Nicholas II Flashcards
Who was Nicholas II tutor ?
Pobedonostsev
What was Pobedonostsev’s belief which influenced Nicholas II ?
Democracy would bring a collapse to the Russian Empire
Did Nicholas have strong beliefs in Divine Right?
Yes
What was Nicholas II keen to maintain?
-Autocracy
-Orthodoxy
Who were the Black Hundreds?
Nationalist gangs devoted to the Tsar and orthodoxy and had a large involvement in crushing the 1905 revolution
Why was Russia more politicised after the 1891 great famine?
-Failure of tsarist govt to deal with the crisis and left it to the zemstva to deal with
-Led to greater mistrust in govt
-Led to belief in power of the people
Where were there large growth in reformist groups in the 1900?
Universities
How were these groups met ?
-Okhrana who exiled, imprisoned and military drafted some
What were the years 1902-1907 known as ?
Years of the Red Cockerell
-Community disturbances with lots of arson
Who was the tsars minister during the period of the red cockerell ?
Stolypin
How did Stolypin’s reaction to the disturbacnces aggravte them further?
-He arressted, exiled, and shot peasants
what was the number of strikers in 1904?
90,000
What happened in 1901 at the Obukhov factory in St Petersburg?
-Violent clashes between cossacks carrying whips and armed police
When was the Russo-Japenese war ?
1904
Why did Russia get involved in the Russo-japenese war?
Plehve advised the tsar to respond to a japense assault on the far east naval base of port arthur as he believed it would be a distraction from the tide of unrest at home.
What did Russia think the war would be like?
-short, swift and victorious
How many miles was Port Arthur from the capital?
6000
Why did the Tsar belive this would be an easy war?
As he underestimated the Japanese and overestimated the strength of his own force
What did the series of the defeats cause?
Shift away from anti-Japanese patriotism to opposition to the govt
What were the causes of the Russo-Japenese war?
Russia wanted warm water ports
Russia wanted to expand the border to build a railway line
When was the assasination of Plehve?
1904
Who replaced Plehve ?
Pyotr Mirsky
What was the Cause of the January 9th 1905 Bloody Sunday?
Strike at an Iron works in St Petersburg
What did people do about the strikes?
Father Gapon and his union among with other supporters decided to have a peaceful march.
How many troops were sents to disband the march?
12,000
How many people died due to Bloody Sunday?
-40 at Nava Gate
-100 across the city
By October 1905 why did the Russian empire look as if it were to collapse?
-Strikes and demonstrations in all major cities
-peasant uprisings
What was the St Petersburg Soviet?
A group pf radical revolutionaries inspired by the UNions of the Unions who were to set up a general strike
When was the St Petersburg soviet set to strike?
Moscow October 1905
What did Witte threaten would happen if the tsar didn’t take action?
that the country was on the verge of a revolution
When did the tsar agree to establish and publish a decree?
17th october 1905
What did the october manifesto promise?
-Grant civic freedom
-Establish a state Duma (allowing a voice to all people)
What were the Fundamental laws?
reinstated the tsars autocratic powers:
-veto legislation
-appoint and dismiss ministers
-Dissolve the duma as and when
When was the first Duma ?
May -July 1906
Who boycotted the first duma?
Bolsheviks, SR’s and Union of the Russion people
What political view was the First Duma?
radical-Liberal
Was the first duma highly critical of the tsar and its ministers?
Yes and therfore caused Wittes resignation
Who replaced Witte ?
Goremykin
When was the second Duma ?
February -June 1907
Did the second duma have an increase in extreme left views?
yes -Bolsheviks,Mensheviks, SR’s began to participate
Who was the leader of the second Duma ?
Stolypin
When was the third Duma?
November 1907- June 1912
How many times was the duma suspended in 1911?
2
Were there disputes in the Duma?
There were many disputes over stolypins proposals
When was Stolypin assassinated?
1911
Who was the prime Minister of the Fourt Duma?
Kokostsov
What were the long term causes of revolution?
-Autocracy
-Repression
-Westernisation
-Lack of political reform
What were mid term causes of revolution?
-Weak Tsar
-Opposition growth
What were the short term causes of revolution ?
-Russo-Japanese war
-Bloody Sunday
Who were the Social democratic workers party?
Mensheviks(matron)
Bolsheviks (Lenin)
Why did the Social democratic workers group split at the second congress in 1903?
