2. Orthodoxy, antisemitism and the Okhrana Flashcards
What measures did Nicholas take to promote Orthodoxy between 1894 and 1902?
Nicholas increased the number of parish clergy by 60%, he sent Orthodox missionaries out to set up churches in the Baltic states where Protestantism was popular. There was a tenfold increase in church schools and the number of children educated in these establishments grew 15x.
What did the Tsar’s efforts to increase Orthodoxy result in?
From 1881 to 1902, the number of conversions to Orthodoxy doubled. But in urban areas, attendance to Orthodox Churches declined.
How did Nicholas persecute other faiths?
He stopped all other Christian Churches from proselytising, he closed Catholic, protestant and Islamic schools and confiscated the property of the Armenian Church.
How was education limited for Jewish students?
Due to quotas, Jewish students weren’t allowed to take up more than 10% of university students within the Pale of Jewish settlement. They also couldn’t take up more than 3% of the population in Moscow and St Petersburg.
What were the 1882 May Laws?
They banned Jewish people from living in Russia’s rural areas, this was repealed in 1905.
What was the impact of Pogroms?
Between 1903 and 1904 there were 49 programs in Russia, leading to large numbers of Jewish people leaving Russia, the majority heading to the USA, Argentina and Peru. The Russian gov saw emigration as a good solution to the ‘Jewish problem’.
What was the reputation and reality of the Okhrana?
The Okhrana had the reputation of being ‘all-powerful, all-knowing and all-capable’, with extensive powers to arrest and infiltrate opposition groups. In reality, the Okhrana was a small group with 2,500 agents in 1900. It was highly effective though, before 1905 it had infiltrated the leadership of the SDs and the SRs.
What positive changes did Zubatov implement into the Okhrana in 1896?
Zubatov became the leader of the Moscow Okhrana in 1896 and introduced ‘Police socialism’ which meant that the Okhrana would investigate worker’s complaints about abuses in factories. They would attempt to take control of emerging unions and also provide sick pay and unemployment benefits. These changes spread to other Russian cities, however Zubatov was sacked in 1903 and the policy was ended.
What was the Okhrana’s engagement in surveillance?
By 1900, they had records on 55,000 people, 20,000 photos of suspected radicals and collections of 5,000 publications by revolutionary groups.
How did the Okhrana police Russia’s universities?
They introduced the University statute of 1884 which banned clubs and societies on campuses, emphasised that students should be studying traditional subjects and banned women from higher education.
