Modernisation 1880-1914 Flashcards
How did Russia develop industry?
Witte’s industrial strategy
1)State-sponsored development of heavy industry
2)Foreign loans, investment and expertise
3)High tariffs on foreign industrial goods
4)Strong rouble, adoption of the gold standard
5)Raised taxation rates
6)Exports of grain
How did Witte introduce State-sponsored development of heavy industry?
-Russia was launched into an age of heavy industry
-He used the railway to springboard this
-They would link up the vast spaces and the people, farms and factories of the empire
-By the end of the 1890s, nearly 60% of all iron and steel was consumed by the railways
-Trans-Siberia railway across Russia involved 25 factories producing 39 million roubles worth of rails
To achieve this, Witte invested millions of roubles of state money directly into the railway and heavy industry
–By 1899 the state brought almost 2/3 of all metallurgical production and controlled 70% of the railways
How did Witte introduce foreign loans, investment and expertise?
-Negotiated huge loans, particularly from the French
-By 1900 1/3 of the capital in these companies had been invested by foreigners
-Encouraged more foreign companies to contribute their commercial technological expertise
-Critics accused him of creating a dangerous dependence on foreigners
How Witte’s high tariffs on foreign industrial goods benefit Russia?
Meant companies in Russia bought home produce iron, steel and other products and less money flowed out of Russia
How did Wittes introduction of the gold standard benefit Russia?
It provided security for foreign investors
How did Witte’s raised taxation rates benefit Russia?
-Indirect taxes were raised on everyday items such as Kerosene, matches and vodka
-This hit peasants hard and they had to sell more grain to pay taxes
-Allowed Witte to increase grain exports to sell abroad
How did Wittes exports of grain help Russia?
Grain exports meant Russia could earn more foreign currency to pay the high interest charged on foreign loans
Did Witte’s strategy work?
-The production of iron and steel had risen from 9 to 76 million poods a year
-Coal output tripled
-The production of cotton cloth increased by 2/3
-Russia was now a major world producer of iron, steel and oil
-Russia entered a deep depression which affected all areas of the economy
What were the criticisms of Witte’s policy?
-The interest rates to service foreign debt were very high and a big drain on resources
-Witte neglected agriculture
-The rapid industrialisation meant that working and living conditions for workers were poor
-Failed to develop a market in consumer goods
What were the new methods and approaches in agriculture?
-Some communes started to use different crop rotations, new varieties of crops, fertilisers, iron instead of wooden ploughs and other new methods
-Production of potatoes grew by 43% between 1880 and 1913
-Increasing urbanisation and improved transport als affected areas near large cities and towns such as Odessa (here peasants were growing fruit and vegetables, or supplying dairy products for the market)
What were Stolypin’s agrarian reforms?
-The 1891-92 famine prompted the government to look more closely at agriculture and its lack of progress
Peter Stolypin who became minister in 1906, believed that peasant prosperity was the key to political stability and thought his land reforms would transform Russia into a stable country
The reforms he carried out from 1906 to 1911 aimed to
-Allow peasants to leave the Mir
-Reduce the power of the Mir
-Redistribute the land of some nobles
-Help go ahed peasants buy land
What were the consequences of Stolypin’s reforms?
-The response from the peasantry was mixed (Some relished the chance to escape from the Mir, while others saw those who left as traitors)
-By 1914, Russia had become the largest cereal exporter in the world
-Investment in agricultural machinery rose at an annual rate of 9% between 1891 and 1913
-20 million peasant households, most of whom were organised in rural communes, many of whom used old fashioned methods of farming
How did society change between 1880-1914
-The total number of inhabitants of the Russian Empire grew from 74 million in 1858 to 128 million in 1897 to 178 million in 1914 (around 80% were peasants)
-Between 1863 and 1914 the population of St Petersburg had quadrupled to 2.2 million
-Moscow had more than 1.7 million inhabitants by 1914
How did society change for the workers between 1880-1914?
-By 1900 the Workers numbered 3 million (this was only 2.5% of the total population)
What were the working and living conditions like between 1880-1914?
Working
-Many workers were employed in large factories containing thousands of workers
-Normally 11-hour days in a harsh environment
-Employment was not stable or secure
Living
-Cities had poor sanitisation and were generally unhealthy
-1/3 of the deaths in St Petersburg were caused by infectious diseases in 1911
