Chapter 6

Question 1

Who was Alexander II’s Minister of Finance from 1862-78?

Answer 1

Mikhail von Reutern

Question 2

What reforms did von Reutern introduce about taxation?

Answer 2

New arrangements for collecting taxes and publishing the budget reformed the Treasury and tax farming was abolished

Question 3

What new form of company did von Reuten introduce?

Answer 3

Joint-stock company

Question 4

What reforms did von Reutern introduce in terms of banks and subsidies?

Answer 4

Banks and credit facilities were extended, with state banks being introduced in 1860 and saving banks in 1869. Government subsidies were introduced to develop railways

Question 5

What did von Reutern’s reforms encourage to boost the economy?

Answer 5

Opportunities under government subsidies encouraged entreprise and foreign technical expertise supported capital expansion

Question 6

What was the average growth rate during von Reutern’s term in office?

Answer 6

6%

Question 7

What industry remained dominant in spite of new emerging industries?

Answer 7

Textiles

Question 8

What major industries were introduced in 1871 and 1872 respectively and where?

Answer 8

Oil extraction and ironworks, which were introduced in the Caspian Sea Port of Baku and Donetsk

Question 9

What extraction was introduced in1879 to exploit coal and oil further?

Answer 9

The Naphtha Extraction

Question 10

What percentage of government revenue came from indirect taxation after the Emancipation Edict?

Answer 10

66%

Question 11

What was Vyshnegradsky’s impact on tariff reform?

Answer 11

He introduced a prohibitive import tariff of 30% which boosted home production and helped the iron industry in Southern Russia

Question 12

What was the result of Vyshnegradsky moving to swell grain?

Answer 12

From 1881 and 1891, grain exports increased by 18%, leading to a surplus for the first time in 1892

Question 13

Which serious economic event destroyed Vyshnegradsky’s politcal career?

Answer 13

The Great Famine 1891-92

Question 14

What did Witte believe would modernise Russia’s economy?

Answer 14

Protective tariffs, heavy taxation, forced exports to generate capital and additional loans from foreign investors

Question 15

Which countries helped Witte in the development of the railway network?

Answer 15

France, Belgium, Germany, Britain and Sweden

Question 16

By the mid-1890s, how much of the Russian railway network was owned by the state?

Answer 16

60%

Question 17

What factors hampered agriculture change?

Answer 17

High taxes, grain requisition, redemption payments and traditional farming practices in the mirs

Question 18

What legislation was introduced to facilitate land purchases?

Answer 18

The Nobles’ (1882) and Peasant (1885) Land Banks

Question 19

What was the impact of industrialisation on Russia’s class system?

Answer 19

Industrialisation saw the beginnings of an emergent new middle class and urban working class

Question 20

What proportion of university professors were from hereditary nobles by 1880?

Answer 20

1/5

Question 21

What was the impact of industrialisation on the nobles’ status and employment?

Answer 21

By 1882, 700 nobles owned their own business while nearly 2500 were employed in commerce, transport or industry

Question 22

What was the impact of industrialisation on the emergent middle class?

Answer 22

Bankers, doctors, teachers and administrators were in greater demand but made up no more than half a million in 1897

Question 23

By 1864, how many peasants in Petersburg were peasants by birth?

Answer 23

1/3

Question 24

What kind of welfare reforms were introduced from 1882-90?

Answer 24

Regulation of child labour, a reduction in working hours, a reduction in excessive fines and payment in kind and the appointment of living inspectors

Question 25

How many strikes were there per year between 1886-94?

Answer 25

33 strikes per year

Question 26

How had the position of the kulaks changed following industrialisation?

Answer 26

Kulaks bought up land and often acted as pawn brokers to other poorer peasants, selling previous goods at inflated prices

Question 27

How much were the poorest peasants struggling under industrialisation?

Answer 27

Two out of every three former serfs in the Tambov region were unable to feed their household without falling into debt

Question 28

What was the average lifespan for people in Russia?

Answer 28

27 years for men, and 29 years for women - compared to the average age of 45 in England

Question 29

In what ways was religious observance a means of control in Russia?

Answer 29

Priests had close ties to the village as well as the State, such as reading manifestos and decrees, as well as records of marriages and deaths. They also rooted out opposition and informed the police of suspicious activity

Question 30

How did the Church benefit from their strict censorship?

Answer 30

They judged social and moral crimes and could award punishments, such as time in the monastery, to those found guilty

Question 31

How many people were converted throughout the entire period of Russification?

Answer 31

8500 Muslims, 50,000 Pagans, and around 40,000 Catholics and Lutherans in the Polish and Baltic provinces