5. Opposition to tsarism (1855-94)

Question 1

What is nihilism?

Answer 1

The belief that all values are baseless, and nothing can be known.

Question 2

What is anarchism?

Answer 2

Belief in abolition of the state and replacement with self-governing institutions.

Question 3

What were Westerners and Slavophiles?

Answer 3

Westerners - wanted to “catch up” with the West by copying their ideas eg. liberal democracy, rule of law.

Slavophiles - wanted to preserve Russian identity and culture + influence of the Orthodox Church

Question 4

Why did Marxist theory seem irrelevant in the 1870s?

Answer 4

Marxist theory held that history was composed of class struggles between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie.

In the 1870s, Russia had a very small urban working class and even fewer bourgeoisie (factory owners etc.)

Question 5

What was the Catechism of a Revolutionary?

Answer 5

• Co-written by Mikhail Bakunin (translator of Comm. Manifesto) in 1869.
• Called for revolutionaries to give up all other ties and attachments (even family)
• “His entire being is devoured by one purpose… the revolution.”

Question 6

What was the Tchaikovsky Circle?

Answer 6

• Set up 1868-69 in St. Petersburg.
• Distributed revolutionary literature (inc. first volume of Das Kapital).
• Only had about 100 people.

Question 7

Who were Narodniks?

Answer 7

• Literally means “populists”
• Wanted to “go to the people” and stir up revolutionary discontent among the peasants

Question 8

When was the first attempt to ‘go to the people’ and how successful was it?

Answer 8

• 1874: a group of 2000 young nobles tried to persuade peasants that Russia needed to be run by peasant communes
• Peasants were suspicious and loyal to Tsar, and reported Narodniks to police.
• 1600 of them arrested.

Question 9

What was Land and Liberty?

Answer 9

• Set up in 1877.
• Members sought work in peasant communities.
• Got a lot of public sympathy.
• Split in 1879.

Question 10

What two groups did Land and Liberty split into in 1879?

Answer 10

Black Repartition:
- Led by Plekhanov
- Wanted to split Russia’s black soil provinces between the peasants
- Peaceful methods

The People’s Will:
- Led by Mikhailnov
- Planted a spy within the Third Section.
- Violent methods. Assassinated Alexander II in 1881.

Question 11

What approach to revolution did Plekhanov argue for?

Answer 11

Russia had to pass through Marx’s “stages of development”. This meant they had to go through the capitalist phase before socialism.

He was known as the “Father of Russian Marxism” and his ideas were vital in establishing Marxism in Russia.