Chapter One: S6

Question 1

Outline the reforms introduced by Von Reutern (minister for finance 1862-78) to boost economy + provide funds to drive industrial growth

Answer 1

• new legislation regulated join stock companies, to encourage ‘safe’ investing
• gov support was offered for the development of the cotton on industry
• gov subsidies were offered to enable private entrepreneurs to develop railways

Question 2

What were the positive results of Von Reuterns economic and industrial reforms

Answer 2

• enterprise was encouraged gov subsidies and trade treaties
• use of foreign technical expertise and capital also supported industrial expansion and the railway network saw a marked expansion
• overall, annual growth rate of 6% during Von reuterns term of office

Question 3

What were the limitations of Von reuterns reforms

Answer 3

• Russias economy remained comparatively weak
• 1/3 of all gov expenditure went on the repayment of debts and the Russian currency was subject to wild variations in its value
• limitations of the emancipation edict and a taxation system left 66% of gov revenue coming from direct taxing, keeping the peasantry poor

Question 4

Outline the ‘industrial take off under vyshnegradsky (minister of finance)

Answer 4

• tariffs raised (1880) + under vyshnegradsky (took over 1887) import tariff of 30% on value of raw materials was introduced
• this was designed to help boost home production + considerably helped the iron industry in Russia
• to ‘balance the budget’ vyshnegradsky increased indirect taxes and mounted s drive to boost grain exports
• 1892 - Russian budget in surplus but peasants paying taxes also saw their grain requisitioned by the state
• vyshnegradsky said ‘we ourselves shall not eat, but we shall export’ - led to famine of 1891-2

Question 5

Outline the ‘great famine of 1891-2’

Answer 5

• affected 17 of Russian 39 provinces
• hot dry summer ruined crops, people weakened by hunger become susceptible to diseases + over 350,000 died from starvation/disease

Question 6

Outline ‘witte’ as vyshnegradskys successor for minister of finance

Answer 6

• totally committed to economic modernisation as a means of curbing revolutionary activity
• he believed the only war forward was to continue with protective tariffs, heavy taxation and forced exports to generate capital
• he also sought loans from abroad, much of which was invested into mining, the metal trade, oil and banking
• Russia = 4th largest industrial economy by 1897

Question 7

Outline the position of agriculture and the land issue

Answer 7

• emancipation failed to bring fundamental change to agricultural practices
• high taxes, grain requisition, redemption payments etc hindered agricultural development
• yields low in comparison to Western Europe
• overall increase in agricultural production from 1870’s -1880’s thanks to the effort of the kulak class
• but overall ,the average russian peasant had too little land to become prosperous

Question 8

Outline social divisions and developments as industrialisation spread

Answer 8

• Russias traditional land based society begun to move towards one more focused on money, capital and wages
• this procedure was still slow and Russia was divided until 1895
• however, this period saw emergence of a middle class and urban working class

Question 9

Outline the position of the landed elite after emancipation

Answer 9

• small ,diverse group - mostly of noble status
• after emancipation, their personal landholdings had considerably decreased in size
• some saw the future in business - by 1882 - over 700 nobles owned their own businesses in Moscow

Question 10

Outline the position of the middle class after emancipation

Answer 10

• with urban and industrial expansion, Russias middle class Begun to grow
• bankers, doctors and teachers etc were in high demand
• gov contracts to build railways etc provided more jobs

Question 11

Outline the position of the urban working class after emancipation

Answer 11

• expansion in industry was accompanied by a growth in urban population
• it was common for peasants to move to cities to find work and return to their communes during peak harvest times
• 1864 - 1 in 3 inhabitants of st Petersburg were peasants by birth
• conditions in towns and cities were grim however and factories payed very little, although some reforms in 1882-90 improved conditions work was still dangerous

Question 12

Outline the position of the peasantry after emancipation

Answer 12

• the kulaks prospered
• the poorer peasants suffered more as they turned into landless labourers, dependant on others
• in the 1880’s two out of every three formers serfs in the Tambov region were unable to feed the household without falling into debt
• average life expectancy was 29 years for men and 27 for women compared to 45 in England

Question 13

Outline the cultural influence of the church

Answer 13

• 70% of the population were subscribed to the Orthodox Church
• domination of the Orthodox Church over superstitious and ill educated peasantry was vital in maintaining control
• in 1868 - reforms were brought in to improve education of priests
• during Alex iii’s reign - over 8500 muslims and 50,000 pagans were converted to orthodoxy