Economic And Social Developments

Question 1

What was industrialisation driven by ?

Answer 1

The state to try to match the economic development of Western Europe

Question 2

When did Reutern produce a series of reforms ?

Answer 2

1862-78

Question 3

What reforms did Reutern produce ?

Answer 3

• treasury and taxation were reformed; tax farming abolished
• a state bank was set up in 1860
• Import duties were reduced from 1863 to promote trade
• Government subsidies were offered to railway entrepreneurs

Question 4

What were the strengths of the Reuterns reforms

Answer 4

• reforms encouraged investment and enterprise
• foreign technical expertise
• railway network expanded markedly
• new developments took place including coal and oil extraction
• annual average growth rate of 6%

Question 5

Limitations of Returns reforms

Answer 5

• Russias economy remained comparatively weak
• A third of all government expenditure went on the repayment of debts
• Russian currency remained unstable
• the peasantry was still poor and the domestic market small

Question 6

When was Vyshnegradsky finance minster ?

Answer 6

1887-92

Question 7

In order for Vyshnegradsky to raise capital , reduce the budget deficit and boost home production what did he do ?

Answer 7

• introduced a high tariff of 30% of the value of imported raw materials
• negotiated loans and increased indirect taxes
• mounted a drive to swell grain exports

Question 8

Between 1881-91 how much did grain exports increase by ?

Answer 8

18%

Question 9

What was the russian economy like by 1892?

Answer 9

Russian budget was in surplus but the peasantry suffered badly they had to pay taxes and give grain to the state, many where left with no reserves stores for the winter

Question 10

What happened in 1891-92

Answer 10

Bad harvests bought a widespread if famine and thousands died

Question 11

When was Witte finance minister

Answer 11

1892-1903

Question 12

What did Witte implement

Answer 12

• maintained protective tariffs, heavy taxation and forced exports
• Sought further loans and presided over a huge increase in foreign investment

Question 13

What was Russias economy like by 1897 ?

Answer 13

They had become the worlds forth largest industrial economy, exports and foreign trade increased although Russia still exported mainly grain rather than industrial goods and the railway network was vastly expanded

Question 14

What was grain production levels following emancipation?

Answer 14

They remained low compared to western countries

Question 15

What did the government establish in 1883 and 1885 ?

Answer 15

Peasant land banks
Noble land banks

Question 16

What did the famine on 1891-92 show ?

Answer 16

Peasants had too little land to prosper

Question 17

Define the landed elite during industrialisation

Answer 17

• small bit diverse group mostly nobles
• personal landholdings had declined since emancipation
• state service
• Zemstva or the provincial governors
• often retained much of their previous wealth and status

Question 18

Define the middle class during industrialisation

Answer 18

• growing class, resulting from urban expansion and education
• included bankers, doctors, teachers
• Lower middle class could become managers or workshop owners and traders

Question 19

Define the urban working class during industrialisation

Answer 19

• around 2% of the population by the 1890s
• Some peasants worked in towns temporarily, returning to the villages at peak farming times
• growing class by 1864 one in three of the inhabitants of St Petersburg were peasants by birth
• suffered poor living and working conditions

Question 20

Define the peasantry during industrialisation

Answer 20

richer peasants
- did well out of emancipation
- bough up land and employed labour
Poor peasants
- suffered more after emancipation
- became landless labourers often in debt
- generally poor living conditions