Fundamentals of Tsarist Russia Flashcards
What was ‘The Reaction’?
The period of increased oppression under Tsar Alexander III, as a result of the assassination of Alexander II
What was the population of Russia by 1914?
164 million
What percentage of the population were peasant farmers?
Over 80%
What was the Great Spurt?
A period of rapid industrial development, which included massive rural to urban migration
What was a key problem caused by mass rural-urban migration?
This new lower urban workers class lived in inadequate conditions, which led to resentment of the Tsar
Was Russia completely autocratic?
Yes, there was no parliament to block or control the actions of the Tsar, and any other bodies were purely advisory
What are the 3 key principles of the Tsarist regime?
Autocracy, Orthodoxy and Nationality
What does the principle of autocracy mean the Tsars reject?
They fundamentally rejected that their power relied on the consent of the people
How was the key principle of Orthodoxy used to control the people?
The Russian Orthodox strongly believed in the Divine Right of Kings, therefore influenced and encouraged the Russian people to live under autocracy without complaint
What was described as ‘the Opium of the People’ and why?
Karl Marx described religion as the Opium of the people as they ignored and forgot their terrible lives under the name of religion
What is the proletariat?
The lower working classes and peasants
What is the bourgeoisie?
The middle and upper classes
What is the order of societies in Marxism?
Primitive communism Feudalism Capitalism Socialism Communism
What were the main peaceful efforts of the populists and how successful was it?
To spread their socialist ideas to the peasantry- many populists, particularly students and young people, moved to the countryside to try and convince peasants of their revolutionary potential. They failed to gain any strong response
Who made up the People’s Will?
Populists, who following the failure to bring about change through peaceful means, turned to violence
What was the main accomplishments of the People’s Will?
- Assassination of Alexander II
- Birthed the SR party
- Helped create a revolutionary tradition
Who primarily made up the liberals?
Middle class intelligentsia, primarily centred in major cities like Moscow
What were the main methods of the liberals?
Peaceful- use of political channels (e.g. zemstva), newspapers, meetings etc
What is the plural of zemstvo?
Zemstva
What idea were the SDs mainly based around?
Marxism
What did the Bolsheviks believe?
That the party operate under centralised leadership by a small group of professional intellectuals, and they would lead the workers to and through revolution
What did the Mensheviks believe?
That the party should accept all those who wished to join, and allow all members to have a say in policy making. They wanted revolution to occur naturally, following the Marxist line
Who were the SRs?
A loose organisation, encompassing a wide range of groups with varying beliefs. It was never well coordinated, and there was a divide between more radical and more moderate party members.
