Economic Development To 1914

Question 1

What was Russia’s average annual growth rate in the latter half of the 19th century

Answer 1

Approximately 8% per annum

Question 2

In the eleven years of Witte, how did the Russian economy change

Answer 2

Railway trackage doubled, coal output in southern Russia tripled, and foreign investment nearly 10x from 280 to 2000 million roubles

Question 3

When did Russia enter the gold standard and why

Answer 3

1897-to strengthen and stabilise the currency and promote foreign investment and confidence

Question 4

By 1900 how much of Russias railways were state controlled

Answer 4

70%

Question 5

How much of Russias metallurgical production was the state itself purchasing

Answer 5

2/3rds

Question 6

Between 1903 to 1913, how much of govt income was from it’s industrial investment

Answer 6

25%

Question 7

In 1913, where did Russia rank in terms of global total length of railway trackage

Answer 7

2nd, behind USA

Question 8

When was the trans Siberian railway finished

Answer 8

1902, with further additions in 1914
Running from central Europe to Vladivostok, a length of over 7000km

Question 9

What was an issue with heavy russian industrial development

Answer 9

It was heavily concentrated around a limited number of areas, promoting inequality and uneven development

Question 10

What % of russian coal was supplied by the Donbas region by 1913

Answer 10

87%

Question 11

How did russian oil production change from 1885 to 1913

Answer 11

It trebled

Question 12

What factory in st Petersburg provided, in 1885, a quarter of all state orders for locomotives, and by ww1 was one of Russias main armament prducers

Answer 12

Putilov Iron Works

Question 13

What accounted for 40% of Russias total industrial output in 1910, possibly to certain industrialists annoyance

Answer 13

Light industry and textiles

Question 14

Why were certain German generals so keen for war against Russia in 1914

Answer 14

They were scared that Russia would eventually outstrip German economic development and the war would be no contest

Question 15

What industry was the livelihood for 80-90% of the Russian population

Answer 15

Agriculture

Question 16

When was Stolypin appointed minister of internal affairs

Answer 16

1906

Question 17

Was there much development in agriculture up to 1906

Answer 17

No. Techniques remained traditional and inefficient, former serfs and state peasants were still tied to their mir by redemption payments and were taxed and heavily exploited. No modern crop rotational systems were used and neither was fertilizer

Question 18

How inefficient were russian farms compared to British and American

Answer 18

American farms were 1.5x more productive from the same amount of land. British were 4x as efficient.

Question 19

How did Stolypin intend to improve agriculture and the russian economy

Answer 19

He aimed to win Kulaks, the most efficient and productive peasants, loyalty to the state, and create an internal market for it he products of industry, preventing starvation exports

Question 20

What were Stolypins land reforms (1906-17)

Answer 20

In 1906 he enabled each peasant household to claim individual ownership of its land allotment and to withdraw from the communes, which were set up after emancipation and were remarkably innefficient
Encouraged peasants to travel east, and took 3.5million out of the most overpopualted areas to begin to settle siberia.

Question 21

When were redemption payments abolished, as promised in 1905.

Answer 21

1907

Question 22

How did hereditary ownership of land by peasants change from 1905 to 1915

Answer 22

increased from 20% to 50%

Question 23

How did grain production change from 1900 to 1914

Answer 23

56 million to 90 million tonnes

Question 24

In 1914, what was 90% of land still in, a very inefficient way of farming

Answer 24

Traditional strips, with conservative peasants unwilling to let go of old ways

Question 25

How many peasants are estimated to have reached kulak status by 1914 (actual kulak status not the mickey mouse soviet definition of having 2 cows)

Answer 25

less than 1%

Question 26

Was the Russian economy transformed up to 1914

Answer 26

Yes-emancipation, beginning of industrial development, railroad, financial and economic reforms of vyshnegradsky and witte and some degree of agricultural progress

No-much of the status quo remained with inequitable land redistribution and redemption payments. Still a minority of population working in cities, russia still dependent on foreign investment and especially importation of complex machinery