Evaluate the success of Russian governments in promoting economic modernisation in the years 1861 to 1095

Question 1

The successes of the emancipation in modernising the Russian economy

Answer 1

Terence Emmons - ‘ the greatest single piece of state-directed engineering in modern European History’

• Abolition of serfs –> peasants more freedom to cultivate their own land
• Increase in agricultural productivity –> 1861-1891 (Rose by 50%)
• Kulaks –> New class emerged –> Hard-working serfs were able to supplement their allocations by purchasing additional land and even buying out other ex-serfs wo cose to leave the countryside.
• Emancipation also fulfilled AII’s wider aims –> Russian industry expanded –> communication + cities
• Grain exports therefore went up steeply from 31-47 between 1891 and 1895

Question 2

Perspectives on the Emancipation

Answer 2

Prof John Grenville –> Emancipation = ‘a cruel joke’

In some less fertile areas lad was valued up to 90% higher than it should have been

The higher the prices the more the peasants were forced to contnue working for their old masters

18881 - 15% peasants were still ‘temporarily obligated’

Furthermore, High redemtion payments

Question 3

Vyshnegradsky?

Answer 3

• Economic policies based on creating gov surplus –> Reduce imports and increase Grain exports
• 1892 Grain Exports increased by 18%
• 1888 Loan with France negotiated
• 1891 - Medel’ev Tariff Act, higest tarrigs (accounting for 33% of all imports) were helping to protect developng internal industries, while contributing to the government’s taxation revenue

Question 4

Sergei Witte

Answer 4

Non-noble background –> according to Seton Watson was a brilliant organiser and man of broad ideas

“Russia was, and to a considerable extent still is, a hospitable colony for all industrially developed states” (Christian Duggan)

• Believed in the need for economic modernisation, although he was politically conservative
• Witte achieved rapid industrial expansion
• Coal production doubled and iron and steel increased seven-fold.
• 1900 - Russia replaced France as third global producer of iron
• 1900 - Russia was entirely self-sufficient in petroleum products and beginning to outsri the US

Question 5

What was the nature of Sergei Witte’s policies?

Answer 5

He encouraged close contacts between the states and business

Used gov propoganda to stimulate industrial development –> believed it was the governments role to do so

He hoped that private entrepeneurs would eventually take the lead

He believed captitalism only through autocratic system.

Wrote a book defending tsarism

Question 6

Perspectives on Witte’s Policies

Answer 6

Traditional view –> peasants suffered from Witte’s approach to industrialisation

• His policies depended on taking money from them
• HOWEVER
• Paul Gregory –> questioned the idea of a decline in rural living standards. Economy was growing marginally faster than the population was rising.
• He also suggested opportunities for additional paid work helped supplement peasant incomes
• Backed up by James Simms –>
• NEVERTHELESS –> life in rural Russia remained grim
• Average life expectancy males = 27.25 females = 29.38

Question 7

Perspectives of Vyshnegradsky

Answer 7

Positive sounding stats hid suffering caused to the peasants

• Exports of grain earned Gold + Foreign Currency needed to pay back FI
• However, they left many on the edge of starvation
• ‘91-‘92 –> famine –> 400 k deaths
• ‘86-‘92, price of rye bread Moscow increased 70%,
• Peasants faced a growth in indirect taxation while struggling to buy footds, the prices of highly import duties