1881-1924 Flashcards

1
Q

When was Stolypin Assassinated?

A

1911

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What major act did Alexander III pass to repress his political opposition in 1881 and what did it do?

A

The 1881 Statute of State Security - gave ability to ban public meetings and imprison suspected opponents of the state without trial.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What did the October Manifesto say?

A

It created an elected Duma with actual authority and laws issued by the Tsar needed approval from it

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What were the two focuses of Witte’s policies to improve the Russian economy?

A

Improving Railways (Building the Trans Siberian Railway) and getting foreign investment by putting the rouble on the gold standard

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What were the cons of Witte’s policies?

A

Taxes were raised too high, government gained enormous debts and agriculture wasn’t improved even though it was a big part of the economy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What’s were the pros of Witte’s policies ?

A

Massive increase in coal and iron production and growth averaged 8% in the 1890s

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Who were the Liberal Party?

A

A moderate party that came about from the zemstva that weren’t opposed to tsarist but wanted a constitutional government

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Who were the Socialist Revolutionaries?

A

They were a radical party that wanted to overthrow the tsar and redistribute land to the peasantry

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Who were the Social Democrats?

A

They were a radical Marxist party. They later split into the Bolshevik and the Menshevik parties

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Why did the opposition not get very far under the reign of Alexander III?

A

They were all too small, they could not work together and were constantly harassed by the Okhrana

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What was Bloody Sunday?

A

A peaceful protest in 1905 where the tsar ordered the army to open fire on the protesters, sparking the 1905 revolution

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What did Nicholas II do to restore stability and end the 1905 revolution?

A

Introduced the October Manifesto

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Why was the 1905 Revolution not massively detrimental to the Tsar?

A

He had the military on his side, the opposition was surprised and couldn’t coordinate an effective opposition, and many opposition leaders were in exile and couldn’t do anything.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What was ‘The Fundamental Law of the Russian Empire’?

A

A law issued by Nicholas II after the October Manifesto helped to stabilise the nation which went back on many of the promises made and reasserted his powers as Tsar

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What did the First Duma do and how long did it last?

A

It demanded things such as land reforms and suffrage for all adult males but made no progress before being dissolved by the Tsar in only 72 days

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What did the second Duma do and how long did it last?

A

Passed important land reform proposed by Stolypin and lasted 4 months

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What did the third and fourth Dumas do?

A

Replaced Land Captains and legalised opposition parties

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What was the problem with the armed forces in WWI?

A

There were terrible supply of food weapons and ammunition

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What was the problem with the railways in WWI?

A

They were already overloaded in peacetime and so by 1916 it had collapsed under the increased wartime pressure

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What was wrong with the economy in WWI?

A

The gold standard was abandoned in 1914 causing massive inflation and peasants began hoarding grain in hopes of better future prices and so bread prices tripled

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What was the problem of the leadership of the country in WWI?

A

The Tsar left to new commander in chief of the army and left the GERMAN Tsarina and Rasputin in charge who caused massive instability in the government by changing ministers constantly and just running the country badly

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What was political opposition like in WWI?

A

After their demands were rejected again in 1915 the parties unit read to form the Progressive Bloc

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What were the political problems that were part of the factors leading up to the February Revolution 1917?

A

Nicholas II was reluctant to give any power to the Duma and would not pass any major reform, despite the Duma having a lot of potential to become independently powerful and was accepted as a part of political life, signifying a popular shift from autocracy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What were the personal issues of Nicholas II as factors leading towards Feb 1917?

A

He was not an effective leader and he even admitted it, and took too much disastrous advice from Rasputin and the Tsarina. BUT he had a Romanov parade and it was widely celebrated showing his popularity had grown since 1905

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What were the Economic issues during 1917 that lead to the revolution?

A

Famine was common, Towns were overcrowded with poor sanitation and workers were paid little for back breaking work

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Summarise the state of Russia in January 1917 ( 3 main points )

A

People were starving. 5 million Russian army casualties. The tsar was warned by the Okhrana and the President of the Duma that revolution was likely but he ignored both warnings

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

What was the key difference in why 1917 succeeded but 1905 failed?

