1.1) Problems with Russia

Question 1

What is a Geographical reason that Russia was difficult to govern?

Answer 1

• Russia spanned across 2 continents.
• Landscapes varied- Tundra in North, Grasslands and deserts far south, Taigia
• Lack of arable land

Question 2

What is a transport reason that Russia was difficult to govern?

Answer 2

• Trains were far and few between (1900 same amount of track as britian)
• Longer journeys travelled by boat and railways (Lakes frozen in winter, unreliable) which was very slow

Britian is 100x smaller than Russia, so not very advanced

Question 3

What were communications like at this time?

Answer 3

Very poor, could take months to post a letter

Question 4

What was the main mode of transport for normal people?

Answer 4

Horsedrawn sleds and walking

Question 5

Who were the most powerful group in Russia?

Answer 5

The nobles

Question 6

How much land did the nobles own?

Answer 6

1/4 of Russian land

Question 7

What % did the nobles make up of the population?

Answer 7

1.5%

Question 8

What % did the peasants make up of the population?

Answer 8

84%**

Question 9

Food, health, work, money, land

What are the main complaints of a peasant?

Answer 9

• Food- very bland e.g porridge, black rye bread, and hard to come by
• Health- disease very common, typhus and cholera particularly
• Work- Backbreaking manual labour, low pay, long hours, poor conditions
• Land- very expensive, tiny, crippling loan payments, hard to come by

Question 10

How many people died of starvation in 1891?

Answer 10

400,000