How did Russia's defeat in World War I affect the Communist revolutionaries

[Old_Fart]

I am having an argument about the way that they formed a new society and I need some talking points. If anyone has any opinion on this can you post it so that I can win my argument at my lodge. 87% of our lodges members hate Bush but it's the 13% that I want to put in their place.

How did Russia's defeat in World War I affect the Communist revolutionaries as they tried to form a new society?

[rockymountaindem]

1. Well, I'm not so sure it really did.

It was the Karensky government's continuation of the war that helped bring the Bolsheviks to power, but after the Bols gained control, the country plunged into civil war. Evidently WWI didn't help make the Russians all into pacifists. Starting with Stalin, the USSR's economy was geared much towards war.

[Crunchy Frog]

2. Made their take over of Russia possible in the first place?

Really, if the society hadn't been so destabilized in the first place by the ravages from that war, the Bolsheviks would never have been able to take over, in my opinion.

[lenidog]

3. Well first of all WWI as the others have said allowed them to take power

the aftermath also kept them busy afterwords and kept them from even embarking on creating a new society. I mean not only did they have to fight the White Russians during the civil war they had to embark on campaigns to try and reclaim the Baltics (failed), Finland (failed), the Ukraine, Belarus, and the Caucasus's and a border war with Poland. (failed)All of these declared their independence after the fall of Germany since Germany had been awarded them all except Finland at the Treaty of Brest Litivosk

[rockymountaindem]

4. I'm glad to see people agree with me.

Just think for a minute how huge Germany technically was between March and November 1918...

But anyway, since I'm thinking of becoming a Russian/Soviet history specialis, it's nice to see I've retained some information!

[lenidog]

5. Germany had everything it needed to really become a industrial

superpower. It had grain from the Ukraine to feed the workers then gigantic deposits of coal and iron from the Ukraine then to top it off oil flowing from the Caucasus.

[Old_Fart]

7. Your thinking of becoming a Russian/Soviet?

I am very interested in your comment can you elaborate on it?

[rockymountaindem]

9. Oops

Looks like I made a typo in my post. I meant to say that I'm thinking about becoming a Russian/Soviet history specialist. I'm a history major now, and perhaps I'll make Russia and the Soviet Union the focus of my studies since it interests me so much.

[Old_Fart]

10. My epitaph will read "History Buff"

I am interested in getting out of the US if the re-pugs keep placing themselves into power.

[queeg]

6. Actually they didn't lose----

just sort of quit.

[bobbieinok]

8. To the Finnland Station discusses how German high command

made a deal with Lenin and Trotsky to board a train in Switzerland and travel to the Finnland-Russia border....the Germans knew that Lenin would lead a revolution that would keep Russia from continuing to fight

the train was securely locked down through Germany so that Lenin could not contaminate the Germans