A

In 1905 the Tsar had support of the Army but in 1917 a majority of the military refused to open fire on the protesters as there was widespread support for the protest amidst all classes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Describe the main events of the 1917 Revolution

A

The Tsar ordered the army to suppress the protest but they mutinied. The Tsar ordered the Duma to shut down but they ignored him and set up the Provisional Committee. High Command of the army ordered the military to obey the orders of the Provisional Committee. Petrograd Soviet was formed.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What was the purpose of the Provisional Government?

A

To govern until a Constituent Assembly is formed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

What was Soviet Order Number 1?

A

A law that states that the military could only obey orders that were approved by the Petrograd Soviet.

31
Q

What good reforms were made under Dual Power?

A

Free Speech and Freedom of the Press, Abolition of the Okhrana, Legalised Trade Unions, Abolition of Death Penalty

32
Q

What was Dual Power?

A

The government that shared power between the Petrograd Soviet and Provisional Government

33
Q

What were the April Theses?

A

Lenin’s declaration of complete opposition to the government calling for an immediate socialist revolution, An end to the war and a transfer of Land to the peasants.

34
Q

What two slogans sum up the April Theses?

A

‘Peace, Bread and Land’ and ‘All Power to the Soviet’

35
Q

Who was appointed Minister of War in April 1917?

A

Kerensky

36
Q

What was the June Offensive?

A

An attack led by Brusilov against the Austro-Hungarian and German forces. It was Russia’s last great war effort and a massive disaster

37
Q

What did the failure of the June Offensive trigger?

A

The July days; A period of rioting and violence in Petrograd

38
Q

What did the provisional government do during the July days to reinforce their authority?

A

Used troops to restore order after 3 days of rioting

39
Q

How did the July days weaken the Bolsheviks?

A

The provisional Government turned against the Bolsheviks and arrested or exiled leading Bolsheviks.

40
Q

Who took over from Prince Lvov as leader of the provisional government in July 1917?

A

Alexander Kerensky

41
Q

Who did Alexander Kerensky appoint as Commander in Chief of the Military?

A

General Kornilov

42
Q

What were the Economic problems suffered by Kerensky’s Administration?

A

Wage increases didn’t match inflation causing worker strikes, peasants refused to sell grain due to the drastic devaluation of money and fuel shortages forced factories to close

43
Q

What were the Agricultural problems facing the Kerensky Administration?

A

The peasants wanted the Tsars land, but the provisional government decided to wait until a constituent assembly was formed, so land was taken by force. Peasant militancy was strengthened by numerous deserters from the military returning home

44
Q

What was the Kornilov Affair?

A

An attempt by Kornilov in August 1917 to stage a coup d’état and establish a military dictatorship.

45
Q

What was the government response in opposition to Kornilov’s attempt to take power in August 1917?

A

Kerensky ran to the Petrograd soviet for support and they successfully fought off the rebellion

46
Q

What was the effect of the Kornilov Affair on the strengths of the Bolsheviks and Provisional Government

A

The PG was seen as weak and not respected by the public or the army. The Bolsheviks had their leaders released and armed heavily in the process and gained control of the Petrograd Soviet. It showed the Bolsheviks how little support the PG actually had

47
Q

Why did the October Revolution happen when it did?

A

The Kornilov affair showed the Bolsheviks that the Provisional government were weak and had little support and thus would be easy to overthrow

48
Q

What problems faced the fledgling Bolshevik Government just weeks after the October Revolution?

A

Socialist Revolutionaries were still much more popular than the Bolsheviks. Bolsheviks had control of the major cities, but had very little political control over the rest of Russia. Russia was economically unstable

49
Q

What were the results of the November 1917 Constituent Assembly Election?

A

The Socialist Revolutionaries got more than double the votes and seats of the Bolsheviks.

