N11 Flashcards
Nicholas II problems preventing his success
- Unprepared to be tsar , not ready
- Wife seen as arrogant/uncaring german ( was shy,withdrew) = hated, criticised for having no son
- Working class = very poor, radicals
- War – Japan and russia- Nicholas starts it,confiden/arrogant,easy victory -waste of russias resources and humiliating defeat – catalyst for other problems=pressure
- 1904,male heir BUT has haemophilia
- Dream of close/loving family – adoring father,loving husband, family man
- Protests-freedom of speech,workers rights,demand to see tsar guards
- attack, 1000 dead – bloody Sunday Jan 1905 – triggered revolution
Descriptions of Nicholas
-no confident, panicky,unfit for job
-Educated man but not practical suited
-caring man, idolised as father figure, good relationship with his people
- traditional, old-fashioned
-non-confrontatoinal
-admires his father
Nicholas as a ruler
- overwhelmed to live up to fathers rep
- strong religious convictions
- narrowminded and prejudiced , anti-semitic
- had a bad start – Khodynka may 1896 = 1400 killed, 600 injured in a crush for free food/beer – when to ball that evening – careless
- gained loyalty and respect but lacked training and experience
- indecisive ,poor leadership
- strong principle of autocracy
The tsarina
Had strong dislike for court, was perceives as cold and alouf, regarded as an outsider,disliked by Russians. Strongwilled and obstinate, believed tsar appointed by god, adamant he should keep his powers,not share them. Great and not always helpful influence on him.
The famine 1891-92 = !
just before Nicholas came to the throne, draught had caused starvation and famine. Cholera,typhus struck = half mill killed. Gov did nothing, public had to help. Zemstva was first to organise, others joined. People remember gov didn’t help, zemstvo did!!
Witte’s Great Spurt =
rapid increase in industry/production, peasants flood to town for work = urbanised, then radicalised
Urban number growth =
become militant, resented working conditions, treatment = massive strikes. 30000 spinners and weavers 1896+7 = arrival of proletariat
Emergence of new rev groups –
‘social democrats’ = workers encouraged to strike action
1899- 100000 workers involved in peak strike
Students
= protest afainst gov restrictions on uni = huge dmeonstrations
In 1891 – police beat students with whips, arrested leaders. Middle classes horrified = students raicalised. Thousands joined socialist revolutionaries
International economic downturn after 1900
= deep depression caused in russia. Falling wages and unemployment workers. = peasnats revolts were already angry due to tax and high rents
First wave of peasant revolt =
1902, landlord withdrew land needed to feed a family . revolts in 1902 & 1903. Growing internal disorder . govs answer = repression
Zubatov programme = police supervised trade unions
= 1901, 3 unions in Moscow, to connive workers lives could be improved within the system. Submitted demand to employers, pressured into making concessions. Spread rapidly south and west. Gov feared – harm economy and politicise workers . 1903 = strike by unions turned into general strike, zubatov was dismissed.
Marxism
Stage 1 =
Primitive communism, no gov, no classes, few commodities
marxism
Stage 2 =
feudalism, form of monarchy usually absolute, dominant aristocracy, mass population=peasantry, middle class
Growth of trade,middle class enlarges eventually seeking power to reshape society and gov to give freedom and develop talents further
=
BOURGEOIS REV
marxism
Stage 3 =
capitalism, parl democracy, defending ‘bourgeois ‘ principles, dominant middle class social group, rev class=proletariat. Industry expands dramatically, proletariat enlarged. Capitalism = great wealth and material goods but unfairly allocated and workers exploited
=SOCIALIST REV
marxism
Stage 4=
socialism, workers control state, dictator ship of proletariat. As threat diminisges,state=less powerful
Society becoming more equal,class system breaks down. Wealth,goods fairly distributed
=
GRADUAL TRANSITION
marxism
Stage 5 =
communism, no state, no classes, all equal
Bolsheviks =
aim of communist russia,radical ideas of Marxism, instigate proletariat revolution, occur as quickly as possible . limited to small group of dedicated revolutionaries
