Could Russya have exited the World War 1 in 1916? What could be the most likely culprit for that?
>>17434379> What could be the most likely culprit for that?Czar Nicholas II's ineffective leadership.
>>17434388I mean one that would immediately cause a revolution and guerre civil like in 1917. Like could Russya just have "quietly" exited the conflict?
>>17434379Russia closed 1916 with successful offensive and the naval blockade was taking severe toll on the Germans. Even the February riot next year started from pro-war parties(as in drinking and dancing kind of parties) where participants were accusing the Tzar for being too German and unwilling to engage in the war seriously. Any Russian elites at the time would also be rather unwilling to do anything to end the war because the way the economic situation looked like meant that the Germans weren't going to last. Even with increased requisitions from 1917 and 1918 from newly occupied territories and takeover of Romanian granaries, they were suffering from food shortages and in 1916 we're talking about a situation where Romania is still neutral and Russians can be pushed back but the expense paralyses the western front while never being big enough to lead to Russian defeat. The rewards for staying were meanwhile gigantic, Russia was the only power that would be capable of enforcing the peace treaties on Turkey for instance, and territorial concessions in the west were also bound to happen. You'd really need to send some kind of revolutionary hell bent on his cause that is willing to betray the interest of the country he wants to later rule and give him enough money(like a trainful of gold) to afford the revolution. to pull Russia out of war.
