Alexander III (1881-1994) Flashcards
Who was Alexander’s tutor?
Pobedonostev
How did Alexander’s reign begin?
With the public hanging of the conspirators involved in his father’s assassination and the 1881 ‘Manifesto of Unshakable Autocracy’
What was the Law on Exceptional Measures issued by Alexander?
A statement that declared that, if necessary, a Commander-in-Chief could be appointed to take control of a locality, using military courts.
Created in July 1889, this could override elections to the zemstvo to disregard decisions made
‘Land Captain’ appointed by the state
When was the peasants vote reduced in the zemstva?
1890
When were the zemstvo’s placed under government control?
1890
Who was head of the Police Department between 1881 and 1884?
Von Plehve
What statue in 1882 enabled police to search, arrest, imprison or exile any one who had committed a crime or those who it was thought would likely commit a crime?
The 1882 Statue on police Surveillance
In 1889 which courts were put under the control of Land Captains in the countryside and under judges in the towns?
Volost courts
What was the Education curriculum in universities changed to?
Based on ‘religious, moral and patriotic orientation’ rather than academic grounds
In 1897 what % of the population were literate?
21%
What did the ‘temporary regulations’ act in 1882 allow?
It allowed newspapers to be closed down and a life ban placed on editors and publishers
What were some positive changes under Alexander III?
- Reduction in redemption payments in 1881
- In 1885, the poll tax was abolished and the introduction of inheritance tax helped to shift the burden of taxation a little
- Peasant Land Bank introduced in 1883
Who were the two Ministers of Finance during AIII reign?
Nikolai Bunge (1881-86) and Vyshnegradsky (1887-1892)
What were the main changes Bunge made to the economy?
- First income tax
- Supported government intervention, railway building and tariff protection
- REDUCED REDEMPTION PAYMENTS
- Peasant Land Banks in 1883 - helped to buy additional land from the nobility
However peasants still paid 90% of taxes
What were the main changes Vyshnegradsky made to the economy?
- High tariff of 30% - to boost home production
- Negotiated loans and increased indirect taxes
- Grain exports increased by 18%
however this caused a widespread Great Famine from 1891-92
When were the Peasant Land Banks introduced?
1883
When were the Nobles Land Banks introduced?
1885
What year was the Russian Budget in surplus?
1892
What % did grain exports increase?
18%
The Secret Police
The Gestapo
Forcing everyone within the Russian Empire to think of themselves as ‘Russian’, by enforcing the Russian language and culture
Russification
Being prejudiced against and persecuting Jews
Anti-Semitism
An old Russian word which means ‘round up’ or lynching
Pogrom
What major impact did Russification have on Finland?
- The ‘diet’ [parliament] was reorganized in 1892
- Russian coinage replaced the local currency
- The Russian language was increasingly demanded
What major impact did Russification have on Poland?
- The Polish National Bank was closed in 1885
- In education, the teaching of all subjects, apart from Polish, had to be in Russian
What major impact did Russification have on the Ukraine?
- Limited the use of the Ukrainian language in 1883
- In 1884, all theatres in the five Ukrainian provinces were closed
Who was the head of the Orthodox Church?
The Tsar
Why did many people support the Orthodox Church?
As there were laws benefiting those of Orthodox faith and many wanted to take advantage of the special measures of support
From what year were members of non-Orthodox Churches not allowed to build new places of worship or spread any religious propaganda?
1883
What did Russification cause?
Resentment among the educated and wealthy national minorities: Finns, poles and Baltic Germans. Led to secret publications of local language books. It also caused many national minorities to emigrate and join political opposition groups
How many mass disturbances took place in 1888 over Russification?
322 cases
What were the beliefs of Russification?
- Supporters genuinely believed they were acting for the good of the country an to enable modernization to reassert Russian strength.
- More generally believed that it was a misguided policy that had the opposite effect from that intended
What is Walter Moss’ view on Russification?
That although it seemed ‘foolish and counterproductive’, it was ultimately part of the ‘counter-reform mentality’ and that it was needed in order to maintain the Empire’s political stability
Russification ‘failed to achieve its ends’ by…
Peter Waldron
How many Jews were in the Russian Empire at this time?
5 million
From what year had the Jewish population been confined to area of western Russia known as the Pale of Settlement?
1836
What was Pobedonostev’s slogan about Anti-Semitism?
‘Beat the Yids - Save Russia’
What type of violent actions were taken place against the Jews during pogroms?
Jewish property was burnt, shops and businesses destroyed and there were many incidences of rape and murder
What laws introduced in 1882 added to the discrimination against the Jews?
The May Laws in 1882
- condemned the Jews to living in ghettos in cities and towns
In the winter of 1891-92, how many Russian Jews were expelled from Moscow/
10,000
What was the impact of anti-Semitism on the Jewish population in Russia?
Caused Jews to drive towards revolutionary groups, and in particular Marxist circles. Many Jews also left the country and some were even expelled (e.g. Kiev in 1886)
When did AIII restrict the powers of the zemstvo and who did this disappoint?
In 1889-90 and the zemstva liberals
In the 1990s, the attraction of the Slavophiles diminished causing a…………………………………………..to take root. This caused a split in the…………………………….
Western-style socialism
Intelligentsia
What is argued to be the main reason why opposition increased from 1891?
The Great Famine
What idea does Orlando Figes illustrate about the growing opposition?
The importance of the Famine as a turning point in the development of opposition
Why was Menshevik and Bolshevik opposition very restricted up until 1917?
Many of the leaders remained on exile
The Okhrana and the military were very loyal to the Tsar
Who established the ‘Emancipation of Labour group’? when? and why?
George Plekhanov (became a Marxist in 1903) 1883 To arrange Marxist tracts to be smuggled into Russia and to demonstrate that Marxism was fully applicable in Russia
What year was Vyshnegradsky dismissed and why?
In 1892 due to the disaster of the Great Famine
How many people died from starvation or disease during the Great Famine?
350,000
The failure of the government to find a solution and intervene in the Great Famine led to an increase in…
opposition against the regime
What were the main things during AIII reign that threatened autocracy?
- The Great Famine in 1891-92 which spurred opposition > perhaps even led to the 1905 revolution
- Russification and anti-Semitism increased opposition to the regime as very few supported these policies
By 1882, how many nobles owned their own businesses in Moscow?
700 nobles
What reforms were introduced in 1891-92?
Regulations of child labour, a reduction in working hours, a reduction in excess fines and ‘payment in kind’ > payments in goods/services rather than money
^ however these contributed very little towards improving he lives o the growing working class
How many strikes were there per year between 1886-1894?
Around 33 strikes per year - even though they were illegal
Average life expectancy was around…
27 for males and 29 for females
