Nicholas II Flashcards
Sergei Witte
minister of finance (n°1)
A combination of foreign loans and investment (especially from France), conversion to the gold standard, heavy taxation of the peasantry, and accelerated development of heavy industry and a trans-Siberian railroad.
Russian railroad network doubled from 1895-1905 in mileage, largely under his direction
1891-1903 Trans-Siberian line built.
Between 1890 and 1900 Russia’s coal, iron, steel, and oil production tripled.
Fired in April 1906 , because many of his investments had not paid off; he was politically under attack also because of the burden of his program on the peasants.
Peter Stolypin
Appointed prime minister in July 1906
Believed the best way to strengthen support for the regime was by careful reforms.
His appointment sparked new waves of terrorism. Off-shoots of the SRs killed 1400 people in 1906 and 3000 in 1907 (police officers and agents, government officials, and innocent bystanders). Stolypin’s own house was blown up, killing 32 persons including his son and daughter
Essentially a regime of martial law was imposed, with special regulations and trials of those accused of terrorism and rebellion being fast-tracked. Stolypin’s necktie’ Thousands were executed.
Elaborate surveillance, police infiltration of movements, and informers.
Agrarian Reform: needed to solve the peasant question to get more support.
Idea was to make stakeholders’ out of peasants, giving them individual title to their land (and weaken communal organisations). Wanted peasants to become rural middle class of prosperous and conservative land-owning farmers loyal to the tsar.
Peasants were permitted to have a passport, leave the mir, and take up a new trade without permission from local authorities.
When the Second Duma refused to endorse this, he dissolved it, and rammed it through the Third.
By 1916, 20% of peasant families had taken ownership of their own land. But there was conflict in rural communities between them and the communal administrative and social system.
Stolypin will be assassinated in September, 1911 at an opera performance in Kiev, attended by the Tsar.
Opposition
Socialist Revolutionary Party (SR) formed in 1901. Continued populist tradition of Russian radicalism. More agrarian.
The Social Democratic party (SD) technically formed in 1898, but effectively in 1903 : Marxist. Split into two groups:
Bol’sheviks (under Lenin): more `radical’ in developing a vanguard of professional revolutionaries trained to seize power.
Men’sheviks: More interested in broad support and democratic process.
Party of Constitutional Democrats (Cadets: KD) formed in October 1905.
A moderate liberal group with two wings:
Constitutional monarchists
Republicans
Associated mostly with intelligentsia, professionals
Russo-Japanese war
Russian and Japanese interests clashed in the area of Manchuria , with a weakened China between them.
Russia wanted Liaotung peninsula with Port Arthur at the tip (and railroad connection!), but it was under Japanese control.
Russia underestimated Japan. After the Russians rejected a partition of Manchuria, the Japanese attacked the Russian fleet in Port Arthur in Feb 04. Russia surrendered Port Arthur in December ‘04.
Losses for Russia were great, and it was very hard to fight at such a distance. Japan was not eager to continue the battle either, although the perception by all was that the Japanese had humbled the Russians. The war was certainly unpopular in Russia.
Course 1905 revolution
A demonstration of thousands, essentially peaceful and loyal, assembled in the Palace Square in St. Petersburg under the guidance of Father Gapon and displaying icons and portraits of the royal family to petition the tsar for redress of grievances, such as:
capitalist exploitation
bureaucratic lawlessness
8-hour work day
Right to strike
‘Normal’ wages
Constituent assembly
Civil liberties
Law-abiding government answerable to people’s representatives
Abolition of redemption payments
Transfer of land to those who worked it.
Tsars troops broke up demonstration by violence: officially 130 died, and hundreds were injured. Unofficial figures range 200-500 killed.
Of course, the Tsar was not there. He later greatly `regretted the violence’.
Result 1905 revolution
The year unfolded in intensifying demonstrations and strikes.
In October 20-30, there was a massive general strike throughout the country.
Set up of a Soviet of Workers’ Deputies (worker’s council) in St. Petersburg.
The tsar essentially capitulated and issued an October manifesto’, promising civil rights and elected political representation in the form of an assembly to be called the Duma.
October Manifesto authored by Sergei Witte.
This smart move divided the opposition.
Those who thought their goals had been achieved and at this point were willing to support the czar’s government were called Octoberists’. This was considered a right-centrist’ grouping
Radicals to the left said that this was only a first step.
Radicals to the right blamed everything on the national minorities, especially the Jews.
November 1905: authorities arrested the St. Petersburg Soviet, provoking more demonstrations and resistance.
In May 1906, the Fundamental Laws’ were promulgated:
The Tsar could dissolve the Duma at any time.
There would be an upper house called the State Council, whose members were nominated by the Czar
Tsar appointed all ministers in the government
Tsar could issue emergency degrees when these houses were not in session (and he could temporarily disband them for this purpose, of course)
The government determined the electoral protocol.
Duma
1st DUMA
Convened May 10th 1906
Largest group was the cadets (124 out of 497 people)
Duma wants to redistribute land, with compensation for landowners; government absolutely refuses.
In 2.5 months, tsar orders the Duma disbanded
2nd DUMA
Government redefines rules for election
Completely different group that is more polarised
Lasts longer: 90 days -> June 16
When Duma refuses to endorse Prime Minister Stolypin’s agrarian reform, he finds an excuse to dissolve the Duma on behalf of the Tsar.
3rd DUMA
Served its full term: 1907-1912
Largest party was Octoberists (moderate right group)
4th DUMA
Served its full term: 1912-1917
WW1
Had a devastating impact on Russia
Tsar had romantic ideas of leading the army so he spent most of his time on the Eastern Front.
Alexandra left in charge of running the country
Rasputin controlled Alexandra she was grateful to him but others didn’t understand and called him the ‘mad monk’.
Russia couldn’t compete against a modern German army
Food shortages due to lack of transport led to demonstrations
Tsar lost support of the army which had saved him in the previous revolution due to the suffering of the people
1917 Revolution
By January 1917, it was clear that Nicholas had lost control of the situation.
On February 27th, the Duma met for the first time after the Christmas recess. It met against a background of unrest in Petrograd. There was a general strike in the city. The city had no transport system. There was food stored in the city, but no way of moving it around. Food shortages and food queues brought even more people out onto the streets.
On March 12th, those in a bread queue, spurred on by the cold and hunger, charged a bakery. The police fired on them in an effort to restore order. It was to prove a very costly error for the government as around the city about 100,000 were on strike and on the streets. They quickly rallied to the support of those who had been fired on.
Nicholas ordered that the military should restore order but they joined the strikers and used their might to disarm the police. The city’s arsenal was opened and prisoners were freed from prisons that were later burned. What had been a small disturbance at a city baker’s, had turned into a full-scale rebellion – such was the anger in Petrograd.
On March 13th, more soldiers were ordered on to the streets to dispel the strikers. They saw the size of the crowds and returned to their barracks, thus disobeying their orders.
The Duma appointed a provisional committee, which was representative of all parties. Alexander Kerensky was appointed to take charge of troop dispositions in an effort to defeat any effort that might be made by the government to dissolve the Duma. Kerensky was an interesting choice as he was a member of the Petrograd Soviet and had links with many factory workers committees within Petrograd.
