The Eastern Front stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. (a) What were the main military events on the Eastern Front in 1914? [4] (b) Why did Russi...

(a) Main military events on the Eastern Front in 1914 [4 marks]

Russia invaded East Prussia in August 1914 in response to its alliance with France, but was decisively defeated at the Battles of Tannenberg (26-30 August) and the Masurian Lakes (7-14 September) by German forces under Generals Hindenburg and Ludendorff. However, Russia achieved significant success against the weaker Austro-Hungarian forces, advancing into Galicia and capturing Lemberg (modern-day Lviv). The Russian invasion of East Prussia forced Germany to transfer troops from the Western Front, potentially contributing to the failure of the Schlieffen Plan at the Battle of the Marne in September.

(b) Why Russia withdrew from the war in 1917 [6 marks]

• The February Revolution of March 1917 (February in the old Russian calendar) overthrew Tsar Nicholas II, and the Provisional Government that replaced him struggled to maintain the war effort.
• Continuing military defeats, including the failed Kerensky Offensive of July 1917, further demoralised the already exhausted Russian army.
• Soldiers deserted in enormous numbers, with discipline collapsing across the front lines.
• The Bolshevik Revolution of October 1917 brought Lenin to power on a platform of immediate peace, captured in the slogan 'Peace, Bread, and Land.'
• The Bolsheviks signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918, formally ending Russia's participation in the war at the cost of vast territorial losses.
• Years of military failure, enormous casualties (estimated at 1.7 million dead), food shortages, and economic collapse had destroyed both the army's and the population's willingness to continue fighting.

(c) How far did events on the Eastern Front affect the outcome of the war? [10 marks]

Events on the Eastern Front significantly affected the war's outcome, though the decisive battles were fought in the west.

Russia's early invasion of East Prussia in August 1914 drew German forces away from the Western Front at a critical moment, contributing to the failure of the Schlieffen Plan and the Allied victory at the Battle of the Marne. Had Germany not needed to reinforce the east, the outcome in the west might have been different. The Brusilov Offensive of June-September 1916 inflicted devastating losses on Austria-Hungary and forced Germany to divert resources from the Verdun campaign, relieving pressure on France.

However, Russia's withdrawal from the war in 1917-18 had the opposite effect. It allowed Germany to transfer approximately one million troops to the Western Front, enabling the Spring Offensive of March 1918. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk gave Germany access to Ukrainian grain and other resources that partially offset the Allied blockade's effects.

Ultimately, the Eastern Front's closure helped Germany in the short term but was offset by the entry of the United States, whose resources far exceeded anything gained from the east. The Eastern Front tied down Central Powers forces for three years and contributed significantly to Austria-Hungary's exhaustion and eventual collapse. The war's decisive battles were fought on the Western Front, but the Eastern Front shaped the conditions under which those battles took place.