simultaneously on two fronts in the shortest possible time, and a positional war began.

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Positional warfare is a war in which the warring armies hold their positions for a long time, while the front line practically does not move in any direction.

Having encountered strong defenses of British and French troops, the Germans were forced to dig trenches. Neither of the warring parties dared to launch a large-scale offensive. Since the forces were equalized, the German troops, who were counting on a lightning war, were depleted of supplies of shells and weapons.

Carefully designed online courses will help you prepare effectively for the OGE in history.

Russia in World War I - Lesson 2 - On the Eve of Collapse

The lesson continues to study the topic “Russia in the First World War”.

Lesson plan. 1. Homework survey. 2. Work with the “Chrestomathy...” (pp. 38-39). 3. Explanation of new material. 4. Survey to reinforce new material. 5. Explanations for homework.

You can start the lesson with a homework quiz, complementing the students' answers. An example survey:

1. What was the nature of the world war? What was it fought for?

The war was of an imperialist nature, its cause was the contradictions between the states of the Triple Alliance, on the one hand, and the Triple Entente (Entente) on the other: between England and Germany (economic, naval, colonial antagonism); between France and Germany (because of Alsace and Lorraine, because of the French colonies in Africa, which Germany claimed); between European powers in the Balkans and the Middle East (the problem of spheres of influence, political positions in the Balkans, the issue of the straits).

2. Prove that the war was a world war.

From the very first days the war acquired a pan-European character, and soon a global one. Ultimately, 38 states with a population of over 1 billion people took part in it in various forms.

3. Which military alliances mainly opposed each other? When did they come together?

The Triple Alliance took shape in May 1882, when a secret military treaty was signed in Vienna between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy. The terms of the agreement provided: not to participate in alliances against one of the parties; in the event of an attack on one of the parties by two or more powers, the allies were obliged to provide military assistance. The formation of the Triple Entente (Entente) was more difficult - primarily due to Russian-English contradictions in the Near, Middle and Far East - and took much longer. This process began on August 15 (27), 1891 with the “Girs-Ribault Agreement” (foreign ministers of Russia and France). The essence of the agreement was an agreement on joint actions in the event that one of the parties was under threat of attack. On August 5 (17), 1892, in St. Petersburg, the chiefs of the general staffs of Russia and France signed a military convention, which was secret in nature, and its validity period was determined by the existence of the Triple Alliance. Under the terms of the convention, if France were attacked by Germany or Italy supported by Germany, Russia was obliged to move against Germany; if, in turn, Russia were attacked by Germany or Austria, supported by Germany, France would be obliged to act against Germany; Russia and France also agreed to carry out simultaneous mobilization in the event of the mobilization of the forces of the Triple Alliance or one of the countries included in it. December 27 (January 8, 1894) 1893 - January 4 (16), 1894, the Franco-Russian military convention was ratified. In August 1899, the foreign ministers of Russia and France, on behalf of their governments, exchanged letters confirming the political and military alliance of these countries. Thus, the formation of the Russian-French alliance directed against the Triple Alliance was completed. The next stage in the formation of the Entente was the French-British and Anglo-Russian rapprochement. In 1904, an agreement was signed between England and France - “cordial agreement”, which later gave the name to the entire Anglo-Franco-Russian military-political alliance. The agreement provided for the delimitation of spheres of influence of the two countries in Africa and Asia. The acute clash of Russian-British interests during the Russo-Japanese War was overcome, and on August 18 (31), 1907, in St. Petersburg, Russia and Great Britain signed an agreement on delimiting spheres of influence in Iran, Afghanistan and Tibet. This agreement completed the formation of the Entente.

4. What was the pretext for starting the war?

On June 15 (28), 1914, in Sarajevo, members of the nationalist organization “Black Hand” Gabrilovic and Princip killed the heir to the Austrian throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife. On June 23 (July 10), Austria-Hungary presented Serbia with an ultimatum with unacceptable conditions (allowing Austrian investigators to enter the country and introducing a limited contingent of troops). On July 28, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.

