The starting point of the First World War is considered to be the moment when the heir to the throne of Austria was eliminated by the Serbian conspirators. For this reason, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, Germany - Russia, and eventually France, England and thirty-two other states took part in it.
In the First World War, Russia waged a struggle for the sphere of influence and the redivision of the world; it extended its interests to Constantinople, the Balkans and the Black Sea Straits, since their possession contributed to a free exit to the Mediterranean Sea. A struggle was also waged against the economic influence of Germany.
Germany's declaration of war in August 1914 contributed to the rise of patriotic mood in Russian society, which led to the unity of power and people, as well as the decline of the revolutionary movement, which began in 1912. However, the truce did not last long, and soon (after numerous defeats of the Russian army) clashes between the opposition and the authorities began again.
Russia in World War I, saving its allies (the Entente and France), launched an offensive in Prussia. At first it developed quite successfully, since Germany withdrew part of its corps from the Western Front to suppress it. Nevertheless, Russian troops were defeated, the armed forces of France won the battle on the river. Marne. Military operations on the Russian-Austrian front took place somewhat more successfully; by the end of 1914, half of the troops had been lost by the enemy.
According to the results of the same year, it became clear that Russia's allies in the First World War managed to destroy Germany’s plans to conduct battles, and forced her to fight on two fronts. However, even then, the Russian army began to feel a lack of equipment and ammunition. Taking advantage of this situation, the Austrian and German troops launched offensive operations, and in 1915 Galicia, Lithuania, Volyn and Poland were lost. But, despite the military victories of Germany, she was never able to achieve the surrender of the Russian army.
At this time, dissatisfaction with the authorities in Russia begins to grow. The war took a protracted nature, so anti-war sentiment increased, it contributed to the disruption of trade relations, which led to a drop in industrial production, to a halt in the development of the transport system.
Russia in the First World War was unable to meet the needs of the front. All this became the reasons for the growth of social tension in the country and the political activity of various groups, the authority of the government was undermined.
During the war years, the king was replaced by a large number of ministers, which indicated the inability of the monarch to find a way out of the current situation in the country. By the end of 1916, labor movements that had an anti-war character began to appear. So, there were strikes, street demonstrations and rallies, and in February 1917 there was a mass uprising, as a result of which Nicholas II abdicated, an Interim Government was created.
This Provisional Government organized an offensive at the front, however, it ended in failure. Due to the inability to conduct military operations, in March 1918 the Brest Treaty was concluded with Germany, Russia did not participate in the First World War.
Summing up, it should be said that military hardships only exacerbated the contradictions that were not resolved after the 1907 revolution. Insolvency in the conduct of hostilities contributed to the destruction of the authority of the monarch, as well as an increase in discontent in society. Thanks to all this, the imperialist war has turned into a civil war.
Defining the role of Russia in the First World War, it should be noted that it concentrated most of the enemy’s forces on itself, which influenced the course of hostilities in the allied countries.