Condition of Russia before the Feb revolution 1917 Flashcards
What was imperial Russia like?
- 8million Square miles
- pop of 100million
- worlds largest army (1.5mil)
- vast mineral reserves
- different nationalities
Problems in imperial Russia:
- not industrialised
- lack of effective communication
- different ethnicities
- Tsar spent 45% money on army
- massive rich/poor divide
How did communication/transport work?
- Was hard to travel due to mud filled roads
- Wooden platforms covered city ground
- longer journeys by river (on passenger steamers)
- Railway expansion began 1904 ( Trans Siberian)
How did the government run?
- Autocratic society
- Tsar thought he was entitled to the divine right to rule
- no parliament/parties
- Council of ministers ( chosen by tsar)
- censorship
- Okhrana (secret police)
- 1000’s of civil servants
What was the agriculture and economy?
- 90% peasants
- inefficient farming
- lack of technology in the 1800’s
- Average life expectancy of a farmer is 40
- Improving economy
Nationalities within Russia…
- Russian
- BeloRussians
- Ukranians
- Muslims
What were the fundamental laws?
- April 1906
- the right to rule independently of the duma
- the right to dissolve the duma
Bloody Sunday 1905
- defeat against Japan was the catalyst ( undermined tsarist authority)
- Peaceful protest of workers about conditions
- protestors attacked by cossacks
- led to strikes and riots
- Soviets set up by workers and soldiers
The aftermath of bloody sunday…
- October Manisfesto set up
- Taxes lowered for the poor
- Okhrana tracked down revolutionaries and arrested them
What was the October manifesto?
A promise to set up the Duma - this would cause the middle class to support him
Who were the duma ?
An elected assembly with advisory or legislative functions. The term comes from a Russian verb meaning ‘to think’ or ‘to consider’
What opposition groups were there?
• Liberals
• The social Revolutionaries (SR)
• The social Democrats (SD)
Political Problems
• Russia was an autocracy with an ill fitted ruler
• Nicholas minimised influence of the duma and kept ministers weak to preserve authority
• Disorganised because of overlapping institutions of gov
• Rasputins interference
Military Problems
• National solidarity dampened after defeat at tannenburg (300 000 dead or wounded)
• no suitable weaponry- no warm clothes/waterproof footwear, 2 guns for every 3 soldiers, soldiers had to rely on artillery of fallen soldiers
• Military zones - all civilian authority suspended
• Tsar took the role of Commander in Chief
Social and Economic problems
• Increase in taxes
• Damage to industrial and grains exports
• mass inflation (money worthless by 1917)
• Naval blockades of Baltic and Black sea
• Inadequacy of transport and distribution systems
• Jan 1917 30 000 workers on strike in Moscow 145 000 in Petrograd
Tsarist Authority 1914
• Retained Substantial Power after 1905 Rev
• Relied on narrow circle of advisors
• N had ultimate responsibility for foreign defence policy
How did the Tsar appeal to Patriotism?
• Appeared on the balcony of winter palace - citizens fell to their knees and sang god bless the tsar
• Duma have a vote of confidence - 22 socialists refused to support him
Why did inflation occur?
• the war cost increased from 4mil to 30 mil
• increased tax
• Gold standard abandoned (allowed more bank notes to be put in circulation) - enabled wages to be paid and trade to continue
• this made money worthless
• 1914-1916 earnings doubled and price of food and fuel quadrupled
What happened to food supplies?
• It became impossible to sustain agricultural output
• trade became unprofitable because of trade
• the requisitioning of farm horses and fertilisers occurred
• Army had first claim on the limited amount of food
• Mass hunger/border of famine
What happened to transport?
• pressure to transport troops and supplies to war fronts
• signalling system broke down
• blocked lines and trains (lack of coal)
• food rotting in trucks that couldn’t move
• Moscow went from 2200 wagons of grain per month to below 700 by jan 1917
• Petro 300 in feb 1917 instead of 1000
What are the fundamental laws?
• Nicholas does not have to take instruction from anyone
