1. The Challenges To The Tsarist Regime 1881-1906

Question 0

Who were serfs?

Answer 0

Serfs are peasants who are contracted to land owners to a act as farm workers. It was very difficult of bit impossible to break free from these contracts.

Question 1

Alexander II (1855-81) background information?

Answer 1

Introduced important reforms such as the emancipation of the serfs (1861).
He was assassinated in 1881.

Question 2

What were Alexander III’s (1881-1894) policies?

Answer 2

Halted many reforms that Alexander II put in place. Believed Alexander II assassinated due to reforms saying they encouraged radicalism. Started a campaign of repression killing thousands in 1881.

Question 3

What did Alexander III do to secure power? (Policies)

Answer 3

Reforming ministers forced to resign.
Manifesto introduced emphasising autocracy.
‘Statue of State Security’ law passed to establish government controlled courts (trial without a jury).
Press feeders restricted (fourteen major newspapers banned 82-89)
Foreign books/ newspapers censored.
The Okhrana became powerful and feared.
University fees increased (only for wealthy).

Question 4

What was the Okhrana?

Answer 4

Secret police focused on seeking out political opposition of the Tsar, prominent with Alexander III.

Question 5

What did the failed assassination of Alexander III (1887) cause?

Answer 5

Repression increased after failed assassination, In 1889 Land Captains were introduced. 1890 the Land Captains became part of the Zemstva. Almost impossible for the children of peasants and workers to get education past primary school. Judicial system control increased, after 1890, could choose duties in cases.

Question 6

What were Land Captains?

Answer 6

Set up by Alexander III. Controlled the activities of peasants communities and formed the primary of the judiciary system for peasants.

Question 7

How was the Russian nationalism increased throughout the country?

Answer 7

They strengthened Russification within the empire. Russian became the official language of the empire and other languages were banned in schools. Jews were heavily persecuted and experienced vicious pogroms.

Question 8

What were pogroms and what was Russification?

Answer 8

Pogroms were organised violence against Jews. Russification was the process by which culture and language were forced on different ethnic groups across the empire.

Question 9

Why did Russia’s economy need to he modernised?

Answer 9

Alexander III knew Russia needed to modernise to compete with rivals such as Britain.

Question 10

Who was Ivan Vyshengradsky?

Answer 10

Ivan Vyshengradsky became finance minister in 1887. Introduced incentives for peasants to move to Siberia, where cheaper land was available and encouraged foreign countries to loan Russia money for economic modernisation.

Question 11

What tragedy occurred in 1891-92?

Answer 11

Widespread famine.

Question 12

Why were tariffs (increased taxes on imported goods) introduced in 1891?

Answer 12

To encourage the purchasing of domestic Russian goods.

Question 13

What was Sergei Witte’s role from 1892-1903?

Answer 13

Minister of finance, aimed to strengthen the economy maintaining Russia position as a Great Power.

Question 14

What did Witte see as Russia’s weaknesses?

Answer 14

More foreign investment was needed to develop the economy.
Russia needed a larger business class.
Russia needed to move more peasants to the cities to work on the factories.

Question 15

What policies did Witte implement to modernise the economy?

Answer 15

Government became more active in developing the economy.
Greater emphasis on coal, steel and iron production.
Loans obtained by countries (France).
Taxes on peasants increased for funds.
The Trans-Siberian Railway to exploit Siberia economically.
In 1897 Witte introduced laws restricting working hours to 11.5 a day.

Question 16

What were the successes of Wittes policies?

Answer 16

Coal and iron production increased.
Between 1897-1900 Russia received 144 roubles in foreign investment.
By 1903 Trans railway almost complete.
Large factories emerged in large cities.
Populations grew rapidly.
Siberian resources increasingly exploited.
Modernisation allowed Russia to equip armed forces with more sophisticated weaponry, keeping them as a great power.

Question 17

What were the failures of Wittes policies?

