individuals & groups Flashcards
1
Q
Tsar Nicholas II
A
- last Tsar of Russia (1894-1917)
- weak/indecisive ruler
- resisted political reforms
- married the Tsarina Alexandra
- had 5 children
- Tsarevich Alexei (youngest male/heir) had hemophilia (blood condition)
2
Q
Tsarina Alexandra
A
- wife of Tsar Nicholas II
- she was German
- unpopular among Russians
- resisted political reforms
3
Q
Pyotr Stolypin
A
- Russian prime minister (1906-1911)
- promoted private land ownership for peasants
- employed martial law & executions
- assassinated in 1911
4
Q
Grigori Rasputin
A
- known for his depravity (wickedness)
- peasant turned pilgrim
- Tsar + Tsarina were his puppets (he was their advisor)
- lessed Tsarevichs’ symptoms (rumoured “healing powers”
- rumoured to have inappropriate relationship with Alexandra
- seen as a symbol of “decay” by Russian society
5
Q
Vladimir Lenin
A
- leader of Bolsheviks
- wanted a communist state
- key individual in February Revolution (1917)
- exiled for a decade (returned 1917)
6
Q
Leon Trotsky
A
- key figure in 1905 Revolution > leader of St Petersburg Soviet (workers’ council)
- switched from MEnsheviks to Bolsheviks
- revolutionary leader & ally of Lenin in the Bolshevik party
7
Q
Bureaucracy (Political Structure)
A
- civil service
- has the power & control over everyday life
- implemented the Tsar’s policies but plagued by corruption
8
Q
Provincial Government (Political Structure)
A
- appointed by the Tsar > report directly to him
- “zemstvos” are electected councils
9
Q
Russian Orthodox Church (Political Structure)
A
- religion of Russian Empire
- grants Tsar the divine right to rule (political authority from God)
10
Q
Police (Political Structure)
A
> OKHRANA
- Tsar’s secret police
- monitored enemies + dealt with them
> STANDARD POLICE FORCE
- general law & order
- police are smaler in number
- they employ severe tactics to manage population
11
Q
Army (Political Structure)
A
- peasants conscripted
- conscription used as a form of punishment for law breakers
12
Q
Provisional Government
A
- made up of all older Duma members
- no military lacking
13
Q
Petrograd Soviets
A
- not official, but controlled workers & military
- soldiers mutinty to join & support soviets
- “all power to the soviets”
