1.2(.2) The social context

Question 1

How was Russia divided?

Answer 1

There was a stark divide between the privileged land-owning elite and the serf majority.

Consuming vs Producing

(50% serfs)

Question 2

What were the main ethnic groups in Russia according to the first national census 1897?

Answer 2

Russians 55.6%
Ukranians 22.4%
Polish 7.9%

18 groups in total

There was lots of variation so often caused friction

Question 3

Who were the middle class?

Answer 3

There was no real middle class perhaps the intelligencia who were the educated sons of nobles

Question 4

How much land did each serf family get to farm?

Answer 4

About 15 acres to farm for themselves though they did not own it.

They had to work 3 days a week for their owners

Question 5

What were some of the effects of Serfdom, what did Alexander II say? (4)

Answer 5

• Inefficient agriculture
• No incentive to work hard
• Developing industries were short of skilled workers
• ‘It is better to abolish serfdom from above rather than await the time when it will being to abolish itself from below’

Question 6

When was Russia’s first national census and what did it show?

Answer 6

1897

18 ethnic groups

Russians 55.6%
Ukranians 22.4%
Polish 7.9%