2.10 Opposition: ideas and ideologies, 1894-1914 Flashcards
What did the Tver Zemstvo petition the Tsar for in 1895? How did he respond?
In 1895, the Tver Zemstvo petitioned Nicholas II to set up an advisory body.
He dismissed the request as a ‘senseless dream’
What did the liberal Prince Lvov demand in the 1890s?
the creation of an all-class zemstvo at district (volost) level + a National Assembly
What was the Beseda Symposium? When was it set up?
Set up in 1899. Secret meetings of the more radical liberals to discuss matters of liberal interest - judicial reform + universal education
When did the government order the dismissal of hundreds of liberals from the elected boards of the zemstva? How did the Beseda Symposium react?
1900
Beseda Symposium assumed leadership of liberal movement - attracted support from public figures, town leaders, members of legal and teaching professions, industrialists
In 1903, what organisation was founded under the inspiration of Pyotr Struve?
Union of Liberation - ‘peaceful evolution’ for Russia to adapt to new industrialising status - workers should be able to campaign legally to improve conditions
What event cause ideas of ‘agrarian socialism’ to be revived
Great Famine of 1891-92
What is agrarian socialism?
taking estates from landowners and dividing the land between the peasantry to be farmed communally
When was the Social Revolutionary Party (SR) founded?
1901
What was the central goal of the SRs? What were its ideas?
‘land socialisation’ + decentralised government
Members broadly accepted Marxist theory, combining with populist ideas - specifically Russian revolution
interests of the ‘labouring poor’ - peasantry + urban workers - the same
membership of SRs
wide national base w/ large peasant membership, but 50% of its members were from the urban working class
Between 1901 and 1905, how many political assassinations did the SRs carry out?
2000 (incl. 2 Ministers of Internal Affairs - Sipyagin 1902, von Plehve 1904)
What event did the SRs play an active role in?
the 1905 Revolution
What organisation killed Prime Minister Pyotr Stolypin? When?
The Social Revolutionaries (SRs) in 1911
Between 1905 and 1909, how many SRs were sentenced to death? How many were actually executed?
4579 sentenced to death, 2365 actually executed
What group emerged in 1898 as an amalgamation of various Marxist groups?
Social Democratic Workers’ Party (SD)
What happened at the First Congress of the SDs?
Broken up by Okhrana agents who arrested two of the newly created 3 man central committee
What did Lenin argue in favour of at the Second Party Congress of the SDs?
strong disciplined organisation of professional revolutionaries to lead the proletariat
Only total dedication to revolution
What did Martov argue in favour of at the Second Party Congress of the SDs?
developing a broad party with mass working-class membership + members ‘cooperating’ with liberal parties
By 1906, what had happened within the Social Democratic Workers’ Party?
The divisions between Bolshevik and Menshevik had hardened so that by 1906, there were effectively 2 separate SD parties
Between 1906 and 1910, how many TUs were closed down? How many were denied registration?
What TUs survived?
497 TUs closed down
604 denied registration
Those that survived were mainly unions of better-paid male skilled workers, particularly in the metal trades
What reforms were there for the urban working class after 1905?
Only some reforms, such as the 1912 Insurance Law
What reduced opportunity for union action from 1907?
Economic depression, rise in unemployment, combined with a political clampdown
What event provided a new impetus for union action? When?
The shooting of unarmed demonstrators at the Lena goldfields in April 1912
What from 1911 gave skilled labour more bargaining power in the marketplace?
Beginnings of economic recovery in 1911
Where was the TU activity after 1912 mostly confined to?
3/4 of the strikes took place in St Petersburg and the surrounding area (half in the metal trades)
What danger did the pre-war strike movement actually pose to the autocracy?
less than it seemed.
as well as being geographically limited, only 12% of enterprises experienced a strike + even the General Strike in St Petersburg in the first half of July 1914 only brought out a quarter of the manufacturing labour force
in the pre-war strike movement, what percentage of enterprises experienced a strike?
only 12%
When was the General Strike in St Petersburg in the pre-war strike movement?
in the first half of July 1914
How much of the manufacturing labour force did the St Petersburg General Strike in the first half of July 1914 bring out?
only a quarter
opposition among the national minorities after 1905?
After 1905, no single strong opposition among the nationalities + apart from the Poles and Finns, none wanted outright independence
Why were the revolutionary SR and SD parties weakened after 1905?
The exile of their leaders after 1905
The spilt within the SDs + rivalry between the SDs and SRs
-> membership declined + neither SDs nor SRs achieved in creating national, regional or even all-city organisations
In the Ukraine + Moscow, falling membership of the SDs from 1906 to 1912
Ukraine:
1906 - 20,000
1912 - 200
Moscow:
1906 - 7500
1912 - 40
Apparent revival in Bolshevik fortunes 1912-1914? What was the reality?
Gained six workers’ deputies in Fourth Duma
Newspaper Pravda launched in April 1912 - much higher circulation than Menshevik newspaper.
In reality, growing support for Bolshevik ideals was quite limited + had been helped in Fourth Duma election by SR boycott
Opposition in Russia before 1914?
weakened, demoralised, most workers politically apathetic, labour protest contained by repression + minimal consessions.
Coming of war only further diminished opposition as patriotic fervour swept through all, except Bolsheviks (Lenin believed defeat would bring Russia closer to revolution)