Answer 17

Living conditions in city poor.
More political opposition emerged.
Strikes increased.
Increased taxes on peasants caused widespread anger.
Policies still left Russia behind other countries economically (Germany).
By 1913 industry contributed on 20% of national income and only 18% of Russians lived in towns.
Education opportunities limited still.

Question 18

Nicholas II (1894) what was his personality and repercussions of it?

Answer 18

Limited understanding of the extreme poverty. Relied heavily on advisers. Tutored by Konstantin Pobedonostsev, who opposed political reform.

Question 19

What were Nicholas II’s beliefs?

Answer 19

Wanted to maintain the Tsarist system of government and keep autocratic power.
Didn’t support political reform.
Believed he had a divine right to rule the Russian Empire.

Question 20

What were the characteristics of Nicholas II’s dictatorship?

Answer 20

1894-1905 refused a parliament to be established.
Relied heavily on the Okhrana.
Supported censorship.
Used both army and elite forces (the Cossacks) to suppress strikes/protests.
Encouraged pogroms against Jews.
Supported the ‘Black Hundreds’.

Question 21

Who were the Cossacks?

Answer 21

Expert horsemen from Southern Russia who served as elite fighters for the Tsar.

Question 22

Who were the ‘Black Hundreds’?

Answer 22

Members of this supported Russian nationalism and anti-Semitism.

Question 23

What were the weaknesses in Nicholas II’s policy?

Answer 23

There were thousands of civil servants across the empire, making the system inefficient.
Decisions made were slow. Civil servants paid poorly, resulting in widespread corruption.
Nicholas II was indecisive and influenced easily.

Question 24

What was the Tsarina’s (Nicholas II’s wife) influence?

Answer 24

Alexandra and Nicholas II had a close relationship. Her influence often made him stay at home rather than attending public events. Many Russians disliked her as she was German which was intensified at the outbreak of the war.

Question 25

Nicholas II and the Russian Othadox Church?

Answer 25

The church had a significant role in Russian Society. Th leadership of church supported the government. The church relayed the message that the Tsar was chosen by God to the countryside. By the twentieth century more Russians were questioning the right of the Tsar to rule.

Question 26

What were the reasons for the opposition to the Tsarist regime?

Answer 26

Some opposition used violence. The Peoples Will assassinated Alexander II in 1881. Towards the end of the nineteenth century Russians wanted a change of how Russia was ruled. A growing middle class wanted constitutional government and political freedom. Peasants and workers wanted higher living standards.

Question 27

Impact of Marxism?

Answer 27

Marx argued that capitalism resulted in the exploitation of the workers, eventually leading to the workers rising up against the ruling classes to remove capitalism. The result would be a communist society with no class struggle. there was increased appeal for Marxism within the working class due to the increased industrial growth.

Question 28

Who were the Social Democratic Party?

Answer 28

A Russian Marxist Party established in 1889.
Failed to agree on party organisation and strategy.
In 1903 split into the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks.

Question 29

Bolsheviks view on how a revolution should be carried out?

Answer 29

Led by Lenin, believed that the revolution could only be carried out by a small, secretive , elite group of dedicated communist revolutionaries.

Question 30

Mensheviks view on how a revolution should be carried out?

Answer 30

Mensheviks believed that a revolution should be carried out by a mass party that was open to the whole working class.

Question 31

Who were the Socialist Revolutionaries?

Answer 31

Drew on some of the ideas of Marxism and were led by Victor Chernov.
Focused on support from peasantry.
Economic difficulties among the peasantry increased popularity.
often poorly organised with no real plan for the future.
Terrorism a key method, murdered Plehve, the Minister of The Interior in 1904

Question 32

Who were the Liberals?

Answer 32

A growing educated middle class due to industrialism needed a party. many joined the liberals and wanted to adopt a western European style of government while rejecting the ideas of Marxism.
After 1905 two main liberal groups emerged: Kadets and Octobrists
Demanded new reforms, however rejected by Nicholas II before 1905.

Question 33

Key politicians of the Liberals and there aims?

Answer 33

Pavel Miliukov and Pyotr Struve. Demanded political reforms such as free elections and freedom of speech and the press. In 1904 Struve organised public protest for demanding more concessions from the Tsar.

