Developments In Working + Living Conditions In Towns Flashcards
How was Russia cities changed?
-arrival of new large factories added to the growing numbers smaller workshops swelling urban population
What happens to Russias urban population?
-2m factory workers by 1900 + 6m by 1913
-1867-1917 empires urban population quadrupled from 7m to 28m due to influx of peasants looking for city work
What did the peasants do in the cities?
-some settled temp retaining their land + returning to help with harvest
-some joined bands of migrants
-others put down roots + produced children growing up as urban workers
How did peasants change the urban population?
-by 1914 3/4 living in St.P were peasants by birth compared to 1/3 50yrs ago
What was the peasant situation in Moscow?
-peasant atmosphere surrounded workers quarters with livestock wandering in streets
-numerous outdoor peasants markets incl one in red square
What were the facilities like when providing for growing urban class?
-grossly inadequate
-workers found themselves living in barrack like buildings owned by factory owners + dangerously overcrowded
What did the workers have to do in these living conditions?
-ate in canteens + washed in communal bathhouses
What was ‘private’ accommodation like for those who could find it?
-40% housed had no running water or sewage system
-excrement in piles in back yards - 30k inhabitants died of cholera 1908-09
What were rents like due to the influx of urban workers?
-rents remained high often taking half a workers wage
-those couldn’t afford it simply lay down in factory beside machines or lived rough on streets
What were workers wages like?
-varied depending on skilled or unskilled + amount of overtime
-women were 1/3 of workforce 1914 but among lowest paid earning less than half average Ind wage
How were factories changed by 1914 following the depression of 1908-09?
-factory working hours reduced to 10hrs
How did education change?
-education spread - 85% rise in primary school provision 1908-14
-gov promoted development of technical schools + unis
How did cities become breeding grounds for political discontent?
-very crowded + inadequate
-political activism are before 1905 + 1914 3574 stoppages due to strike activity
What was the gov response to to strike activity?
-repression
-e.g. Workers at Lena Goldfields Siberia strike for better wages + conditions 1912 troops sent in + 270 workers killed with 250 injured
What led to the Lena goldfields strike?
-worked long hours for low pay in inhospitable climate
-1912 group miners strike over inedible horse meat + B’viks helped spread activities
