1.Russian autocracy in 1855 Flashcards

1
Q

political context: how can the Russian empire be described in 1855

A

autocratic

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2
Q

political context: Who was the head of the empire

A

tsar

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3
Q

political context: what title did the tsar take

A

‘emperor and autocrat of all russia’

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4
Q

political context: who was at the head of the Russian orthodox church in name only

A

the tsar

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5
Q

political context: what was the tsar believed to be by orthodox believers

A

The embodiment of god on earth

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6
Q

political context: what were Russians taught to show to the tsar

A

devotion and accept their conditions on earth as the will of god

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7
Q

political context: what did the patriarch of Moscow provide for the tsar

A

spiritual guidance

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8
Q

political context: what was the procurator of the holy synod

A

gov minister appointed by tsar to run church affairs

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9
Q

political context: why were the structures of the church and state intertwined

A

those at the head of the church hierarchy were subject to tsarist control over appointments, religious education, church finance

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10
Q

political context: what is an edict

A

an official order issued by a person/authority

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11
Q

political context: how much involvement did the tsar have in making edicts

A

he had advisers and ministers but they were all chosen by the tsar himself and no one could do anything without tsars approval

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12
Q

political context: who were the tsars main advisory bodies

A

The imperial council/chancellery

The council of ministers

The senate

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13
Q

political context: The imperial council

A

body of 35-60 nobles picked my tsar himself to advise him personally and provide their ‘expert’ opinion

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14
Q

political context: council of ministers

A

Body of 8-14 ministers in charge of different government departments

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15
Q

political context: The senate

A

Supposed to oversee all the workings of the gov

We’re largely redundant by 1855

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16
Q

political context: Where were the tsar and central gov based

A

in the imperial capital of St Petersburg

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17
Q

political context: who did the regime also depend on and why

A

The provincial nobility for support

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18
Q

political context: provincial definition

A

Living away from the capital

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19
Q

political context: Since when had nobles not been obliged to serve the state

A

since 1785

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20
Q

political context: how can nobles loyalty to tsar be described

A

sense of obligation remained strong and all landowners expected to keep order on their estates

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21
Q

political context: Civil servants

A

Paid noble officials selected from a table of ranks that laid down the requirements for office

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22
Q

political context: How many levels were there in the table of ranks

A

14

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23
Q

political context: What did each level in the table of ranks have

A

It’s own uniform, form of address and status

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24
Q

political context: What was the bureaucracy riddled by

A

Internal corruption and incompetence

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25
Q

political context: What was operation in the bureaucracy

A

One way with no provision for suggestion

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26
Q

political context: How big was the tsars army

A

1.5 million- worlds largest

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27
Q

political context: Who were the tsars army made up of

A

Conscripted serfs- each forced into service for 25 years

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28
Q

political context: Where were the conscripted serfs made to live

A

In a military colony

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29
Q

political context: How much of the governments spending was absorbed by army and navy

A

45%

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30
Q

political context: Cossacks

A

Service of elite regiments belonging to tsar with special social privileges

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31
Q

political context: What did the Cossacks act as

A

Personal bodyguard for tsar and police reinforcements

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32
Q

political context: What had the country developed into to maintain autocracy

A

A police state

33
Q

political context: What did the police state prevent

A
  • freedom of speech, the press and travel abroad

- political meetings and strikes

34
Q

political context: What was present at every level of government

A

Censorship

35
Q

political context: What was the secret state security run by

A

The third section of the emperors imperial council

36
Q

political context: What did third section agents do

A

Keep a strict surveillance over population

37
Q

political context: What did third section have power to do

A

Carry out raids, arrest and imprison and exile anyone suspected of anti tsarist behaviour

38
Q

political context: What convinced Nicholas I to follow a path to repression

A

A military uprising against his rule in Dec 1825

39
Q

political context: Nicholas I reign

A

1825-1855

40
Q

political context: What did Nicholas I deliberately seek

A

To distance Russia from the west- areas he most feared liberal ideas were spreading