Question 34

What did the Octobrists want?

Answer 34

After the 1905 Revolution the Octobrists were satisfied with the reforms in the October Manifesto and didn’t campaign for any further significant changes.

Question 35

What did the Kadets want?

Answer 35

After the October Revolution 1905 the Kadets wanted further reforms.

Question 36

Why did the 1905 Revolution take place?

Answer 36

Wittes process of industrialisation from 1890 encourged people to move to the cities, resulting in increased population. Economic slowdown reduced jobs increasing unrest in the cities such as St Petersburg 1901-05. Famines in 1901 due to poor techniques and bad government decisions.

Question 37

The 1904 Government concessions?

Answer 37

Government more open to Liberal reforms.

Question 38

Triggers to the 1905 Revolution: Russo-Japanese War- why was this significant?

Answer 38

Humiliating Russian defeats for the army and navy in the Far East, sparked outrage. Russians forced to surrender Port Arthur 1905. Russian Baltic fleet travelled around the world and then lost (1905). Tsar forced to sign humiliating peace treaty. War meant protests in Russia could not be consoled by as many troops.

Question 39

Triggers to the 1905 Revolution: Bloody Sunday Protest Buildup January 1905- why was this significant? (1/2)

Answer 39

St Petersburg workers launched protests and made a petition demanding a 8 hour working day and an elected assembly. A priest (Father Gapon) led the protestors (150’000) to Winter Palace to present the petition to the Tsar. The local authorities had to rely on the army to contain the march.

Question 40

Triggers to the 1905 Revolution: Bloody Sunday Protest January 1905- why was this significant? (2/2) (result and aftermath)

Answer 40

Soldiers opened fire on the crowd killing over 200 people. This event helped unite many groups, also increasing protests. In Feb 1905 a mass (400’000) workers strike occurred as a result. Mutinies occurred, e.g. Battleship Potemkin, majority of army loyal though. Government began to make concessions to avoid a revolution.

Question 41

Key events of the 1905 revolution?

Answer 41

By the end of 1905 2.7 million worked had been on strike, and a general strike between September and October. There were peasant uprisings. First meeting of All-Russian Peasants Union took place in 1905, demanding more political freedom and more land from the nobility. An armed uprising in Moscow occurred in December (1000 killed), Bolsheviks being key to this until it was crushed by tsarist soldiers.

Question 42

What was the ‘Union of Unions’?

Answer 42

Set up in May 1905 by Pavel Miliukov. Unitied members of the Zemstva and professional groups in demanding a new political constitution.

Question 43

Results of the 1905 Revolution?

Answer 43

October, Witte persuades the Tsar’s government to issue the October Manifesto (Dumas established). Following this the Tsar re-established his control, with the army staying loyal. Tsar created ‘Union of Russian People’ which was closely linked to the Black Hundreds . The group attacked and killed pro reform people.

Question 44

What did the October Manifesto contain and what were the views on this (Kadets and Octobrists)?

Answer 44

It acknowledged there should be more political freedoms, e.g. Speech, assembly worship and Trade Unions. It also created the Dumas which would have legislative powers. Octobrists welcomed these reform however the Kadets saw this as the start of many reforms.

Question 45

Weaknesses between the opposition during the 1905 Revolution?

Answer 45

Opposition groups were divided and poorly organised, making it easy for the Black Hundreds etc to persecute them. Opposition leaders arrested (St Petersburg Soviet), taking away leadership. The SR’s, Menshevik, Bolsheviks, Liberals all had different aims-> manifesto increased these. tsar secured his regime by 1906.

Question 46

What were the Zemstva?

Answer 46

A form of government formed by Alexander II in 1864.

Question 47

When did Lenin die?

Answer 47

1924

Question 48

Who was Nikolai Bunge?

Answer 48

Nikolai Bunge became Alexander IIs finance minister 1881. In 82 he reduced the amount peasants paid in tax and established the Peasants Land Bank to provide financial support allowing them to increase the size of their farms.