1-1894-1905 Flashcards
What were Nicholas II’s weaknesses as a Tsar?
- He lacked imagination
- did not want to rule
- Opposed to change
Who supported **Nicholas II **greatly in his ideolodies?
His chief minister Pobedonostev
What did Pobedonostev believe?
- He was opposed to liberalism
- saw democracy as a lie
- Wanted Tsars to be ruthless
What were some agricultural problems as the time?
- Agriculture was very slow
- Not enough land to go around
What was the Emancipation Edict?
Serfs could buy back their freedom through redemption payments to the landowners.
Like a mortgage
What were the negative consequences of the Emancipation Edict?
Serfs built up massive debt
How did most peasents see the Tsar?
As a father figure and were very loyal
Who was Witte?
He was the minister of finance
What did Witte do for the economy?
- Brought in foreign engineers
- Negotiated loans
- Started the great railway programme
What were problems with Witte’s reforms?
- Ignored majority of agricultural problems
- Huge social problems- towns grew 97%
- poor housing for workers created class struggle, brough lower classes together
What political problems did Russia have?
- Had no democracy
- 1894 it was a criminal offence to oppose the Tsar
- Many arrested by secret police for political beliefs
- 1881 Alexander II assassinated by terrorist group
- politics secretly developed
Who supported the social revolutionaries?
The countryside
Who supported the social democrats?
Towns and workers
Why did Russia go to war with Japan?
- Russia wanted to end unrest within counrty.
- And didnt think they would be beaten by Japan
Who won the war?
Japan
Why did Russia lose the war?
- Russia had an outdated armed forces
- Japan had been modernising their armed forces and were more powerful
What were the consequences of Russia losing the war?
Russia were stunned with humiliation, and more unrest was caused
What was Bloody Sunday?
A peaceful march to request change from the Tsars. But troops opened fire on the protestors and up to 200 people died.
What were the consequences of Bloody Sunday?
- Tsar held responsible, damaged appearance
- Sparked lots of unrest among workers
- Country on verge of collapse
- State losing control- military mutinies
- Witte called back to advise
- August Manifesto
What did the October Manifesto promise?
- freedom of speech and assembly
- a law making parliament
- the right for political parties to exist
How did Nicholas II deal with the peasents?
Lessened the payments need for the land, made the more content
How did Nicholas II deal with the workers and soviets?
He didn’t, workers were repressed and moscow building set alight in protest
What were the 2 reasons the Tsars kept power?
- the army stayed loyal and wanted to crush the soviets
- classes so divided, that their struggles weren’t the same so did not want to join each other in protest- disjointed
Was the 1905 revolution a revolution?
No, because no revolutionary groups were involved
