Chapter 1 - S6 Flashcards
Who was Von Reutern and what did he do
- Alexander II’s minister of finance (1862-78)
- following emancipation, he produced a series of reforms to boost economy and drive industrial growth
List some of the reforms Von reutern introduced after the emancipation of 1861
- A state bank was set up in 1860
- the treasury and taxation were reformed
- tariffs were reduced from 1863 to promote trade
- government support offered for development of the cotton and mining industries
What were the strengths of Von Reutern’s reforms
- encouraged investment and enterprise
- railway network expanded
- annual average growth rate of 6% during reuterns time in office
What were the limitations of Von reuterns reforms
- 1/3 of all government expenditure went on the repayments of debts
- the Russian currency remained unstable
- Russias economy remained comparatively weak
Who was vyshnegradsky
The finance minister from 1887 to 1892
What changes did vyshnegradsky make to reduce budget deficit and boost home production
- introduced a high tariff of 30% of the value of imported raw materials
- negotiated loans and increased indirect taxes
- mounted a drive to swell grain exports
What influence did Von reutern and vyshnegradsky have
1881-91 - grain exports increased by 18%
- 1892 - Russian budget was in surplus
- but peasants were suffering badly, many had no reserve stores of grain for winter
- 91-92 - bad harvests = widespread famines, thousands died + vyshnegradsky dismissed
Who was witte
- finance minister from 1892-1903
What changes did witte introduce
- maintained protective tariffs, heavy taxation and forced exports
- sought further loans
- encouraged engineers, managers + workers from Western Europe to oversee industrial developments
What was the state of Russia by 1897
- Russia was the worlds 4th largest industrial economy
- exports + foreign trades increased
- railway network was vastly expanded
What was the position of agriculture and what was the ‘land issue’
- grain production remained low
- government established land banks for both peasants and nobles to facilitate land purchase but their benefits were limited
What 4 new classes emerged as industrialisation spread
The landed elite (former serf owners)
The middle class
The urban working class
The peasantry
What were the landed elite like
- small but diverse group
- personal landholdings had declined since emancipation
- may be employed in: professional activities, business, state service etc
- often retained much of their previous wealth and status
What was the middle class like
- growing class, resulting from urban/industrial expansion and education
- included bankers, doctors, teachers etc
What was the urban working class like
- some peasants worked in towns + returned to villages at peak farming times
- growing class - by 1864 1/3 of the inhabitants of st Petersburg were peasants by birth
- suffered poor living and working conditions
