Import from Germany as a Factor of Transport Crisis of Russian Empire during First World War

Abstract

Import from Germany as a factor in the transportation crisis of the Russian Empire during World War I examines the importation of German transportation vehicles and equipment into Russia during the five years leading up to the First World War. Utilizing statistical data from German customs, this study sheds light on the extent to which German production contributed to Russian imports. Special attention is given to the presence of German automobiles in the Russian automobile fleet by 1914, as well as the consequences of prewar dependence on German machinery and other equipment. New sources, including materials from Russian and German periodicals, German customs statistics, and documents from the Federal Archives of Germany (Bundesarchiv), are introduced to provide a more complete understanding of the transportation crisis of 1916—1917. It is noted that Germanmade automobiles made up a significant portion of the Russian army’s vehicle fleet. The study concludes that dependence on German imports for industrial consumption undermined the potential of Russian industry, preventing it from increasing production sufficiently during the war years to meet transportation needs and contributing to the crisis.

Keywords

• import from germany
• world war i
• russian railways
• transportation crisis
• automobiles in the russian empire