Chapter one - The condition of Russia before the revolution of February 1917 Flashcards
Why was Nicholas so conservative?
His father was very conservative and he was raised in a very sheltered environment. His tutor Pobedonostev was very conservative
What was his personality?
Obstinate, indecisive
Relied on repression of discontent
No interest in politics
When was bloody sunday?
9th January 1905
When did the Tsar become commander in chief?
September 1915
When was the October manifesto?
17th October 1905
Full of empty promises
Missed opportunity to gain support of liberal intelligencia
When was the first Duma?
April - July 1906
When was the second Duma?
Feb - June 1907
Did the Tsar like the Duma?
No. He said ‘Curse the Duma. It is all Witte’s doing’
What were the conditions like for workers?
Common injury and death
Lived in rooms separated by curtains
How were the nobles living?
Less than 1% of population but owned 25% of land
Number of strikes?
1908 - 892
1914 - 3534
How many workers were literate by 1914?
64% compared to only 40% of total population
How many strikes were political?
2401
What was the Lena Goldfields Massacre?
April 1912
Protests about conditions, low wages, and 14 hour days.
200 were killed by troops
What were Stolypin’s reforms?
Encouragement of peasants to leave their mir, and consolidate their strips of land into a single unit
Why did Stolypin’s reforms fail?
The communes weren’t always backwards and those separators used poor farming methods in order to make a quick profit
What was some agrarian progress?
Grain production grew by 1.1 million tonnes each year
Investment in agricultural machinary rose at an annual rate of 9%
Growth of st Petersburg in millions?
1897 - 1.26
1914 - 2.2
Increase in production of coal?
In millions
1900 - 16.1
1916 - 33.8
Keeping the country an autocracy?
Progressive block’s advice to make a constitutional monarvhy would have taken pressure off the Tsar
Liberal criticism of the Tsar?
November 1915 - Guchkov - The government was revolutionising the people, and the outcome would be a ‘sad, unavoidable catastrophe’
What did the Bolshevik’s gain control of?
Trade unions in St Petersburg and Moscow, like the metal workers union
What was the circulation of the Bolshevik paper?
40,000 copies
How strong were the liberals?
Kadets and Octobrists were divided and no real threat
Feared anarchy and did not support the strikes
How strong were the revolutionaries?
Sr’s obsessed with the issue of double agents - the okhrana
Lenin was still in exile
When did the Tsar mobilise his armies?
July 1914 in support of Serbia
The first big loss?
Battle of Tannenburg in East Prussia in August 1914
800,000 dead or wounded
Thousands taken prisoner
What forced a Russian retreat?
Defeat at Masurian lakes in September 1914
How many troops were there?
12 million
What was the rifle situation?
1914 - 2 rifles for every three people
What was the shell situation?
1915 - limited to 2 - 3 shells per day
What were the Russian succeses?
Tied down Germany on the Eastern front for three years
1916 - manafactured more shells than Germany
What was the union of the Zemstva?
Tried to provide medical facilities but were neglected by the state
What was the Zemgor?
Joining of the zemstva and municiple dumas to help the government in the war effort in July 1915
This was shunned by the Tsar
What led to the Tsar leading the army?
Defeat at Galicia in September 1915
What was the constant changes of ministers under the Tsarina?
4 Prime Ministers
3 Foreign Secretaries
3 Ministers of Defence
6 Interior ministers
War losses in 1916?
Brusilov offensive - June 1916
1.5 million desertions by the end of the year
Difficulties at the home front?
Food, goods and raw materials in short supply
Led to many factories closing down so thousands were out of work
Peasants feared conscription
