engine is stalling when cold

1994 ford escort wagon sputters and stalls, and wont move when first starting out, shakes. what would cause this and how do I fix it? When you first start the car rpms are erratic, car sputters and sometime stalls. When in drive and starting to move car hardly moves even when you floor the accelerator. Car also shakes hard during all this and at times the rpms will race without gas being pressed