2.8 The economic development of Russia to 1914

Question 1

What was the annual growth rate from 1894 to 1913?

Answer 1

more than eight per cent

Question 2

Who initially masterminded the major transformation of Russia’s economy from the mid 1890s?

Answer 2

Sergei Witte, Finance Minister between 1892-1903 (building on policies of Vyshnegradsky in 1880s)

Question 3

In the eleven years of Witte’s tenure, what happened to railway trackage?

Answer 3

virtually doubled

Question 4

In the eleven years of Witte’s tenure, what happened to coal output in southern Russia?

Answer 4

From 183 million puds in 1890 to 671 million in 1900

Question 5

foreign investment - 1895, 1900, 1914

Answer 5

(millions of roubles)
1895 - 280
1900 - 911
1914 - 2000

Question 6

By the end of Witte’s tenure (1903), where was foreign capital coming from?

Answer 6

France - 1/3 of all foreign capital
Britain - 23%
Germany - 20%

West at least 95% of foreign investment

Question 7

How did the Witte manage the economy?

Answer 7

deliberately sought to state-manage industrial growth - seeking capital, technical advisers, managers and skilled workers from overseas

Question 8

By the early 20th century, how much of Russia’s railways did the State control?

Answer 8

70%

Question 9

By turn of century, how much of all Russia’s metallurgical production was the State buying?

Answer 9

almost 2/3 of all Russia’s metallurgical production

Question 10

In the years 1903-1913, how much of the governments income came from industrial investments?

Answer 10

more than 25% of its government

Question 11

What was the period of the late 1890s dubbed?

Answer 11

‘the great spurt’

Question 12

By 1905, how many kilometres of railway in Russia? What percentage was state-owned?

Answer 12

By 1905, 59,616 kilometres - 66% state-owned

Question 13

What did the railways allow?

Answer 13

• helped open up the Russian interior
• allowed more extensive exploitation of Russia’s raw materials
• linked grain-growing areas to Black Sea ports - reinforcing the export drive

Question 14

How was the building of the railways a stimulus itself?

Answer 14

stimulus to the development of the iron and coal industries + permitted the development of new industries along the length of network

Question 15

By 1913, what was the world ranking of the size of Russia’s railway network? How long?

Answer 15

2nd biggest (to USA)
622,200 km

Question 16

Trans-Siberian Railway - when was it built? what did it connect up? how long?

Answer 16

built between 1892 and 1902
Linked central European Russia + Moscow with the Pacific Ocean
ran a distance of 7000km

Question 17

How was the Trans-Siberian Railway economically beneficial?

Answer 17

brought economic benefits through its construction + opening up western Siberia for emigration and farming

Question 18

By 1914, Russia was the – largest producer of coal, pig iron, and steel

Answer 18

4th

Question 19

Russian oil production —– between 1855 and 1913, from —- to —-

Answer 19

Russian oil production trebled between 1855 and 1913, from 153 million puds to almost 570 million

Question 20

Industrial growth rate between 1908 and 1913

Answer 20

8.5% per year

Question 21

By 1914, Russia was the world’s — largest industrial power

Answer 21

5th (after the UK, USA, France and Germany)

Question 22

What percentage of the Russian population did the rural economy provide a livelihood for?

Answer 22

80-90%

(However largely ignored until 1906 + Pyotr Stolypin)

Question 23

What had the subdivision of estates caused the average holding of land to fall to (1877 to 1905)

Answer 23

35 acres in 1877 to 28 by 1905

Question 24

how was the grain output (per same amount of land) different in Russia from USA + Britain

Answer 24

American grain output 1.5x of Russia
Britain 4x as great

Question 25

What did Stolypin want from his reforms?

Answer 25

for peasants to become permanent owners of their own land, each peasant’s land in one piece rather than scattered, + for each to develop it as wished w/o interference from mir

Question 26

How and when did Stolypin begin his agricultural reforms?

Answer 26

1903 - mir’s responsibility to pay taxes on behalf of peasants removed

Question 27

When did Stolypin put through the most major changes in agriculture?

Answer 27

After his promotion after unrest of 1905 (the most important legislation introduced in 1906)

Question 28

Stolypin’s agricultural reforms in 1906

Answer 28

• Peasants given right to leave commune + withdraw land from commune + consolidate scattered strips into one compact farm
  (these reforms don’t become fully operative until 1910, when approved by Third Duma)

Question 29

How long did Stolypin claim it would take for his reforms to have an effect

Answer 29

20 years of peace

Question 30

hereditary ownership of land by peasants increase from 1905 to 1915

Answer 30

20% in 1905
nearly 50% in 1915

Question 31

Rise in grain production from 1900 to 1914

Answer 31

56 million tons in 1900
90 million by 1914

Question 32

What helped the significant production increases?

Answer 32

A run of good harvests, in particular 1913

Question 33

How did Stolypins encouragement of emigration help?

Answer 33

3.5 million peasants away from overpopulated rural districts of south + west to siberia - helped siberia develop into major agricultural region

Question 34

By 1914, how much of land had been transferred from communal to private ownership?

Answer 34

only 10%

Question 35

By 1914, how much of the land remained in the hands of the nobility?

Answer 35

50% - often reluctant to give up land + protracted legal battles

Question 36

What percent probably achieved kulak status?

Answer 36

Fewer than 1% - many of the rest were forced to leave their farms + join bands of migrant labourers looking for seasonal farming work/ industrial employment