Alexander II- Opposition Flashcards
What were the 3 main opposition groups?
- Nationalist: wanted independence.
- Liberal intelligentsia: Disliked Russia’s social and economic backwardness.
- Radical Marxist: wanted to overthrow the autocratic system
What did Karl Marx predict?
There would be a struggle between the working class ‘proletariat’ and the factory-owning ‘bourgeoise’ where the proletariat would rule as a dictatorship for a short time until the perfect communist society formed.
Why did opposition emerge under Alexander II?
It emerged due to their ideological hatred of the autocratic regime, enabled by the freer political atmosphere.
What was Nihilism?
Where the younger generation wanted to create a new society.
Who was Mikhail Bakunin?
- He believed that the state crushed individual freedom and should be removed.
- He believed in the superiority of the peasants and that income should be determined by the number of hours worked.
Who was Alexander Herzen?
- Believed the peasants should be in the centre of a new social structure.
What was the manifesto ‘young Russia’?
Produced by a group of students, where they argued that revolution was the only way forward and called for radical change.
What were these radical students rumoured to have done in June 1862?
A series of fires in St Petersburg where 2,000 shops were destroyed.
Who was Populist Pyotr Lavrov?
He led a group of 2,000 young men and women in 1874 to ‘go to the people’
How did Poland become under the power of Russia?
Congress of Vienna 1815.
What did Poland have under Russia’s rule?
A constitution, a parliament and Polish as the official language.
What was the Polish revolt?
- emerged due to the desire to re-establish Polish nationhood.
- The Agricultural society was dissolved due to its link with nationalist unrest, demonstrations occurred where 200 people died.
Why did Alexander II offer in attempt to reduce unrest in the Polish revolt?
- Emancipation of Polish jews.
- Open a university in Warsaw.
Why did an armed uprising happen in January 1863?
Due to an order for the conscription of poles into the Russian army.
What was the Milyutin plan 1864?
- Hundreds of Polish nobility were exiled to Siberia.
What reforms occurred in Poland after the Polish revolt?
- Polish peasants were emancipated with better terms than Russian serfs.
- Rural councils were established, similar to the Zemstvo, who represented a broader selection of Polish society.
Who was head of the third section in the 1860’s?
Pyotr Shuvalov.
Were the Third section effective at rooting out opposition?
- Radicals who fled the country to Switzerland or Germany could be tracked down.
What was the show trials, ‘trial of 50’ and ‘trial of 193’?
- Set up to prosecute those who were involved in Revolutionary populist activities.
- Weren’t very affective as 153 out of 193 were acquitted and the rest only received very light sentences.
- Speeches made by revolutionaries were reported in the press (lots of publicity)
When were political crimes transferred from civil courts to the military and what does this mean?
1878- Trials would be held in secret.
Who was General Loris-Melikov?
Appointed to reduce revolutionary activity.
What reforms did Loris- Melikov put in place?
- Relaxed censorship.
- Released political prisoners.
- Relaxed restrictions on the Zemstva.
- Removed salt tax.
- Third section was abolished but was soon replaced with the Okhrana.
What was the Loris-Melikov’s constitution?
An extension of representative government at a national level. Alexander signed this report.
When was Alexander II assassinated?
March 13th 1881.
Who assassinated Alexander 11?
People’s will
