Chapter 5 Flashcards
The growth of opposition to Tsarist rule
How did Alexander II’s censorship reforms affect opposition?
It encouraged the spread of radical literature and higher education encouraged independently minded students
How did the creation of the zemstva affect opposition?
It provided a platform for intellectuals to challenge Tsarist policies
Why did the liberal intelligentsia grow with the reforms in the later nineteenth century?
The benefits of education, wealth, time and interest, national travel
What philosophical ideas was the intelligentsia influenced most broadly by?
Nihilism and anarchism
What were the two broad categories of liberal opposition?
Westernisers and Slavophiles
What did Westernisers aspire to?
They wanted to ‘catch up with the west’ by copying Western ways and abandoning Slavic traditions
What did Slavophiles aspire to?
They favoured a superior Russian path to a better future - its culture should be preserved as the country modernised
What are the most notable examples of Westernisers and Slavophiles
Ivan Turgenev was a Westerniser, whilst Leo Tolstoy was a Slavophile
What were the hopes of the members of the zemstva?
To reform the autocracy so that the Tsar would listen to and rule in conjuction with his subjects
How did the rise of socialism affect the intelligentsia?
Some were attracted to Marxist theory and were drawn to socialism whilst others maintained a more moderate liberal stance
What major political event increased convictions that the Tsarist government had to change?
The Great Famine 1891-92
What radical group was established by students following fires in 1863?
‘The Organisation’
Who is the initial author of ‘What is to be done’?
Nikolai Chernyshevsky
Who was the editor of radical journal ‘The Bell’?
Aleksandr Herzen
How did Mikhail Bakunin contribute to radical political circles?
By introducing a translation of Marx’s ‘The Communist Manifesto’ in 1869
What was Bakunin and Nechaev’s manifesto that called for a revolution?
Catechism of a Revolutionary
When was the Tchaikovsky Circle established and what were its functions?
1868-69 and it organised the printing, publishing and distribution of scientific and revolutionary literature
What was the idea of ‘going to the people’ known as?
Narodynism
What did Pyotr Lavrov encourage in 1874?
A group of 2000 to travel to the countryside to persuade the peasantry that the country was dependent on their labour
Why were the Narodniks extremely unsuccessful?
The peasants’ ignorance, superstition and deep-rooted loyalty to the Tsar led to them being reported
How many Narodniks were eventually arrested?
1600
What radical group followed the Populist tradition?
Land and Liberty, established in 1877
Which notable political assassination did ‘Land and Liberty’ carry out?
General Mezemtsev, head of the Third Section (secret police)
What other role did Land and Liberty have to carry out Populist teachings?
Its members sought work within peasant communes and rallied these communes
What was Black Repartition?
A radical group, split from Land and Liberty, that developed ties with students and workers as well as creating radical materials in order to cause social change without violence
What was The People’s Will?
A radical group that advocated violent methods undermining government officials through political assassinations. Responsible for the assassination of Alexander II in 1881
What did ‘Self-education’ circles attempt to achieve?
They translated and reproduced the writings of foreign socialists, and also kept contacts with radicals in exile
Which group did Georgi Plekhanov establish and what was their purpose?
‘Emancipation of Labour’ which translated and smuggled in Marxist tracts
What is Georgi Plekhanov often referred to as?
The Father of Russian Marxism
