2. The Lena Goldfields Massacre, 1912 Flashcards
1
Q
Gold industry in Siberia
A
- Gold first discovered in Siberia in early 19th century
- By 1900 - thriving mining industry developed - dominated by giant Lena Gold Mining Company
Shareholders: included Tsar’s mother and number of govt ministers
2
Q
Industrial disputes in goldfields
A
- Not infrequent - harsh environment and poor treatment of workers
3
Q
Strike that culminated in Lena massacre
A
- Began as protest against the serving of rancid horsemen in a works canteen
- Escalated into all-out strike
4
Q
Goldfields strike
A
- Miners demanded 30% wage increase, 8-hour day, improvements in medical care
- After a month - govt troops sent in to arrest strike’s leaders
Miners responded by organising march to demand their release
5
Q
April 1912 - Nadezhdinsk
A
- Company of 90 soldiers opened fire on column of 3,000 unarmed marches
No definitive casualty figures - conservative estimate: 160 killed, 200 wounded
6
Q
Did strikers make a difference?
A
- Despite massacre - strikers failed to extract significant improvements in their pay and conditions from their employers
7
Q
Late 1912
A
- Strikers and their families - nearly 10,000 people in all - gave up and left area
8
Q
How did the mine-owners replace the strikers?
A
- Workers imported from Korea and China
9
Q
Trade union movement during the Stolypin era
A
- Largely unassertive + after strikes of 1905, labour unrest in Russia tailed off sharply
10
Q
Significant of Lena goldfield massacre
A
- Brought period of relative calm to an end - gave rise to massive wave of protest strikes across Russia
- Only subsided when war broke out in 1914
11
Q
Impact of strikes on revolutionary leaders
A
- Had been on defensive since 1905
- Encouraged by upsurge in working-class militancy
Lenin - Lena shootings had ‘inflamed the masses with revolutionary fire’
