Economic & Social Developments Flashcards
Who was the minister of finance from 1862-78?
Mikhail von Reutern
How did Mikhail von Reutern reform the treasury?
New arrangements for collecting taxes, budgets were put into place.
What changes were made to Tax Farming under Mikhail von Reutern?
Tax farming was abolished, the tax system was reformed to include more indirect taxation.
Who was the minister of finance under Alexander II?
Mikhail von Reutern
What years were Mikhail von Reutern Minister of Finance?
1862-78
What year was the state bank established?
1860
How did Mikhail von Reutern promote trade?
by reducing import duties from 1863
How did Mikhail von Reutern encourage the production of railways?
By offering Government subsidies to private entrepreneurs
How was foreign investment encouraged under Mikhail von Reutern?
Government guaranteed annual divident
How was safe investment encouraged under Mikhail von Reutern?
New legislation was enforced regulating joint-stock companies.
What was the annual average growth rate during Von Reutern’s office?
6%
Who took over as Minister of Finance in 1887?
Vyshnedgradsky
What years were the tarrifs rasied again after Vin reutern’s reductions?
1880s
How did Vyshdegradsky reform indirect taxes?
by increasing them
By what percentage did grain exports increase between 1881 and 1891?
18%
Who suffered at the hands of Vyshegradsky’s reforms?
the peasantry
What event marks the extent of the peasant’s suffering at the hands of Vyshnegradsky’s reforms?
The Great Famine, 1891-2
How many died during the Great Famine?
350,000
Who was Vyshnegradsky’s successor?
Sergei Witte
What areas did Witte invest in the most?
mining, the metal trades, oil and banking
What year was Russia’s first railway completed?
1837
What year did the railway line linking St Petersburg to Moscow open?
1851
What percentage of Russia’s railway system was state owned by the mid 1890s?
60%
When were the peasant’s Land Banks established?
1885
What was a major flaw in the Land Bank system?
the loans offered often increased debts.
What did the Great Famine prove about Emancipation?
The basic economic problem remained
What 4 sections/classes was Russian society divided into by the late 1890s?
The Landed Elite, The Middle Class, The Urban Working Class, The Peasantry
What was the Landed Elite?
A small group, mainly of noble status.
How did the Landed Elite develop post-emancipation?
Abandoned farming in favor of other professions such as business, teaching, politics.
What was the Middle Class?
Bankers, Doctors, Teachers etc.
How was the Middle Class able to develop?
Industrial expansion allowed for an increase in educational opportunities.
What was the Urban working class?
Peasants who moved into towns to work temporarily in factories etc. to make ends meet.
What percentage of the population was the Urban working class?
2%
Who were the most wealthy peasants?
The Kulaks
How many peasants found themselves unable to feed their family post emancipation?
2/3
What was the main religion in Russia during this period?
Russian Orthodox Church (Russian Orthodoxy)
What percentage of the population subscribed to Russian Orthodoxy?
70%
What was Russia’s religious belief about the Tsar?
He was selected by God and had a ‘divine’ right to rule.
