chapter five

Question 1

proletariat

Answer 1

urban working class

Question 2

polarised

Answer 2

opposite ‘extremes’

Question 3

socialist

Answer 3

a person who believes that society should be egalitarian; in the nineteenth century this meant taking from the rich to give to the poor to decrease inequality

Question 4

how alexander ii’s reforms led to threats against the tsarist autocracy

Answer 4

the initial relaxation of censorship encouraged spread of radicalisation
the creation of zemstva and dumas provided platform to challenge tsarist policies
judicial system allowed jury to let rebels leave as not guilty and let lawyers criticise the autocracy

Question 5

how alexander ii’s reactionary government led to threats against the tsarist autocracy

Answer 5

people still wanted more changes and had gotten used to the reforming legislation
people were discontent and therefore more easily radicalised

Question 6

nihilism

Answer 6

the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated

Question 7

anarchism

Answer 7

the belief in self governed institutions, the state is considered unnecessary or even harmful

Question 8

moderate liberal opposition

Answer 8

very small group due to small amount of literate and educated russians; typically made up of middle/upper class educated and well-travelled men

Question 9

two main factions of moderate liberals

Answer 9

westernisers versus slavophiles

Question 10

westernisers

Answer 10

who wanted to catch up with the west and copy western ways

Question 11

slavophiles

Answer 11

favoured a superior ‘russian’ path to a better future

Question 12

which faction was majority of zemstva in

Answer 12

westernisers

Question 13

goals of the westernisers

Answer 13

to reform autocracy so he would have to listen to and rule in conjunction with his subjects

Question 14

alexander ii’s opinion on giving zemstva national influence

Answer 14

when originally created, alexander ii was very against it
however by the 1870s he had changed his mind; proven by the loris-melikov proposals almost having taken effect

Question 15

when did alexander iii restrict power of the zemstva

Answer 15

1889-90

Question 16

when did slavophiles diminsh as an ideology

Answer 16

1890s

Question 17

when was the famine under alexander iii

Answer 17

1891-92

Question 18

how did the famine weaken tsarist autocracy

Answer 18

because autocracy was unable to fix the famine; leaving the role of fixing the famine to the zemstva showing the autocracy as unreliable or ill-equipped

Question 19

when were the st petersburg fires and how many shops did they destroy

Answer 19

june 1862; 2000 shops

Question 20

example of radical writings

Answer 20

the contemporary; 1862
the bell; 1869
the communist manifesto translated into russian; 1869

Question 21

the tchaikovsky circle

Answer 21

set up in 1868-9 in st petersburg; primarily a literature society that prioritised the distribution of scientific and revolutionary literature
never more than 100 people but sought social revolution
by 1872 started organising radicalised workers to work with the peasants and radicalise them/distribute the books from the society

Question 22

action of the populists

Answer 22

2000 young men and women from the noble intelligensia to go to the countryside and attempt to radicalise peasants
the attempt was shattered by peasant hostility of the attempt of radicalisation so the populists were quickly reported to authorities

Question 23

how many populists were arrested

Answer 23

1600

Question 24

second attempt of the populists

Answer 24

occurred in 1876
led to more arrests and show trials; 1887-8

Question 25

land and liberty

Answer 25

set up in 1877
members sought work within peasant communes (as doctors, teachers, etc.)
some carried out political assainations

Question 26

assassinations done by land and liberty

Answer 26

general mezemtsev; head of third section was assassinated by 1878

Question 27

two factions of land and libertys split

Answer 27

black repartition
the peoples will

Question 28

the peoples will

Answer 28

able to plant a spy in the third section; so had information of secret polices activity to evade arrest
bigger group than black repartition
advocated violent methods; including assassination of officials
succesfully assassinated alexander ii in march 1881

Question 29

when was alexander ii’s assassination

Answer 29

march 1881

Question 30

impact of alexander ii’s assassination

Answer 30

seen as a turning point with the distrust and distance between the people and the tsar; no longer one with the people
many royalists grew distrust of opposition and radicals