Chapter 1: Context (Pre-1894 & overall)

Question 1

Size of Russia in 1891

1A)

Answer 1

8000km North-South

Question 2

Growth of population 1891-1924

1A)

Answer 2

40 mil - 165 mil. Mostly in European Russia.

Question 3

The Tsar’s rule was exercised through 3 official bodies:

1A)

Answer 3

1. Imperial council- honorary advisers
2. Cabinet of Ministers- ran govt. depts.
3. Senate- oversaw operation of laws.
   APPOINTED NOT ELECTED

Question 4

Was Russia ahead or behind politically?

1A)

Answer 4

VERY MUCH BEHIND: All major Western European powers had some form of representational govt.

Question 5

“Liberals” in 1892

What did this label mean?

1B)

Answer 5

Those who wanted political change in Russia but thought it could come about by reforming (not destroying) the Tsarist system.

Question 6

What did heavy cencorship lead to?

Give 2 Examples

1B)

Answer 6

1. EXTREMIST ACTIONS
   eg assasination of Tsar Alexander II in 1881 by “The people’s will” group.
2. NO MODERATE POLITICAL GROUND FOR POLITICAL DEBATE.

Question 7

Did the Othodox church support Tsarism?

YES or NO

1C)

Answer 7

YES- disconnected from the papacy so had a disctinct Russian character

Question 8

Was the Orthodox church liberal in its views?

1C)

Answer 8

NOO. deeply against change, determined to preserve Tsarism in it’s reactionaryform

Reactionary = resistant to any form of progressive change.

Question 9

Detachment from growing population + figure

1C)

Answer 9

Was detached from the growing population.
eg in a suburb in Moscow there was 40,000 ppl with only one church and one priest.

Question 10

How did the Orthdox church promote the Tsar?

1C)

Answer 10

Used spiritual authority- taught the Russial pop. that it was their duty to be obedient to the Tsar as God’s Anointed.

Question 11

Social Structure- proportions

Think Bridgerton

1D)

Answer 11

• 0.5% Ruling class
• 12% Nobility
• 82% Peasants

Question 12

What did a difference in size between the working classes & rural peasants show?

1E)

Answer 12

Showed that economic development had been slow.

Question 13

What did a small number of urban workers show??

🐔 < 🐔🐔 < 🐔🐔🐔

1E)

Answer 13

Showed that Russia had not achieved the major industrial growth that had taken place in Western countries
eg Germany, Britain, & USA.

Question 14

What industry did Russia actually have?

And why did they not really have an impact?

1E)

Answer 14

• Urals produced iron
• Moscow & St Petersburg had textile factories
• Most villages had a smelting works
• Most peasant goods produced goods such as woolen or wooden items to supplement their income from farming

These industries relatively small-scale- Russia was BIG.

Question 15

What discouraged entrepreneurialism?

1E)

Answer 15

NO EFFECTIVE BANKING SYSTEM
Oh, Russia didn’t have the concept of of investment sorted either.

Question 16

Where were the arable areas of land

1F)

Answer 16

Black Earth region
European Russia

Question 17

European Russia

1F)

Answer 17

Ukraine to Kazakhstan

Question 18

What was (A part of) the Emancipation Degree of 1861

1F)

Answer 18

Where Ex-Serfs were entitled to buy land

BUT found the prices too high

Question 19

Agriculture stat

1F)

Answer 19

Out of every 5km only ONE was viable

Question 20

High prices for land caused by:::

1F)

Answer 20

1. Shortage of suitable farming territory
2. Govt. Taxation of tax sales.

Question 21

What did peasants do to be able to buy land?

Answer 21

They took loans from the government, & this mean they had large mortgage repayments.

Question 22

What did Empress alexandra say about the ‘dark masses’?

Answer 22

That they should be kept “under the whip”

“They could only be controlled by severe repression”

Question 23

How large were the armed forces in the 19th century?

And what % did it take up of the annual expenditure?

Answer 23

1.5 MILLION man.

Only 4% was devoted to education!

45% (!) of the govts. annual expenditure

Question 24

Was the bureaucracy corrupt?

Answer 24

YYYYYYEEEEESSSSSSS

YES

YES

Question 25

Westerners V. Slavophiles

What were “Westerners”

Answer 25

Those who believed that:
1. If Russia wished to remain a great political nation
2. It would have to adopt the best features of
3. The political & economical systems of Western Europe.

Question 26

Westerners & Slavophiles

What were “Slavophiles”

Answer 26

Those who regarded:
1. Western values as corrupting
2. Urged the nation to preserve itself as ‘Holy Russia’
3. By glorifying in its slavic culture & its seperate historical tradition.

Question 27

Alexander II’s reform: 4 things (timeline)

Answer 27

• Tension between ‘Westerners’ and ‘Slavophiles’
• Conflict over character of imperial Russia
• Alexander II’s reforms: Zemstvos & Intelligentsia, but still autocratic.
• The People’s will & Assassination of Alexander II: Alexander III even harsher rule in ‘the reaction’.

Question 28

Key Measures of ‘The Reaction’

The Statute of State Security

Answer 28

• Special Govt. controlled courts set up (operated outside of legal system)
• Judges & officials who were sympathetic liberals removed from office
• Powers of Okhrana extended

Remained in place until 1917