Millions of Russians died in The War, millions more retreated from the German armies, and millions were captured.  In population alone the price they paid was staggering, but they also lost vast territories to the German war machine.  The economic collapse that followed further devastated the Russian Empire and an alliance of the parliamentary Duma and the workers’ party Bolsheviks took control of the reins of government.  The demoralized military did not intervene.