Chapter 1 - S4

Question 1

How diverse was Russia

Answer 1

• multi national empire inhabited by over 100 different ethnic groups
• the Slavs in Russia, Ukraine and Belorussia = 2/3 of the population
• the remaining population was a mixture of different nationalities, languages religions etc

Question 2

how did Alex II deal with ethnic minorities

Answer 2

• used repression + concessions to maintain control over states of the empire
• e.g. firmly supressed a polish rebellion 1863-4
• e.g. allowed finns to have their own diet
  no systematic persecution of racial minorities but intolerance of national differences increased

Question 3

what was ‘Russification’ like under Alex III

Answer 3

• Alex + Ministers extended the intolerance of ethnic minorities
• adopted policy of cultural ‘russification’
• sought to merge all tsar’s subjects into a single nation with shared identity controlled by autocracy

Question 4

what changes were made in Finland as a result of the policy of ‘russification’

Answer 4

• ‘diet’ weakened
• use of Russian language increasingly demanded
• Russian coinage replaced local currency

Question 5

what changes were made in Poland as a result of the policy of ‘russification’

Answer 5

• administration was changed
• polish national bank closed
• schools + uni’s had to teach almost all subjects in Russian

Question 6

what changes were made in the Baltic region as a result of the policy of ‘russification’

Answer 6

• baltic germans had been loyal to Russia + enjoyed special protection
• russification was aggressive here too
• Russian was enforced in all state offices, schools and police force

Question 7

what changes were made in Ukraine as a result of the policy of ‘russification’

Answer 7

use of Ukrainian language was limited + theatres closed
- military conscription extended into areas previously exempt
- ethnic uprisings crushed throughout empire
- adherence to orthodox church encouraged

Question 8

what were the 2 main results of russification

Answer 8

had a de-stabilising effect:
- unrest + mass disturbances broke out in many provinces + districts - quickly supressed
- resentment grew among the more educated + wealthy Finns, Poles etc

Question 9

how did supports of russification view the policy

Answer 9

• believed it was necessary to ‘unite’ the country, improve administration and allow for modernisation

Question 10

how did Alex II initially treat the jews and how did this change

Answer 10

• jews worse affected - 5 million within empire (most confined to ‘the pale of settlement’
• Alex II initially allowed wealthy jews to settle elsewhere
• following polish revolt (1863-4) - he withdrew concessions + reduced Jewish participation in town gov

Question 11

what were the Jewish pogroms of 1881-4

Answer 11

April 1881-84 - series of anti Jewish pogroms broke out in Ukraine
little done to stop attacks (Okhrana maybe encouraged)
violence spread - affection 16 major cities
Jewish property burned, destroyed + rape and murder

Question 12

was was the anti semitic legislation passed in 1882-94

Answer 12

1882-94 - series of laws passed that increasingly limited the rights of jews
may laws of 1882 - confined jews to living in Ghettoes even within the pale of settlement
1892 - jews forbidden from participation in local elections

Question 13

what was the impact of Anti- semitism

Answer 13

• after the pogroms, many jews left the country
• from 1890 - foreign jews + jews who had settled outside the pale were deported
• 1891- 92 - 30,000 Jewish artisans expelled from Moscow