1855-1894 Economic Developments

Question 1

What did emancipation give peasants (in theory)

Answer 1

Ability to leave village and work in industry

Question 2

What hampered the peasantry after emancipation

Answer 2

Redemption payments, the Mir, grain requisitioning and high taxes kept the peasants poor

Question 3

What restricted the peasants movement

Answer 3

The Mir

Question 4

How much land did the average peasant have? Issue?

Answer 4

Less than 4 hectors

Not enough to subsist

Question 5

Who kept the best land

Answer 5

The nobility

Question 6

What caused land to be divided into even smaller pieces

Answer 6

Every male child had right to land

Question 7

What were farming methods like

Answer 7

Backwards

Question 8

Why were farming methods backwards

Answer 8

The Mir resisted change

Peasants didn’t have enough to invest in equipment

Question 9

In 1878 what % of the peasants could produce a surplus

Answer 9

Only 50%

Question 10

What group formed and did well due to emancipation

Answer 10

Kulaks

Question 11

How did the Land Banks help the peasants

Answer 11

Could buy surplus land and land off nobles with low interest rates

Question 12

How many hectors of land were bought by peasants between 1877 and 1905

Answer 12

26 million hectors

Question 13

What were yields like compared to Britain and Germany

Answer 13

3x lower

Question 14

Why could you describe The Great Famine as being man made

Answer 14

Exported lots of grain

Question 15

Which finance minister was responsible for The Great Famine

Answer 15

Vyshnegradsky

Question 16

What did Vyshnegradsky say about about grain exporting

Answer 16

‘We ourselves shall not eat, but we shall export’

Question 17

How many people died of starvation or disease in The Great Famine

Answer 17

350,000

Question 18

Who was Vyshnegradsky replaced by

Answer 18

Witte

Question 19

What climate factors caused The Great Famine

Answer 19

Early winter and long hot summer ruined crops

Question 20

What did Russia lack to start industrialisation

Answer 20

A middle class

Question 21

Who was the first finance minister

Answer 21

Mikhail von Reutern

Question 22

When was Reutern Minister of Finance

Answer 22

1862-1878

Question 23

What reforms did Reutern introduce

Answer 23

Reformed the treasury (more efficient and publishing budgets)
Tax-farming abolished
Tax system reformed
Tariffs reduced (encourage trade and foreign investment)
Subsidised railway development
Growth of cotton and coal minining
Banking improved

Question 24

What bank was introduced in 1860

Answer 24

State bank

Question 25

What bank was introduced in 1862

Answer 25

Municipal bank

Question 26

What bank was introduced 1869

Answer 26

Savings bank

Question 27

What was the annual growth rate under Reutern

Answer 27

6%

Question 28

What expanded under Reutern? What helped

Answer 28

Railways and industry

Helped by foreign experts and money

Question 29

What new industries emerged under Reutern? Where?

Answer 29

Oil in Baku
Ironworks in Donetsk

Question 30

How much of its income was Russia spending on paying off debt

Answer 30

1/3

Question 31

What market remained small

Answer 31

Domestic market for goods

Question 32

What year was Reutern forced to raise tariffs

Answer 32

1878

Question 33

Why did Reutern have to raise tariffs

Answer 33

Increase revenue which had become overly reliant on indirect taxes paid by peasants

Question 34

What created instability

Answer 34

The rouble, due to it varying in value

Question 35

Who was the second finance minister

Answer 35

Vyshnegradsky

Question 36

What years was Vyshnegradsky Minister of Fiance

Answer 36

1887-1892

Question 37

What was the main aim of Vyshnegradsky

Answer 37

Balance the budget

Question 38

What percentage was Vyshnegradsky’s tariff and what was it on?

Answer 38

30%

On imported raw materials

Question 39

Why did Vyshnegradsky introduce a high tariff

Answer 39

To boost Russian iron, coal and oil industries

Question 40

What happened to grain exports between 1881-1891

Answer 40

Increased by 18%

Question 41

What year did Vyshnegradsky achieve a budget surplus

Answer 41

1892

Question 42

Who was the third Minister of Finance

Answer 42

Sergei Witte

Question 43

When was Witte Minister of Finance

Answer 43

1892-1903

Question 44

What was Witte focused on

Answer 44

Economic modernisation

Question 45

What did Witte think economic modernisation would stop

Answer 45

Revolutionary activity

Question 46

What policies did Witte use

Answer 46

Protective tariffs
Heavy taxation
Forced exports

Question 47

What was encouraged under Witte

Answer 47

Foreign investment from Western Europe

Question 48

What did Witte use foreign investment to fund

Answer 48

Development in railways, oil, metal and banking

Question 49

What’s an example of a development in railways under Witte

Answer 49

The Trans-Siberian Railway

Question 50

What happened to the number of factory workers between 1887-1908

Answer 50

Factory workers doubled

Question 51

In 1900 how many times higher was coal production then in 1880

Answer 51

5x

Question 52

In 1900 how many times higher was oil production production then in 1890

Answer 52

2.5x

Question 53

Between 1894-1904 what was the annual growth rate

Answer 53

8%

Question 54

What did Russia become under Witte

Answer 54

The 4th biggest industrial economy