Empire, Nationalities, and the Satellite States Flashcards
What percentage of Russia’s population did the national minorities make up?
55%
The ‘Great Russians’ in the minority!
In the 19th century, what was the state’s main tool to control + repress the minorities?
How was this done?
Controlled by the Orthodox Church
Message of faith in God and unquestioning submission to God’s will was a major support of Tsarist regime.
Was claimed that only members of the Orthodox faith could really be true and reliable subjects of the Tsar.
What was the conservative Tsarist attitude towards the minorities? What reinforced/underpinned it?
Reinforced by the conviction that Russian social organisation, religion, government, culture, and philosophy were superior due to isolation from mainstreams of western European development.
Thus the duty of all Russians to protect these blessings against all external threats.
What were those who wished to preserve and consolidate the essentials of Slav culture throughout the Empire known as?
‘Slavophiles’.
Which 3 wars did Russia lose territory/influence?
Crimea (control of the Black Sea).
The First World War (Poland, Finland, the Baltic States, and part of Ukraine)
The Civil War/Russo-Polish War (further parts of Ukraine)
Why did the loss of territory/influence in wars make Russia ‘revisionist’?
Give an example
Wanted to regain the crucial territory OR gain influence elsewhere
E.g. focussing on Asian expansion into Manchuria after failing to make headway on the ‘Eastern Question’ in the Balkans
What were the 3 main motives for expansion of the Empire?
Economic gain
Ideological/social beliefs
Strateigic/security reasosns
Why did rulers at certain points not want to expand the Empire?
If wars had been disastrous, not in position to expand borders
If the situation at home was economically stable there was no need to expand borders
Had strong ideological beliefs against expansion, only maintenance the Empire (Prov Gov)
If satisfied with strategic position they had would not push further + damage it
What is Russification?
The process of drawing non-Russian regions more securely into the empire.
Procedure was to integrate groups into the administration of the Empire followed by an inculcation process - the transmission of Russian language, religion, and culture.
Minority traditions would become ‘subsidiary, colourful ethnic remnants’ rather than forces for change
How was ‘social russification’ (i.e. spreading Russian language + culture) linked to economic inegration?
Common language and administration meant general improvements in telecommunications and transport.
Describe the origins of russification
Begun by Milyutin’s plan after the Polish Revolt to give more liberal freedoms whilst placing government administration in Russian hands
However influential newspaper editor of the Moscow Bulletin Mikhail Katkov believed providing too many liberal freedoms would lead to separatism and disintegration. Believed regions should be brought under control through forceful transmission of Russian values.
Why + how did the Communisits continue russfication?
Aimed to form federal state centrally guided from Moscow
Each minority had certain amount of autonomy but still subservient to Moscow
Thus focus was on constitutional changes.
They aimed to spread Communist values instead of Russian ones
What led to changes in Russian foreign policy towards Europe?
What were the Russians motives for expansion?
War and Revolution
When led to loss of territory would be a clamour to regain the most economically or socially important territory. However if territory was not considered that important would not necessarily fight for it.
When war gave opportunity to expand territory and gain a strategic advantage, the Russians would clearly take it.
What were the key events that influenced Russian foreign policy in central + eastern Europe?
The 1905 Revolution
WW1
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The Civil War/Polish-Russian War
WW2
What methods of expansion/control were used in Central + Eastern Europe?
Reform:
- Some concession in the October Manifesto, with nationalities represented in the Duma and equal rights theoretically extended to all citizens
- Prov Gov allowed Rada + Sejm and Special Transcaucasion Committee after WW1
Repression:
- During 1905 Rev ¼ million troops were needed to keep order in Poland when fighting broke out on the streets, Baltic States - martial law, virtual civil war in Georgia declared itself an independent state
What were the successes of Russian foreign policy towards Central + Eastern Europe?
Regained land lost during WW1 + Civil War - Baltic States, Poland, Caucasus
Gained control over many states that it had never even considered previously such as East Germany, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria and Romania
What were the failures of Russian foreign policy towards Central + Eastern Europe?
1905 Rev - ¼mil troops needed to restore order just in Poland, martial law in Baltics, Georgia tries to declare indepence
WW1 - Riga fell. PG allow Rada + Sejm, Transcaucasus Special Committee
Brest-Litovsk - Ukraine seperate peace with Germany + under its ‘protection’. Baltics, Poland, Ukraine, Georgia and Finland all gained independence under German protection. Treaty of Versailles removed German ‘protection’ but all retain independance (except Ukraine- divided between Poland + Russia following war)
Cold War - 1956 Polish + Hungarian uprisings
What were the motives for Russian expansion into the Far East?
Chance! Railways meant had access + tech needed
War - failures in Europe (after Crimea) meant looked East (though easier)
Ideology - communism into China
What were the key events in Russian foreign policy towards the Far East?
Taking of the Amur Basin in the 1860s by governor-general of Eastern Siberia Nikolai Muraviev
Russo-Japanese war 1904-5
Russians liberate Manchuria 1945 (give back to China)
What methods of control/expansion were used by Russian leaders in the Far East?
Independant initiative (+ Chance!): Muraviev took Amur Basin with personal army + forced signing of peace treaty
War: Russo-Japanese War (although failed)
International Influence (+ Chance!): Some northern Chinese provinces came under Communist control (e.g. Xinjiang in 1921). In 1945 Mongolia was occupied by Soviet forces to liberate it from Japan + became an independent ‘People’s Republic’ but was essentially a Far Eastern Satellite State. Mao respected Stalin so had good relations.
