Russia in WW1

[Gelion]

By the end of 1917 Russia effectively pulled out of the war occupied with the revolution and the civil war to follow. None of the Russian governements existing at the time were invited to the Versailles treaty conference and Russia as a country gained nothing out of a 4 year old bloody war. In your view should have Allies invited Kerensky's government to the conference or more troops to destory the "commuist threat"? After all Lenin openly said the aim of USSR as he sees it is to unite all Europe. Or was it a fault of the Russian governmet and an internal problem?
Discuss.

 

[Knight-Dragon]

The Western powers were utterly exhausted by years of static trench warfare, and mindless slaughter. They weren't in any condition to fight further wars in Russia.

 

[Adler17]

The Czar failed to make peace end of 1916 and the new government did the same, so the civil war lead to a chaos. The victorious communists were isolated by the rest of the world and since it seemed clear that the White were not able to beat the Reds the allied governments didn´t think to invite the Russians. I think that was the only wise decision made in Versailles...

Adler

 

[Vrylakas]

The Allies were not in a position to decisively influence events in Russia in 1917 or 1918, as their meagre intervention in 1919 showed.

The Russians themselves had suffered severe depredations for decades and received neither sympathy nor relief from their government. The war added fresh woes to their lot and finally pushed Russians, especially when coupled with the visible incompetence of the Russian leadership in the war, to revolution. Having just barely survived the surprise Russian summer Brusilov offensive in 1916 the Germans very foolishly - apparently forgetting the underlying conservative points of the 19th century Concert of Europe - moved the Russian revolutionary Lenin from Switzerland to Russian Finland via the infamous "sealed railcar" and watched gleefully as the Kerensky government succumbed to extremist revolutionaries. The Germans of both World Wars often showed an extreme breadth of brilliance in military affairs but this was so often matched by an equally appalling ineptitude in political matters; apparently it just didn't occur to the German leadership that unleashing violent extremist revolution in a neighboring great power would have consequences elsewhere...

 

[YotoKiller]

I believe Britain and the U.S. were only major nations to send troops to Russia. The U.S. occupied Vladivostoc for several years. Which is where the only "shooting war" between U.S. and Soviets ever took place.

 

[Adler17]

The Germans wanted peace with Russia, so they sent Lenin back home, which was a big mistake. When the first revolution happened the Germans thought it would be okay now and peace would come. They didn´t expect Kerensky continuing the war, which was an idioty. So Lenin begame the ruler...
Yoto, also the Germans, French, Japanese and Australians fought against the Bolshevics.

Adler

 

[Ancient Grudge]

I know the French sent troops to Russia as well and i think Japan did as well..... If only all the white armies, the czech legion and the allies could have fought together under a united command.....

 

[Adler17]

Yep. But if it is possible that the Germans had to withdraw only because of Versailles...

Adler

 

[Gelion]

"The war was lost at home" ey?

 

[Adler17]

Well, I think it was a bad decision not to fight against the Soviets...

Adler

 

[Gelion]

In 1917-21 I agree

 

[Hitro]

apparently it just didn't occur to the German leadership that unleashing violent extremist revolution in a neighboring great power would have consequences elsewhere...

Well, isn't that a general phenomenon in history? After all it is not more than just a variation of the "my enemy's enemy" idea. The "the spirits that I called", as Goethe put it.

 

[Gladi]

Well I would say that Reds were not unbeatable as Russo-Polish War showed, true at first Russian just advanced as they wanted, but once Poland organized its army it was same only other way, I believe if Poles did not had to send another army to fight Czechoslovakia they could have scored better- and that was after the RCW was over.
The fact is that is that Reds were pretty much always in minority, their forces feaker than those of Whites. But our concept of "Whites" is foolish they were mix of ultra-nationalists, monarchists, menscheviks and bandits. The SSSR could have been prevented, but it needed will to commit, will that was lacking after bloodiest war ever in history (then).

 

[bigmeat]

Russia just couldn't get a break i mean they 20 mil people in ww2 and another 20 mil in the purges, that is a huge number