Some what ifs about St. Petersburg and WWI and 20th century Russian history

raharris1973

Gone Fishin'
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Monthly Donor
a) AHC: Germans capture St. Petersburg or Petrograd while it is still Russia's capital (under a Tsarist or Provisional or Boleshevik regime). Consequences after that?

b) What if Russia moved the capital from St. Petersburg to Moscow after the great retreat of 1915? Knock-ons for governmental stability/resiliency in Russia?

c) What if the Bolesheviks kept Petrograd ( and then Leningrad) as capital instead of moving it to Moscow for the interwar era? Or what if Leningrad were restored as capital after the civil war? Presuming there's still a Barbarossa, how might Soviet defenses and troop concentrations be organized differently from OTL?
 

raharris1973

Gone Fishin'
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Monthly Donor
..bumping for more discussion-

a) no revolutions in Petrograd once its occupied.

b) Russia's war effort still is hobbled. Movement of the capital in wartime to Moscow is a blow to morale, at least in the St. Petersburg area. But, a revolution in Petrpgrad all by itself would not turn into a national revolution. Doesn't mean a revolution centered in Moscow couldn't happen, it's just that the events and tactical urban geography would be all different from OTL.

c) Bolesheviks keep Petrograd as capital - Soviets probably bunch up more forces there for defense. It probably ends up either not besieged or taken by Nazis. Borders of the RFSR would probably encompass the Narva area of northeast Estonia.
 

CaliGuy

Banned
a) AHC: Germans capture St. Petersburg or Petrograd while it is still Russia's capital (under a Tsarist or Provisional or Boleshevik regime). Consequences after that?

If the Tsar is captured, it's probably game over for Russia.

If the Tsar (and his family, hopefully) are able to retreat to Moscow, then Russia probably fights on.

b) What if Russia moved the capital from St. Petersburg to Moscow after the great retreat of 1915? Knock-ons for governmental stability/resiliency in Russia?

No difference; after all, I don't see how exactly moving to Moscow is going to make Alexandra and Rasputin more competent.

c) What if the Bolesheviks kept Petrograd ( and then Leningrad) as capital instead of moving it to Moscow for the interwar era? Or what if Leningrad were restored as capital after the civil war? Presuming there's still a Barbarossa, how might Soviet defenses and troop concentrations be organized differently from OTL?

To be honest, I'm unsure that it would make much of a difference. True, the Soviets might ideally desire to prevent Petrograd from being beseiged in the first place; however, they'd probably choose to defend Moscow rather than reinforce Petrograd too much if they had to choose between the two.
 
a is not happening the front lines don't move very fast and the Germans are never near it. If they do get close the government moves

b. Maybe a huge difference. Moving a couple hundred thousand people out of St. Petersburg would do wonders on relieving its overcrowding and more supplies. Might hurt morale but the material improvements of the people would make the small outbreak of violence called the February revolution less likely to happen. Its really just a small street riot aided by some power hungry politicians

c. My RUssian History pretty much ends in February, 1917
 
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