5. What are the real goals of the parties in the war?

Germany hoped to put an end to England's dominance at sea, weaken its competition in world markets and seize the colonies. Her plans also included the annexation of the northeast of France, the separation from Russia of the Baltic states, the Don region, Crimea, the Azov region and the Caucasus. Austria-Hungary intended to capture Serbia, take away part of the Kingdom of Poland, Podolia and Volhynia from Russia, and establish its dominance on the Balkan Peninsula. Turkey (entered the war in the fall of 1914) was counting on capturing the Russian Transcaucasus and restoring its influence in the Balkans. England sought to maintain its colonies and supremacy at sea, and to take Mesopotamia and part of the Arabian Peninsula from Turkey. France hoped to return Alsace and Lorraine and annex the left bank of the Rhine and the Saar coal basin. Russia sought to maintain influence in the Balkans, control the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits, and also counted on annexing Galicia and lands along the lower reaches of the Neman. Japan (declared war on Germany on August 23, 1914) intended to seize German "leased" territories in China and islands in the Pacific Ocean. Only Serbia and Belgium fought a war for their liberation.

After the survey, you can invite students to read the document “Chrestomathy...” (pp. 38-39) and answer the questions:

1. How did the government explain the reasons for Russia’s participation in the war?

2. The manifesto says: “We unshakably believe that all our faithful subjects will stand together and selflessly to defend the Russian land.” Have military operations already moved to the territory of the Russian Empire?

Explanations of the topic. When explaining the course of hostilities, you can ask students to fill out a table comparing the main events on the Eastern and Western fronts.

Homework. 1. § 20. 2. Question 1 to paragraph. 3. § 21. “The revolution is approaching” - “Brusilov’s breakthrough.” 4. On the contour map, draw with a dotted line the territorial claims of the countries participating in the war. 5. Continue filling out the table at home.

Great battles and battles

The war, which became protracted, contributed to the emergence of military-technical innovations. This is how chemical weapons were used for the first time, body armor, tanks, helmets, bomber planes, a gas mask, flamethrowers, a Fedorov assault rifle, and mortars were invented.

On April 22, 1915, the Battle of Ypres took place , where chemical weapons were first tested. Germany had previously installed cylinders filled with poisonous chlorine gas along the front line. Early in the morning, English and French troops fled in panic after seeing a green fog stretching several meters above the ground, instantly killing the first ranks of soldiers. Then more than 5,000 people died from gas, more than 15 thousand people received acute poisoning. The first use of chemical weapons also turned against the Germans themselves, when the wind blew towards the German soldiers, they were not saved by protective bandages, they were also poisoned.

After the first use of chemical weapons at Ypres, chemical attacks were repeated more and more often, and a real chemical war began. Against life-threatening chemicals, the warring parties developed various wet masks - protective bandages impregnated with various absorbents. Then the Russian scientist Nikolai Dmitrievich Zelinsky decided to use activated charcoal as an absorbent and created the world's first gas mask based on it.

On February 21, 1916, the battle began near Verdun , located in northern France; in history it was remembered as the “Verdun Meat Grinder”. The German high command gave the order to capture Verdun in order to open the way for the soldiers to Paris. The day before, the Germans transferred a huge amount of artillery there. The French knew that after the fall of Verdun all of France would fall, so they threw all their strength into defending the last line. For six months, Germany stormed the positions of the French, who, at the cost of enormous sacrifices and thanks to the support of their allies - Russian soldiers, survived. The Battle of Verdun was the most brutal and bloody in the First World War, during which more than a million people died on both sides.

To relieve the French army fighting at Verdun, the Anglo-French army began the Battle of the Somme with the Germans on 1 July 1916 . In order to intimidate the enemy, on September 15, 1916, the British used a new secret weapon - a tank. The first use of tanks had an indelible psychological effect on the enemy. But the tanks themselves were imperfect; only half of the vehicles reached the front line without breakdowns. The confrontation between enemy troops continued for five months, as a result of the Battle of the Somme the Triple Alliance lost the initiative.

From May 31 to June 1, 1916, the Battle of Jutland took place - the largest naval battle of the First World War. The battle at sea took place between the German and English fleets, with the English ships outnumbering the German ones in terms of numbers and technical equipment. Both sides declared victory in the Jutland naval battle: both Germany and Great Britain. The German Empire declared its victory because it destroyed a larger number of English ships, and England because it did not allow Germany to break the naval blockade.