41
Q

political context: How did Nicholas I reign end

A

Military defeat at Crimea

42
Q

political context: What did the military defeat at crimea bring to light

A

The need for change to the new tsars attention

43
Q

the economic situation: Which 4 countries were well advanced industrially when AII came to power

A

Britain, Belgium, France and states comprising germany

44
Q

the economic situation: What were transforming the landscape in well industrialised countries

A

Mills, factories and railways

45
Q

the economic situation: What was Russia’s economy mostly comprised of

A

Rural with a ratio of 11:1 village to town dwellers- 2:1 in Britain

46
Q

the economic situation: Reasons for Russia’s economic backwardness

A

Much of territory was inhospitable

size and climate placed severe strains on economic development

47
Q

the economic situation: Who was europes main exporter of agricultural produce mid 19th century

A

Russia

48
Q

the economic situation: What did Russia possess vast reserves of

A

Timber, coal, gold and oil

49
Q

the economic situation: Why did Russia’s potential remain untapped

A

Communications between different parts of empire were poor

50
Q

the economic situation: Primary cause for Russia’s lack of economic progresss

A

Russia’s commitment to a serf based economy

51
Q

the economic situation: Who were reliant on serfs

A

Landowning aristocracy, tsarist gov and army

52
Q

the economic situation: Why did the serfs inhibit economic development

A

They were poor and had little incentive to develop into wage earners

53
Q

the economic situation: why were few goods purchased by peasants

A

they were mostly self suffiecient

54
Q

the economic situation: how did exchanges take place in peasant markets

A

‘in kind’: one thing swapped for another

55
Q

the economic situation: where were market forces beginning to develop

A

near large cities

56
Q

the economic situation: why were market forces beginning to develop near cities

A

peasants sought wage-work at slack times in the farming year

57
Q

the economic situation: what were attitudes like towards market force amongst the majority

A

money irrelevant and there was no internal market demand

58
Q

the economic situation: how did the small landowning elite obtain what they needed

A

from their serfs in the form of service and feudal dues

59
Q

the economic situation: what were the landowning elites generally uninterested in

A

how efficiently their estates operated

60
Q

the economic situation: what did serf owning provoke for many

A

idleness

61
Q

the economic situation: why was their no opportunity for capital accumulation

A

income was generally falling

62
Q

the economic situation: why was income genrally falling

A

rural population growth and agricultural changes in western Europe- increased competitiveness and productivity of European markets

63
Q

the economic situation: what had the increased productivity of European markets forced land owners into

A

debt and had to take out mortgages on estates which had previously been owned outright be their families

64
Q

the social context: social division in Russia 1855

A

between land owning elites and serf majority

65
Q

the social context: what did the land owning elite consist of

A

the clergy, nobility, civil officials etc

66
Q

the social context: who else was in productive classes in addition to serfs

A

urban artisans, manufactures and merchants

67
Q

the social context: what was the striking feature of mid nineteenth Russian society

A

the absence of any coherent middle class

68
Q

the social context: intelligentsia

A

small number of professionals e.g. doctors but these were sons of nobles often

69
Q

the social context: what was class based on

A

birth, land and service

70
Q

the social context: what limited social mobility

A

legal barriers

71
Q

the social context: what were serfs restricted by socially

A

dues and direct/indirect taxes to the government

72
Q

the social context: what did the elites pay tax wise

A

they were exempt from monetary taxes

73
Q

political context: what did the civil servants make up

A

the bureaucracy

74
Q

political context: bureaucracy definition

A

system of gov in which most important decisions are taken by state officials rather than elected reps

75
Q

political context: who were the higher ranks of the military reserved for

A

nobles who bought and sold their commissions

76
Q

political context: what was discipline like for the lower ranks

A

harsh discipline and army life was tough

77
Q

political context: what did alexander I consider setting up following the French revolution

A

an advisory representative assembly

78
Q

political context: what did Nicholas I believe in

A

strict autocracy and severe restrictions imposed on russias nationalities