Chapter 5- The Growth Of Opposition To Tsarist Rule

Question 1

What event stimulated opposition?

Answer 1

Alexander II’s reforms

Question 2

Why was there an increase in critical literature?

Answer 2

Relaxation of censorship

Question 3

Why was there an increase in radical, independently minded students?

Answer 3

Relaxation of controls in higher education

Question 4

What institutions set up by Alexander II encouraged challenge to the tsarist regime?

Answer 4

Zemstva
Dumas
New judiciary system (lawyers)

Question 5

What are socialist groups?

Answer 5

Groups which believe in a fair and equal society- taking from the rich to give to the poor

Question 6

Why were the liberal intelligentsia a relatively small group?

Answer 6

There were few educated and literate Russians (the majority were uneducated peasants)

Question 7

Why did the power of the liberal intelligentsia grow?

Answer 7

They’re wealth, time and interest to invest in political matters

Question 8

Why were members of the liberal intelligentsia so frustrated at the state of their country?

Answer 8

Many had travelled abroad and could see that Russia was extremely backward

Question 9

What two categories did most members of the intelligentsia fall into?

Answer 9

Westernisers

Slavophiles

Question 10

What were Westernisers?

Answer 10

Group of people that thought copying Western ways would make Russia more forward

Question 11

What were Slavophiles?

Answer 11

People who thought that Russian traditions should be maintained in order for the country to be powerful and strong

Question 12

What an example of a significant Westerniser

Answer 12

Ivan Turgenev

Question 13

Give an example of a significant Slavophile

Answer 13

Count Leo Tolstoy

Question 14

How did Turgenev influence Russians in favour of Western ideas?

Answer 14

He was a Russian novelist and wrote novels including A Sportsman’s Sketches and Fathers and Sons, which educated people in favour of serfdom and addressed problems of society

Question 15

How did Count Leo Tolstoy influence society?

Answer 15

Wrote Slavophile books- e.g. The Cossacks 1863
Set up a school for peasant children
Wrote War and Peace which established his reputation
Devoted himself to social reform
Supporterd non violence

Question 16

What were the aims of members of the zemstva?

Answer 16

To improve the autocracy so that the Tsar would rule in conjunction with his subjects

Question 17

Why were the zemstva’s aims unsuccessful?

Answer 17

The Tsar was not willing to give his subjects a national voice

Question 18

Why did Alexander partially agree to the zemstva’s want for a national voice?

Answer 18

He agreed to the terms of the Loris-Melikov constitution

Question 19

Why did the attraction of Slavophiles decrease in the 1890s?

Answer 19

The country wanted more industrialisation

Question 20

Why did the intelligentsia split?

Answer 20

Through the belief of socialism

Question 21

Which group were committed to socialism through Marxist ideology?

Answer 21

The Bolsheviks

Question 22

What was considered a great turning point in the development of opposition in 1891-2?

Answer 22

The Great Famine

Question 23

Why was the Great Famine a turning point?

Answer 23

It revealed the weakeness of the empire and people saw the great need for change

Question 24

Which group in society was part of the more radical form of opposition?

Answer 24

Younger generations

Question 25

Why did student idealism and radicalism increase?

Answer 25

Due to the oppression of the late 1860s | Influence of socialist writers (e.g. Karl Marx)

Question 26

Name two radical thinkers

Answer 26

Nikolai Chernyshevsky | Mikhail Bakunin

Question 27

What did Chernyshevsky suggest through his writings?

Answer 27

That peasants should become leaders of revolutionary change

Question 28

How did Bakunin influence Russian society?

Answer 28

He suggested that collective ownership should replace private ownership Proposed that income should be based on hours worked Translated Marx's 'The Communist Manifesto' into Russian

Question 29

What is the Marxist theory?

Answer 29

Classes had always struggled but predicted that after the working class had dominated for a short period there would be a perfect Communist society in which everything would be equal

Question 30

Why was Marx's theory irrelevant to Russia?

Answer 30

There was a lack of clear class system (no working class and hardly any factory owners)

Question 31

What writing truly influenced revolutionists to devote their lives to a radical path?

Answer 31

Bakunin and Nechaev's 'Catechism of a Revolutionary'

Question 32

What was the Tchaikovsky Circle?

Answer 32

Group responsible for printing and distributing literature including Das Kapital by Marx. Sought revolution and education

Question 33

What did 'going to the people' mean?

Answer 33

Going to the peasantry to use them as a weapon for revolution

Question 34

What was another name for 'going to the people'?

Answer 34

Narodnyism or populism

Question 35

Why did Narodnyism fail?

Answer 35

In 1874 Lavrov encouraged a large group to travel around the empire and encourage the peasantry that revolution would be beneficial. They believed the peasants would be agreeable due to their resentment of treatment after the Emancipation. However the peasants became hostile and the group were quickly reported to authorities, who arrested them Series of show trials held

Question 36

Why was Narodnyism in some ways successful?

Answer 36

They had spread the idea of radical into the countryside, which made the government more aware of it.

Question 37

What happened to Romas when he tried to populist ideas into avtion by setting up a store selling cheap fruit and vegetables?

Answer 37

Poor peasants were warned not to buy goods as rich peasants were violently threatening and caused an explosion. Romas' peasant assistant was murdered He was forced to flee for his life

Question 38

Who were the 'Land and Liberty'?

Answer 38

A populist group that

Question 39

How were Land and Liberty successful?

Answer 39

They worked within peasant communes, gradually gaining support and they even talked to zemstva about trying to change the autocracy to be more constitutional Carried out political assassinations (killed the head of the Third Section!)

Question 40

How were Land and Liberty limited?

Answer 40

The government did not respond to them | No one in court was willing to comply with demand for change

Question 40

In 1879 Land and Liberty split into which two groups?

Answer 40

Black Repartition | The People's Will

Question 41

What was the aim of Black Repartition?

Answer 41

To share the black soil provinces among the peasantry

Question 42

Why did Land and Liberty split into these two groups?

Answer 42

Black Repartition looked to working peacefully to produce change while The People's Will resorted to using violence.

Question 43

How was Black Repartition successful?

Answer 43

It continued to create close relationships with peasants to gain support literature spread

Question 44

How was Black Repartition limited?

Answer 44

It was weakened by arrests in 1880-81 | Some leaders such as Plekhanov left and turned to Marxism

Question 45

Why was the People's Will successful?

Answer 45

Planted a spy in the Third Section Large group Assassinated Alexander II in 1881

Question 46

How did opposition change after the assassination of the tsar?

Answer 46

Security tightened Populist movement ended However Marxism began to increase in popularity

Question 47

How did opposition after the assassination continue?

Answer 47

Some groups continued their work

Question 48

Which group continued after the assassination?

Answer 48

Muscovite Society of Translators and Publishers (self educative)

Question 49

Which group was established after the assassination?

Answer 49

'Emancipation of Labour' by Plekhanov in 1883

Question 50

Why did Marxist ideas begin to increase after the assassination?

Answer 50

Other groups stopped Industrialisation increased Workers organisations and illegal trade unions developed