Why did Russia withdraw from World War I?

Russia's withdrawal from World War I was essentially the result of its inadequate leadership in the early stages of the war. Czar Nicholas, who was very inexperienced as a political leader, and even more so as a military commander, insisted on taking a direct role in the military command of the war. The entry into the Great War came at a time of great economic and political instability in Russia. The war also came soon...

Russia's withdrawal from World War I was essentially the result of its inadequate leadership in the early stages of the war. Czar Nicholas, who was very inexperienced as a political leader, and even more so as a military commander, insisted on taking a direct role in the military command of the war. The entry into the Great War came at a time of great economic and political instability in Russia. The war also came soon after their defeat at the hands of Japan, which demonstrated that its military capabilities were falling behind. Despite these signs that Russia was not prepared for a modern conflict, Russia hastily entered the war on the side of the Allied Powers.

The early losses to Germany in World War I intensified the economic and political problems that already existed in Russia. With each loss on the battlefield, the Czar lost more credibility. He was replaced by a democratic government in the spring of 1917. The Provisional Government decided to keep fighting in World War I at its own peril. When the communists emerged as the political authority after the October Revolution, they decided that the war was a capitalist affair and promptly withdrew from the combat.