Industrialisation under Alex III Flashcards
Who were the Ministers of finance under Alexander III?
Bunge
Vyshnegradski
Witte
What was Bunge’s aim?
to lighten the tax burden on peasants
Who was Bunge?
Alexander III’s first Minister
he was quite liberal and forward thinking
When was Bunge the minister of finance?
1881-87
What were Bunge’s policies?
abolished the salt tax in 1881 and poll tax in 1886 (big wins for peasants)
set up peasant land banks so they can buy land (more efficient + increase peasant finances)
moved towards greater state ownership of railways
When was the salt tax abolished?
in 1881
this reduced redemption payments for serfs
under Bunge / Alex III
When was the Poll tax abolished?
in 1886
under Bunge / Alex III
What were the successes of Bunge?
(2)
his policies were big wins for peasants
his move towards greater state ownership of the railways led to 69% of the system being under public control by 1911 (less corruption)
By 1911, how much of the railway system was under public control?
69%
What were the FAILURES of Bunge?
(3)
he ended up with lots of deficit in the economy
his time was cut short
Alex III blamed Bunge for a dramatic fall in the value of the rouble in the mid 1880s + replaced him with Vyshnegradski
Who was Vyshnegradski?
Alex III’s second Minister of finance
he was removed once the famine happened in 1891
When was Vyshnegradski the minister of finance?
1887-92
What were Vyshnegradski’s aims?
tries to sort the rouble out
getting the economy back into shape
tougher on taxation
What were Vyshnegradski’s policies?
(4)
balanced the gov’s budget through more efficient utilisation of income from taxes, railways etc
continued to invest in railways
Medele’ve tariff 1981 - raised gov’s revenue
brutal policies - exported large amounts of grain even when there was the prospect of domestic shortage + starvation - led to famine
What were the successes of Vyshnegradski?
(2)
raised significant income through Medele’ve tariff + exploiting large quantities of grain
balanced the gov budget while also making a surplus of income
What were the failures of Vyshnegradski?
(4)
brutal policies “we may not eat but we willexport’ –> grain exports raised by 18%, led to 1891 famine, 350,000 died
pace + extent was limited
forced to give way to Witte
increased taxes (impact on population)
What was the Medele’ve tariff?
1891
a 700 page book of tariffs (taxes) to place on all imported goods
metal industry benefited the most
When was Witte the Minister of finance?
1892-1903
What was different about Witte?
(3)
his appointment marked a distinct break from the past
he was the first one to show total commitment to industrialisation at the expense of agriculture (substitution policy)
claimed “all thinking Russia was against me” - emphasises how radical he thought his approach was
What was Witte’s motivation?
to “save Russia through rapid and forceful industrialisation”
to compete with other industrial nations
improve the military
What were Witte’s policies?
(6)
took out foreign loans, raised taxes + interest rates to boost available capital for investment in industry
placed the rouble on the gold standard in 1897
most investment went on heavy industry + railways
moved away from private enterprise , further industrialisation was to be planned mainly by the state
Tarrif protection
railway development
What was tariff protection?
a tax on imported goods to help the home market and protect employment
What was the effect of Witte’s policies?
the Great Spurt
What were the successes of Witte?
(under Alex III)
coal production doubled, iron + steel production increased sevenfold
Russia had finally started to “catch up with the West”
“Gilded Age”
Income earned from industry shot up
Russia’s average annual growth rate was higher than that of any other industrial country by the 1890s
the amount of railway opened increased
How had Russia finally started to “catch up with the West” ?
France had been ousted into 4th place in world iron production
What statistics show that under Witte, the income earned from industry shot up?
income earned from industry shot up from 42 million roubles in 1893 to 161 million roubles by 1897
What was the “Gilded Age”?
Russia was now operating as a Capitalist economy, moving goods to create wealth and power
What were the failures of Witte?
some historians have argued that his policies have been exaggerated
although the railway expanded, it was costly + not as impressive as other parts of Europe
criticised for his reliance on foreign capital - dangerous, could be recalled at any time
reliance on foreign technological expertise stunted the emergence of home-grown talent
paid little attention to agriculture, caused rural discontent + distrust -> one of the main reasons for his downfall in 1903
most railway investment was made in the Trans-Siberian line - not fully completed + poorly constructed
Why do some historians argue that Witte’s policies have been exaggerated?
he focused on the development of heavy industry and neglected other parts of the industrial sector (eg textiles)
shortsighted, meant demand for metals came from other industries eg cotton
What expansion to the railway track occurred under Witte?
(success)
Railway track increased from 23.6 thousand km in 1881 to 56.4 thousand km by 1901 (km 000s) more than any other country
What evidence suggests that the railway under Witte was not as impressive as other parts of Europe?
by 1914, Russia had 11 times fewer miles of track than Germany
What was Alexander III’s motivation?
modernisation
military success
state control
improve budget
