9. Social developments to 1914 Flashcards
Developments in working and living conditions
Growth in Urban Population and Factories
- Factory workers rose from 2 million (1900) to six million (1913).
- Urban population surged from 7 million (1867) to 28 million (1917).
- By 1913, 6 million urban factory workers resided in major cities.
Developments in working and living conditions
Living conditions in cities
- Urban facilities couldn’t accommodate the growing population.
- Workers lived in overcrowded, unsanitary barrack-like conditions.
- St. Petersburg: 40% houses lacked water/sewage, leading to cholera outbreaks.
- High rents forced some to live rough or within factories.
Developments in working and living conditions
Challenges for workers
- Women earned less than half the average industrial wage.
- Wages lagged behind inflation rates.
- Working hours reduced to ten by 1914.
Developments in working and living conditions
Education
- Primary school provision increased by 85% by 1914; government supported universities.
- Education investment less than industry; 55% engaged in full-time education by 1914.
Developments in working and living conditions
Political discontent
- Urban discontent fueled political frustration, shifting strike motives.
- Repression of strikes led to violence; 1912 Lena Goldfields strike resulted in 270 deaths and 250 injuries due to workers demanding better wages and conditions.
DEVELOPMENTS IN WORKING AND LIVING CONDITIONS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE
Growing socio-economic disparities
- Widening wealth gap between the richest (kulaks) and poorest peasants.
- Harder lives for the poorest, leading some to become migrant laborers or move to Siberia (only 3.5 million of 97 million were able to).
- Government schemes were insufficient to alleviate pressure.
DEVELOPMENTS IN WORKING AND LIVING CONDITIONS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE
Varied living standards
- Diverse living standards across regions; Baltic and Western Siberia were more prosperous.
- Continued dominance of nobles in land ownership and outdated farming in the Russian heartland.
DEVELOPMENTS IN WORKING AND LIVING CONDITIONS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE
Social conditions and infrastucture
- Areas of Bolshevik support and counter-revolution tended to be prosperous in 1917.
- Former state peasants fared better post-emancipation with more land.
- Higher mortality rates in Russia compared to other European countries.
- Severe shortage of doctors and teachers; 60% illiteracy rate in 1914.
- Peasantry remained at the bottom of the social hierarchy.
DEVELOPMENTS IN WORKING AND LIVING CONDITIONS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE
Cultrual and social loyalties
Peasant loyalty remained tied to the Church and Tsar despite challenges.
Nobilty
Post-emancipation status of nobility
- Some nobles thrived post-emancipation through land arrangements, enterprise, military connections, and government roles.
- Between 1861-1905, around a third of nobles transferred land to townspeople/peasants; some struggled with debts and lacked modern money management skills.
Nobilty
Financial situation and political influence
- Absence of redistributive tax on the wealthy led to no significant change in their incomes, maintaining traditional lifestyles.
- Nicholas aimed to bolster noble influence in the zemstva and appointed them to provincial governorships.
Nobilty
Nobel assemblies and determination
- Each district had a noble assembly convening annually.
- In May 1906, the first meeting of the ‘united nobility’ occurred, determined to safeguard property rights and traditional interests amidst societal changes.
Nobilty
response to change
Some nobles adapted to changes, while most retained their previous wealth and status, displaying resilience and determination.
The middle class
Emergence of middle class
- Traditional societal structures faced challenge from the rising middle classes amid rapid economic changes.
- New business and professional individuals secured comfortable lives for themselves and their descendants.
The middle class
Social mobility
Sons of nobles pursued business careers; hardworking individuals from peasant backgrounds ascended to middle management and became factory owners within a generation.
The middle class
Growth and influence
- As society industrialized and became more complex, demand rose for management and professional roles, fueling the expansion of the middle class.
- Industrial regions and infrastructure development provided ample opportunities for entrepreneurial ventures.
The middle class
Influence in gov
- Increased education and demand for administrators further bolstered the growing middle class.
- Founding a natural home in zemstva councils and town/state dumas, the middle class exerted significant influence beyond its numerical size.
Workers and peasantry
Impact on them
- Workers and peasantry were most impacted by population growth and economic development.
- Social developments primarily unfolded in the countryside.
Workers and peasantry
Political unrest and awakening
- Pre-1914, most peasant protests stemmed from traditional grievances like failed harvests and unfair land allocation.
- Slow progression from peasant inertia to political activism by 1914, eventually accelerated during wartime conditions.
Workers and peasantry
Urban areas
- Urban areas saw peasants losing connections to family and roots, leading to a loss of former identity and alignment with others sharing grievances.
- This alienation made them easy targets for political agitators.
Workers and peasantry
Gov failure and social change
- Tsarist government’s failure to effectively address social changes in cities proved consequential.
- The large, discontented urban working class eventually became the impetus to overthrow the regime in 1917.
Cultural changes
Education and middle class influence
- Government increased education spending from 5 million to over 82 million roubles by 1914, fostering literacy and augmenting the influence of the middle classes.
- Relaxation of censorship and increased literary texts diversified Russian culture, extending beyond the intelligentsia.
Cultural changes
Womans inderpendance
- Patriarchal structure persisted, yet women found increased independence through factory work.
- December 1908: All-Russian Congress of Women saw 1035 delegates attend, signifying a growing women’s movement.
Cultural changes
Tsars opinions
During the 1913 Romanov Tercentenary, his speech aimed to reaffirm reverence for autocracy while subtly hinting at a desire to retreat to the past, hoping it would safeguard against the future.
