chapter 1 - context

Question 1

provide political context for the Russian Empire in 1855.

Answer 1

-autocratic - ‘Emperor’ of a Tsar
-Tsar is the head of the Orthodox Church
-seen as God on Earth

Question 2

what is the Holy Synod or what is their role.

Answer 2

• a group of bishops which form the ruling body of the orthodox church.
  -hold highest authority on rules & matters of the Church

Question 3

provide info for serfs in 1855

Answer 3

-property of the lord of whom they worked for
-1.5million were conscripted / forced into service for 25 years

Question 4

how much gov spending went toward the navy

Answer 4

-45%

Question 5

how was restriction managed in 1855

Answer 5

-police state.
-prevents freedom of speech, press and travel.
-political opposition is forbidden & censorship was strong across the people and government

Question 6

provide economic context for 1855

Answer 6

-western europe were already industrially advanced
-serf-based economy did not allow room for development
-trade mostly relied on grain/poor serfs

Question 7

how rural was the russian empire

Answer 7

Russia village:town = 11:1
Britain village:town = 2:1

Question 8

why was russia so hard to industrialise

Answer 8

-huge
-many areas inhospitable due to weather or soil
-too rural and large to account for all minorities/communities
-few & poor quality transportation methods

Question 9

how did small scale economics work

Answer 9

-markets were growing
-business was small scale
-no money transactions with peasants - instead trading
-peasants are too poor for internal market demand to exist

Question 10

how did serf owners live

Answer 10

-‘land-owning elite’ lived easy and lazy lives
-dont need to pay their serfs as baliffs gave just enough and they provided their own land for them to use.
-some landowners went into debts due to agricultural changes in russia causing competitive markets
-had to take mortgages out of estates

Question 11

what were the classes

Answer 11

-mostly divided of land-owning elite and peasant serfs
-additionally:
clergy
nobility
military ranks
intelligentsia
no middle class

Question 12

what were the main ehtnicities of russia

Answer 12

russians - 56%
ukrainians - 22%
polish - 8%

Question 13

why was russia considered a great power

Answer 13

size, population and military size

Question 14

why was it considered not a great power

Answer 14

undeveloped and politically, economically & socially backward compared to other powers.

Question 15

when was the crimean war

Answer 15

1853-56

Question 16

what impact did it have

Answer 16

russian’s were humiliatingly defeated
due to poor transport, leadership and technology
‘disasturous’ as it caused awareness and upheaval against state of russia.