50
Q

What was Lenins reaction to the results of the Constituent Assembly elections?

A

He shut down the Constituent Assembly

51
Q

What was the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

A

The negotiation for Russia to pull out of WWI, where they lost one third of agricultural land, half of its industry and 90% of coal mines

52
Q

What was the Cheka?

A

A secret police force set up by Lenin that operated outside of the law

53
Q

What were the two reasons why the Cheka were hated?

A

They set up concentration camps and grain requisition squads

54
Q

What caused the Red Terror in 1918?

A

Two assassination attempts of Lenin

55
Q

What was the Red Terror?

A

The mass execution of much of the middle and upper class, political opponents in opposition parties and the Romanov Family.

56
Q

How did the Treaty of Brest Litovsk contribute to the events of the Civil War in 1918?

A

The western allies felt betrayed by the Russians deal with Germany and it led them to invade and occupy parts of Russia joining the opposition in the White Army

57
Q

Who were the main leaders of the ‘White Army’ opposition in the 1918 Civil War?

A

General Denikin, General Yudenich, Admiral Kolchak

58
Q

What was the ‘Red Army’, and who led it?

A

The Red Army, led by Leon Trotsky, was the military force of the Bolsheviks in the Civil War against the White Army

59
Q

How fast did the Red Army grow from 1918 to 1920?

A

A few hundred thousand in 1918 grew to 5 million in 1920

60
Q

What were the main disadvantages of the White Army in the Civil War?

A

They were separated by huge distances of land where they controlled peasants who would not cooperate with them for fear of the return of Tsarism, and disunity between the leaders meant that they never worked together strategically and the lack of a common cause caused morale issues for the soldiers

61
Q

What were the main advantages of the Red Army in the Civil War?

A

Trotsky was an effective leader and ruthless disciplinarian. Morale was high due to being united under the cause of Communism. The army was densely populated in cities, had control of the railways and industry.

62
Q

What was the Decree on Land in 1917?

A

A decree made by Lenin confiscating all land from its current owners and giving it to the peasants, however it didn’t solve food shortages so peasants were too poor to afford machines to run the farms efficiently

63
Q

What was the Decree on Workers Control?

A

A decree by Lenin allowing workers to directly control factories without management. However, production fell further as the workers were not able to run them efficiently.

64
Q

What was the agricultural policy of War Communism in 1918?

A

Grain requisition squads were set up to seize any grain but were unsuccessful because peasants did not grow any more grain than their family needed

65
Q

What was the industrial policy of War Communism?

A

Private Enterprise and Strikes were made illegal and worker controlled factories were abolished in favour of old management

66
Q

What were the failures of War communism?

A

Inflation made money almost worthless so workers were paid in goods. Transport system had collapsed. Famine gripped large parts of Russia

67
Q

What disagreement said war communism cause between the. Bolsheviks?

A

Some wanted to end the policy after the war but others including Lenin wanted to continue it after the end of the war

68
Q

What was the Tambov Rebellion?

A

Thousands of peasants in Tambov Province rebelled against grain requisitioning

69
Q

What was the Kronstadt Uprising?

A

A gathering of thousands of workers at Kronstadt naval base, demanding an immediate end to War Communism which was suppressed by thousands of troops

70
Q

What effects did Tambov and Kronstadt have on War Communism?

A

Made Lenin change it to the New Economic Policy for fear of another rebellion

71
Q

What was the New Economic Policy?

A

Grecian requisition replaced by small grain tax. Private trading was permitted. The rouble was revalued. Small scale Industries were returned to their former owners

72
Q

Why was the New Economic Policy good for Russia?

A

Agricultural Output soared in the absence of requisitioning. Industrial output recovered rapidly. Grain harvest doubled between 1921 and 1925

73
Q

What divisions did the NEP cheese amongst the Bolsheviks?

A

Bukharin led a faction of bolsheviks that thought the NEP should stay. Trotsky led a faction that wanted to end the NEP