4. Ethnic minorities and Russification Flashcards
What was the Muslim population of the empire in 1900?
10 million.
Give two examples of increased nationalist sentiment among the peoples of the empire in the 1800s.
- Polish rebellions in 1830 and 1863
- 1840s: A Finnish language pressure group was formed.
- Local language newspapers set up in the Baltics
How did Alexander II deal with the 1863 Polish uprising?
Sent his brother, Duke Konstantin. 200,000 Poles used guerilla warfare but had been brutally crushed by 1864.
In what ways was Alexander II tolerant of ethnic minorities?
Gave concessions:
- Latvians and Estonians allowed to revert to Lutheranism.
- Finns given their own diet (parliament)
In what ways was Alexander II NOT tolerant of ethnic minorities?
- Sent his brother to brutally crush the 1863 Polish rebellion.
- 1876: Banned use of Ukrainian language in publications and performances.
What was the three-word motto used by Alexander III (relating to Russification)?
“Autocracy, Orthodoxy, Nationality”
What did Russification involve in Finland?
- 1892: Finnish diet (parliament) restructured and weakened.
- Independent postal service abolished
- Russian coins replaced local currency
What did Russification involve in Poland?
- 1885: National bank closed down
- All teaching (except Polish lang and RE) to be done in Russian
What did Russification involve for Baltic Germans?
- Use of Russian required in schools, police, judicial system.
Despite the fact that they had always been quite loyal to the Tsar.
Which three (modern-day) countries had ethnic uprisings crushed by Alexander III?
- Georgia (1892)
- Uzbekistan (1884, 1892)
- Armenia (1886)
How was Ukraine Russified?
Increasing pressure to use Russian language. All theatres in Ukraine closed in 1884.
What did Russification involve for religious minorities?
- Those who converted to Russian Orthodoxy were rewarded
- No other religious groups (even other Christians) could build new places of worship, wear religious clothing outside their meeting place, or spread religious ‘propaganda’.
How was Russification unsuccessful?
- Peter Waldron: it “intensified national feeling among the non-Russians of the Empire.”
- Some ethnic schools in Poland survived, fanning the flames of anti-tsarist resentment.
- Jun 1888: 332 cases of mass disturbance in 61/92 provinces and regions. Including 9/12 central provinces.
What antisemitic slogan did Pobedonostsev use?
“Beat the Y*ds - Save Russia”
What was the ‘Pale of Settlement’?
An area (20% of European Russia) in which Jews had to live.