The last general offensive of the Germans was the Battle of the Marne , which took place on July 15, 1918 . The German Empire prepared this operation to restore the morale of its own army, which no longer believed in victory and was tired of endless military operations. The British, Americans and Italians came to help the French troops. With their combined efforts, they stopped the German advance and inflicted serious losses on the enemy - more than 90,000 people. As a result of the Battle of the Marne, the strategic initiative finally passed to the Entente countries.

Russia in the First World War (The First World War through the eyes of contemporaries)

U.

So, we finished our group work. We need to take stock of our work. The floor is given to 1 group.

APPENDIX No. 2.

U.

Group 2 prepared a report on the development of events in 1915.

APPENDIX No. 3.

U. The year 1916 was not easy for Russia either. Group 3 will tell you what happened then.

APPENDIX No. 4.

U.

The main burdens of the World War fell on Russia's shoulders. The people were on edge. There was no strength. And 1917 did not bring relief to Russia. Word to group 4.

APPENDIX No. 5.

U.

Thank you, so we looked at the course of events of the First World War and the role of Russia. Now let's analyze the documents and see what facts we have just heard we can confirm or refute with the documents that are in our hands. Word to the first group.

D.

Our group studied the article “To the Army” and made the following conclusions - firstly, in 1914, Russian society was truly inspired and there was faith in the strength and victory of Russia in this war, which is confirmed by the following words: “The job is done, the work has gone to the wide channel of the mighty current of the great feelings of the great Russian people. Its fairway will accommodate and lift any kind of load. We are not afraid of any overload. We have nothing to doubt - the Russian people will lift and carry easily every burden, every heaviness of fate.” The key to victory is in the power of truth and love. The Russian army is strong in the spirit of a great people. “God is with us, for he is not in power, but in love and truth.” And if, according to contemporaries, the Russian army is the whole Russian world, then the German army is a huge crushing machine that has no spiritual strength. She is already like a wounded animal. A little more and it will stop, crumble and become nothing but rust.

U.

But they failed to break the German machine in 1914. How did the mood of the people in Russia change in 1915? This issue was analyzed by group 2.

D.

By 1915, Russians' attitudes toward war began to change. In 1915, the Russian army suffered crushing defeats. The entire brunt of the war fell on the shoulders of the Russians. The hospitals are full of wounded people who could tell about all the horrors of the war. But the belief in victory is still alive. The Russian spirit is alive. Many supported the army, donating their funds to help the wounded and to maintain hospitals. Money from private individuals came in the form of donations - from a few kopecks to tens of rubles. But any amount was important, since huge amounts of money were needed to maintain the hospital. The hospitals themselves were kept clean and orderly. All conditions were created for the wounded for a speedy recovery. So that they can go to the front again.

U.

But Russia's situation only worsened. There was less and less strength left. The food problem became acute. What changed in agriculture during the war? Word to group 3.

D.

As a result of the German offensive, many areas of Russia where food was produced were captured. Agricultural production fell sharply. The number of horses decreased as they were taken to the front. Cultivated areas were reduced, almost half of the male peasants were drafted to the front. Food prices have risen sharply. Food appropriation system was introduced in the country. In Russia, bureaucratic “grain armies” began to operate, the purpose of which was to organize grain procurements.

U.

The shortage of workers led to the use of prisoners of war in the economy. Word to group 4.

D.

If we compare the documents with which our group worked, we can conclude that the labor of prisoners of war was used both in Germany and in Russia. However, living and working conditions for prisoners of war in Russia were much softer than in Germany. The treatment of prisoners of war in Russia was the same as with Russian workers, they received the same benefits. They also didn’t work on holidays. Many believed that using captive labor would help agriculture survive despite difficult times.

Collective discussion of the results.

U.

Thank you all for your work. But let's think about why war is always associated with disorders in the economy of the state?

D.

Waging war requires not only huge human reserves, but also large material costs. And, as a rule, most states are not ready for war, and the main burden falls on the shoulders of the people.

U.

What social consequences could this lead to?

D.

In such a situation, riots, uprisings, and revolutions are possible. Especially if the people do not understand what they are fighting for. Why is this war needed? The same situation has developed in Russia.

U.

Okay, but still, why did the attitude towards the war in Russia change, although at first the people were ready to support the government.

D.

During the war, the Russian people became disillusioned with the government, did not see the point in this war, did not understand what they were fighting for. The main burden of the war fell on the shoulders of the people.