1) The Conditions Of Russia Before The Revolution Of Feb/march 1917

Question 1

What is the duma

Answer 1

An elected Russian assembly with law making functions

Question 2

What is a manifesto

Answer 2

Published declaration of policy or aims

Usually promotes new ideas with prescriptive notions for carrying out changes

Question 3

What were some key points to tsar Nicholas life as a tsar

Answer 3

Believed he had divine calling to be tsar

Had moral correctness of autocracy instilled in him from a very young age

Reactionary and arch conservative

Personality ill suited for position - disorganised and ignorant

Question 4

How long had the Romanov dynasty been in power

Answer 4

Since 1613

Question 5

What had tsar dismissed soon after he came to power

Answer 5

Dismissed zemstov petition for elected National Assembly as a “senseless dream”

Question 6

What class was growing opposition to the tsar coming from

Answer 6

Middle class - well educated and denied power

Social democrats (Karl Marx ideals)

Liberals - want reform - turn tsar into constitutional monarch like Britain

Question 7

What happened in 1904 that undermined the tsars authority

Answer 7

Lost war with Japan

Question 8

What happened in 1905

Answer 8

Bloody Sunday

Peaceful demonstration of workers were attacked by Cossacks in a bid to assert the tsars authority

January massacre of workers who were just marching to winter palace

Question 9

What is Okrana

Answer 9

Secret police force of Russian empire

Question 10

What is autocracy

Answer 10

Rule by one person who has no limits to power

Question 11

What is divine right

Answer 11

Refers to monarch appointed by god and answerable to god alone for actions

Question 12

What is zemstva

Answer 12

Elected councils responsible for local administration of provincial districts

Question 13

What did liberals want

Answer 13

Groups who favoured moderate reform and constitutional monarchy

Question 14

List some liberal groups

Answer 14

Kadets

Octoberists

Question 15

What did social revolutionaries want

Answer 15

Formed in 1901

To organise and improve the position of peasantry

Extremely terrorist elements- political assassination
Moderate elements - support doen trade unions and members of middle class

Suffered lack of discipline

Question 16

What did social democrats want

Answer 16

Based on Karl marxs theories

Based support on rapidly expanding industrial working class

Question 17

Consequences of Bloody Sunday

Answer 17

Strikes and riots

Committees set up called soviets

Question 18

What did Nicholas publish after the revolution

Answer 18

October manifesto

Promised to create a duma

causes many middle class to support him (octoberists)

1906- agreed to state duma
However minimised their influence

Question 19

Discuss rasputin and his importance to the tsar and family

Answer 19

Faith healer who had been able to ease the pain of their only son who suffered from haemophilia

Influence over tsar extended to interfering in government appointments

Known for womanising and drunkness
Damaged tsars reputation

Question 20

What is Russification

Answer 20

policy of enforcing Russian culture on the vast numbers of ethnic minorities that lived in the Russian Empire.

Question 21

What is pan slavism

Answer 21

Belief that slav races should be united and look to Russia As supreme leadership

Reason for Russia joining war

Question 22

What was the response of the people when tsar decided to go to war in 1914

Answer 22

Popular initially and supports by anti German sentiment

State duma dissolved itself- declaring it did nothing want to burden the county with unnecessary politics

Question 23

What happened to the spirit of national after battle of tannenburg

Answer 23

Left 300,000 dead or wounded
Thousands prisoner

Russian army in temporary retreat

Clear war would not end in quick victory

Question 24

What was the issue with soldiers in 1914 and 15

Answer 24

Two rifles for every three soldiers

Artillery limited to two or three shells a day

Rely on weapons from fallen comrades

Question 25

By the end of 1916 what was Russia’s army like

Answer 25

Loss of experienced officers
Heavy casualties
Deteriorating economic and political situation
Morale fell - 1.5 million desertions by end of year

Question 26

What was the Brusilov offensive

Answer 26

Russia’s attempt to push westwards from the Ukrainian and break through the Austro hungry lines

Question 27

What did tsarist government do on July 1914

Answer 27

Tsarist government set military zones
Civil authority suspended
Military assumed command

Question 28

What was the reaction to the military zones

Answer 28

Liberal zemstva believed that civilians are needed to play a major part in running the war
Established a medical facility

Question 29

What happened in June 1915

Discuss the importance

Answer 29

Zemstva and multiple Dumas had joined to form zemgor

Chairman Prince Lvov claimed right to help tsarist government in war effort

Tsar Nicholas shunned it and this made it turn into a focus for liberal discontent

Question 30

What had Nicholas been given the chance to do between 1914-17

Answer 30

Chance to institute political reform and save us own position by transferring responsibility for war effort to civilian government

Question 31

What is the ‘progressive block’

Answer 31

Duma deputies who demanded that the tsar change his ministers and establish
A government of public confidence
Asking for Constitutional monarchy

Question 32

What was the biggest mistake the tsar made during the war

Answer 32

Making himself commander in chief of the Russian army and navy

He did not posses the military experience to turn war effort around

Made himself by he key individual to blame and take responsibility for all raging disasters of war

Question 33

What was the biggest problem for Russia by 1917

Answer 33

Soldiers were celebrating with a suitable what do you also like in basic warm clothing and footwear


Question 34

Why was Alexandra seen as an issue by 1917

Answer 34

She was German and accused of sabotaging the war effort

Question 35

When and why was Rasputin die

Answer 35

Dec 1916

Unpopular and damaging the tsarist monarchy

So was murdered

Question 36

Social and economic problems in jan feb 1917

Answer 36

30,000 workers strike in Moscow
145,000 strikes in Petrograd
Because rise in cost of living, deaths and starvation

Loss of confidence in tsarist regime