1.Russian autocracy in 1855 Flashcards
political context: how can the Russian empire be described in 1855
autocratic
political context: Who was the head of the empire
tsar
political context: what title did the tsar take
‘emperor and autocrat of all russia’
political context: who was at the head of the Russian orthodox church in name only
the tsar
political context: what was the tsar believed to be by orthodox believers
The embodiment of god on earth
political context: what were Russians taught to show to the tsar
devotion and accept their conditions on earth as the will of god
political context: what did the patriarch of Moscow provide for the tsar
spiritual guidance
political context: what was the procurator of the holy synod
gov minister appointed by tsar to run church affairs
political context: why were the structures of the church and state intertwined
those at the head of the church hierarchy were subject to tsarist control over appointments, religious education, church finance
political context: what is an edict
an official order issued by a person/authority
political context: how much involvement did the tsar have in making edicts
he had advisers and ministers but they were all chosen by the tsar himself and no one could do anything without tsars approval
political context: who were the tsars main advisory bodies
The imperial council/chancellery
The council of ministers
The senate
political context: The imperial council
body of 35-60 nobles picked my tsar himself to advise him personally and provide their ‘expert’ opinion
political context: council of ministers
Body of 8-14 ministers in charge of different government departments
political context: The senate
Supposed to oversee all the workings of the gov
We’re largely redundant by 1855
political context: Where were the tsar and central gov based
in the imperial capital of St Petersburg
political context: who did the regime also depend on and why
The provincial nobility for support
political context: provincial definition
Living away from the capital
political context: Since when had nobles not been obliged to serve the state
since 1785
political context: how can nobles loyalty to tsar be described
sense of obligation remained strong and all landowners expected to keep order on their estates
political context: Civil servants
Paid noble officials selected from a table of ranks that laid down the requirements for office
political context: How many levels were there in the table of ranks
14
political context: What did each level in the table of ranks have
It’s own uniform, form of address and status
political context: What was the bureaucracy riddled by
Internal corruption and incompetence
political context: What was operation in the bureaucracy
One way with no provision for suggestion
political context: How big was the tsars army
1.5 million- worlds largest
political context: Who were the tsars army made up of
Conscripted serfs- each forced into service for 25 years
political context: Where were the conscripted serfs made to live
In a military colony
political context: How much of the governments spending was absorbed by army and navy
45%
political context: Cossacks
Service of elite regiments belonging to tsar with special social privileges
political context: What did the Cossacks act as
Personal bodyguard for tsar and police reinforcements
political context: What had the country developed into to maintain autocracy
A police state
political context: What did the police state prevent
- freedom of speech, the press and travel abroad
- political meetings and strikes
political context: What was present at every level of government
Censorship
political context: What was the secret state security run by
The third section of the emperors imperial council
political context: What did third section agents do
Keep a strict surveillance over population
political context: What did third section have power to do
Carry out raids, arrest and imprison and exile anyone suspected of anti tsarist behaviour
political context: What convinced Nicholas I to follow a path to repression
A military uprising against his rule in Dec 1825
political context: Nicholas I reign
1825-1855
political context: What did Nicholas I deliberately seek
To distance Russia from the west- areas he most feared liberal ideas were spreading
political context: How did Nicholas I reign end
Military defeat at Crimea
political context: What did the military defeat at crimea bring to light
The need for change to the new tsars attention
the economic situation: Which 4 countries were well advanced industrially when AII came to power
Britain, Belgium, France and states comprising germany
the economic situation: What were transforming the landscape in well industrialised countries
Mills, factories and railways
the economic situation: What was Russia’s economy mostly comprised of
Rural with a ratio of 11:1 village to town dwellers- 2:1 in Britain
the economic situation: Reasons for Russia’s economic backwardness
Much of territory was inhospitable
size and climate placed severe strains on economic development
the economic situation: Who was europes main exporter of agricultural produce mid 19th century
Russia
the economic situation: What did Russia possess vast reserves of
Timber, coal, gold and oil
the economic situation: Why did Russia’s potential remain untapped
Communications between different parts of empire were poor
the economic situation: Primary cause for Russia’s lack of economic progresss
Russia’s commitment to a serf based economy
the economic situation: Who were reliant on serfs
Landowning aristocracy, tsarist gov and army
the economic situation: Why did the serfs inhibit economic development
They were poor and had little incentive to develop into wage earners
the economic situation: why were few goods purchased by peasants
they were mostly self suffiecient
the economic situation: how did exchanges take place in peasant markets
‘in kind’: one thing swapped for another
the economic situation: where were market forces beginning to develop
near large cities
the economic situation: why were market forces beginning to develop near cities
peasants sought wage-work at slack times in the farming year
the economic situation: what were attitudes like towards market force amongst the majority
money irrelevant and there was no internal market demand
the economic situation: how did the small landowning elite obtain what they needed
from their serfs in the form of service and feudal dues
the economic situation: what were the landowning elites generally uninterested in
how efficiently their estates operated
the economic situation: what did serf owning provoke for many
idleness
the economic situation: why was their no opportunity for capital accumulation
income was generally falling
the economic situation: why was income genrally falling
rural population growth and agricultural changes in western Europe- increased competitiveness and productivity of European markets
the economic situation: what had the increased productivity of European markets forced land owners into
debt and had to take out mortgages on estates which had previously been owned outright be their families
the social context: social division in Russia 1855
between land owning elites and serf majority
the social context: what did the land owning elite consist of
the clergy, nobility, civil officials etc
the social context: who else was in productive classes in addition to serfs
urban artisans, manufactures and merchants
the social context: what was the striking feature of mid nineteenth Russian society
the absence of any coherent middle class
the social context: intelligentsia
small number of professionals e.g. doctors but these were sons of nobles often
the social context: what was class based on
birth, land and service
the social context: what limited social mobility
legal barriers
the social context: what were serfs restricted by socially
dues and direct/indirect taxes to the government
the social context: what did the elites pay tax wise
they were exempt from monetary taxes
political context: what did the civil servants make up
the bureaucracy
political context: bureaucracy definition
system of gov in which most important decisions are taken by state officials rather than elected reps
political context: who were the higher ranks of the military reserved for
nobles who bought and sold their commissions
political context: what was discipline like for the lower ranks
harsh discipline and army life was tough
political context: what did alexander I consider setting up following the French revolution
an advisory representative assembly
political context: what did Nicholas I believe in
strict autocracy and severe restrictions imposed on russias nationalities
