Russia entered World War I in 1914 considering Germany its main threat, but faced severe hardships including food shortages. The Russian Empire's leader abdicated in 1917 and was replaced by a provisional government that continued fighting but could not solve Russia's economic issues. They decided to withdraw from the war in order to focus on rebuilding their resources and economy at home, as over 5 million Russian soldiers had already died and the country had lost military power and supply lines. The war devastated Russia, resulting in massive losses of life, long work hours and little pay or resources for citizens.