Choices Flashcards
What happened in 1861?
The serfs were liberated/serfdom was abolished by Tsar Alexander II
What were the general goals of the socialists?
To create a classless society
To give the means of production to the government/keep it away from individuals
Revolution
What were the general goals of the liberal reformers?
To put western constitutional practices into place
To be democratic
Less violent methods
What were four reforms of Tsar Alexander II?
Liberated serfs
Established new system of land transference
Introduced jury trials
Relaxed censorship laws
What happened in 1873-1874 with the populists?
They went “to the people” to establish personal connections with the downtrodden peasantry and thus garner support
What happened in 1891?
There was a famine that killed half a million people and led to many communities staging small-scale revolts
Why was Karl Marx important to Russian intellectuals?
He explained the social world systematically and argued that a classless society would end exploitation and provide for all
This appealed to the educated who were looking to fix Russia, which had a rigid class structure with communitarian views; these communitarian views would lend themselves to Marx’s idea
What were the major political groups in early 20th century Russia?
Liberal Democrats - wanted a government based on the west
Socialist Revolutionaries - wanted to socialize the land and replace the monarchy with a democratic republic
Marxist Social Democrats - wanted to lead the workers in revolution for a classless society
What was Bloody Sunday?
Father Gapon led people in a peaceful march to talk to Tsar Nicholas II—they were fired upon, destroying the people’s view of the Tsar as a benevolent protector and turning frustration into anger.
What was the October Manifesto?
Tsar Nicholas II was given an ultimatum: give power to a dictator or issue reform. He tried to convince his uncle, Grand Duke Nicholai Nikolaevich, to become the dictator, but he said no, so Tsar Nicholas conceded to advisor Sergei Witte’s advice and issued the October Manifesto.
The Manifesto promised:
Expansion of civil liberties (free speech/press)
A limited/constitutional monarchy
Legislature elected by universal suffrage
Legalization of trade unions and political parties
Creation of the Duma
Why did peasants migrate to cities?
Increasing industrialization led to more jobs in cities
Food shortages across the country
What was the Revolution of 1905?
It was a popular uprising against the Tsarist government (Tsar Nicholas II). It caused the government to “shudder”, but not fall; efforts were not coordinated well enough for the revolution to fully succeed.
As a result of this revolution, the socialist parties participated in force in elections and made substantial gains at the expense of liberals and conservatives.
