Collapse of the Tsarist Regime Flashcards
what were the difficulties of ruling Russia?
- Russia’s large size combined with poor roads, very few railways and unfavourable climate made communication slow.
- The total population of 125 million was made up of 20 different peoples, which lead to a policy of Russification (making non-Russian people speak Russian and follow Russian customs in attempt to control the population).
Why were so many people unhappy?
- The peasants, who made up 77% of the population, used old fashioned farming methods which resulted in poor agricultural output and frequent famines. As a result of starvation and disease, peasants had a life expectancy of less than 40 years.
- The growing class of industrial workers earned low wages, worked long hours and were forbidden to form trade unions to improve their living conditions.
why was there a 1905 revolution? list factors.
- Long Term: the Tsar’s socially oppressive policies
- Catalyst: the war against Japan
- Spark: ‘Bloody Sunday’
describe the Tsar’s socially oppressive policies
- The Tsar’s socially repressive policies can be highlighted through his reluctance to give the middle-class political representation and the industrial workers trade unions, which lead to a growing realisation amongst Russian society of the need to reform.
- Moreover, the growing class of industrial workers were more politically astute and willing to protest, which increased the likelihood of strikes and of a revolution.
how did the war against Japan cause a revolution?
- Although the Tsar entered the war against Japan hoping to distract their attentions from domestic problems, the war only increased food shortages, inflation and resentment against the government, especially when peasants and workers were forced to join the army.
- The Tsar’s government increased military spending by 50% during the war.
- In addition, continuous military defeats brought humiliation upon both the Tsar and the nation, which highlighted the Tsar’s incompetence and catalysed the 1905 revolution.
what were the events of ‘Bloody Sunday’ and when did it occur?
On ‘Bloody Sunday’ in January 1905, 200,000 people marched through St Petersburg, protesting for ‘freedom of conscience, speech, assembly and association.’ The demonstrators clashed with soldiers, roughly 200 were killed and 800 were injured. This seemed to give the people proof that the Tsar was not on their sides and Tsar lost the affection of the Russian people.
How did the Tsar survive the 1905 revolution? list factors.
- introduction of the Duma
- stopping Land Redemption payments
- Stolypin’s reforms
Introduction of the duma
- The Duma showed that the Tsar was able to listen to his people and make political concessions, which seemed to mark the end of a 300-year autocratic regime and a shift towards a constitutional monarchy.
- Although the Duma gave the middle-class a political voice, the representation throughout all sectors of society were unfairly distributed; the working class required 125,000 votes to elect one deputy, whereas landowners only needed 230. Despite the working class remaining dissatisfied, the Tsar gave the middle classes an incentive to defend his position which resulted in a split revolution
How did the Tsar win the peasants over in 1905?
The peasants were won over when, in November, the Land Redemption Payments were stopped.
How did Stolypin defend the Tsar’s position after 1905?
- Stolypin’s repression of political opponents helped to stabilise Russia. There were more than 3000 executions during Stolypin’s time as prime minister.
- Stolypin aimed to prevent revolution by creating prosperity in Russia; he introduced agricultural reforms by which peasants were encouraged to buy their own land. However, 90% of peasants remained under control of the mirs, so these reforms had limited impact on Russia.
- Stolypin altered the electoral system before the third Duma so that the peasants, industrial minorities and national minorities were virtually excluded from the vote. By doing this, the Tsar was guaranteed a more compliant and conservative Duma that would be less of a threat to his position.
what were the fundamental laws?
Before the Duma had even met, the Tsar issued the Fundamental laws, which stated that the Tsar was the sole commander of the military and navy, controlled key areas of finance, could dissolve the Duma at any time, and effectively had a veto over anything the Duma wanted to implement. This completely undermined Russia’s move towards a constitutional government and was a clear reinstatement of the Tsar’s position as supreme ruler.
How did the Tsar’s absence during WW1 weaken his position?
- The Tsar’s decision to take personal command of the army in August 1915 personally associated him with any military failures, exposing his incompetence as a military strategist. This caused many to question his divine right to rule Russia.
- This decision left the Tsarina in control of a country already challenged by growing hostility towards the government. Her innate hatred of the Duma symbolised how the Tsarist regime was unable to adapt to the social changes generated by industrialisation, diminishing the confidence that people had in their government.
- The Tsarina was also heavily under the influence of Rasputin, who undermined the reputation of the royal family due to his scandalous behaviour. Moreover, he often interfered in political affairs and advocated for policies that were not always in the best interest of the country, which confirmed the public’s perception that the government was corrupt and mismanaged.
How did WW1 cause resentment in the army and why was this significant?
- By the end of 1916, the number of dead, injured or captured Russian people reached 7.7 million. The immense number of losses increased soldiers’ grievances about the war and subsequently increased their resentment against the regime that oversaw their hardship.
- Although the Russo-Japanese war did not break the faith of the army, the hardship of WW1 proved fundamental in altering their allegiances. Given that the ultimate loyalty of the soldiers allowed the suppressing of the 1905 revolution, an army that resented the Tsar would not defend his position in the case of a revolution.
- In this sense, the army’s resentment of the Tsar during WW1 reduced the government’s ability to use force to suppress the increased discontent.
How did WW1 cause economic strains and why was this significant?
- Currency printing and escalating food prices during the war pushed inflation to almost 400% by 1916, exemplifying how the strains of the war caused the Russian economy to completely collapse. This created intolerable living conditions for Russian people and even radicalised poorer sections of society who resented the government, ultimately leading to the February revolution.
why was the revolution of February 1917 successful? - criticism was more sharply focused on the Tsar himself
- By taking personal command of the army, the Tsar’s incompetence as a military strategist was exposed. To both ordinary people and the army, he seemed personally responsible for their hardship.
- Due to the Tsar’s inability to respond to the needs of the population, the revolution was no longer an attempt to compromise with the Tsar, but to overthrow him. By this point, no political concessions or shifts in policy could prevent him from his inevitable downfall.