-Lenin won the vote
-Lenin wanted absolute dedication to revolution only
What did the Social democratic workers party do?
-Formed the St Petersburg soviet
-Organised Illegal strikes
What influential pamphlet on revolution did Lenin write?
What is to be done/?
Which ideas did the SDWP favour?
Marxist
What method did the Social revolutionaries favour?
Terror
Who were the Sr’s led by?
Chernov
What ideas did the SR’s favour?
Populist (nationalisation and redistribution of land)
Who were the SR’s responsible for assasinating ?
-Plehve
-Grand Duke Sergei
-Stolypin
Who took strong leadership over the liberals?
the nobility(Lvov)
which illegal unions did the liberals have control over ?
Union of Unions
Who did the liberals appeal to?
The growing middle class
Why could tsarist govt not ignore the liberals?
The wide unrest spreading through russia surrounding issues such as Russo-japanese war and Bloody sunday
Who was directly responsible for the revolutionary movement and the october manifesto?
the liberals
Where did the liberals have a wide following?
Universities and among students - often popular disturbances eg the 1901 St petersburg troubles
Which groups were liberal?
Trudoviks and Kadets
When were the Kadets formed and what were they a product of?
They were formed 1905 and a product of the liberal movement
What were the fundamental laws?
-Tsar could appoint and dismiss ministers
-Tsar could veto legislation
What did the fundamental laws do ?
Reasserted his autocratic power and that he had the power to dissolve the Duma if he wished
Who helped persuade the tsar to pass the October manifesto?
Witte
Under to October manifesto which group created new laws?
The council of ministers
Which Duma was dominated by Cadets and Socialist Revolutionaries?
The first duma
Why was the first duma dissolved?
It was too revolutionary and passed a vote of “no confidence” in Goremykin
In the elections for which Duma were the landowners given more voting powers?
The third Duma
What type of reform was Pyotr Stolypin most successful with in the third Duma?
Land reforms
What was the Great Spurt?
the economic growth in Russia under Nicholas II
Who was Sergei Witte ?
Finance Minister of imperial Russia until 1903
Who was Count Vladimir Kokovstov?
The finance minister of Imperial Russia from 1903 until 1914
What are the reasons that suggest that Russia had a strong economy in 1914?
-State Revenue doubled from 1908 to 1914 (2billion roubles to 4billion)
-50% growth in national income
-exports exceeded imports
-By 1910 the state-owned 70% of Russia’s railways and by 1905 there were 59,616km of track - This all created demand for Iron, Steel and coal.
-Between 1894 and 1913 there was an annual growth of 8%
What are the reasons that argue that Russia did not have a strong economy in 1914?
-Compared to other countries in the West foreign trade was low (£190million compared with Britain £1223million)
-Comparative growth was 50% whereas Italys was 121%
What were Stolypins agricultural reforms?
Reduce the power of the Mirs which was done through:
-Ending redemption payments
- Peasant ownership of land
- Consolidate strips of land
- Freedom to leave the village
Encourage enterprise which was done through:
-Reduced powers of Land captains
- New Peasant Landbank was set up
- Financial assistance to buy land
-Allowed to migrate to Siberia
How did the Role of women change between 1894 and 1914?
-More factory work was made available to women which meant women could make an income and an income meant freedom
-The 1905 Russian Congress of women was set up
How did the Role of women continue between 1894 and 1914?
-The patriarchal society and expectations
-Values and concepts of women remained
How did the Role of education change between 1894 and 1914?
-Uni students grew to 96,000 in 1914 of which 45% were women
-Govt spending grew to over 82million roubles
-The growth in educated meant there was a movement away from feudalistic life
How did the Role of education continue between 1894 and 1914?
-Urban areas had better access to education
-Secondary education remained elitist
what was the Middle class like between 1894 and 1914?
-Still was small (only made up 1.8% of the population)
-was made up of civil servants, doctors, lawyers and merchants
-The number grew through industrialisation in both number and wealth
-They were educated with a wider view of the world so more open to new ideas and reform
How did the Tercentenary of 1913 impact society?
-Factories were closed
-the Duma changed to a consultative body
What was the aim of the 1913 tercentenary?
-Display propaganda in support of autocracy
-Maintain patriarchal support
What was the significance of the 1913 tercentenary?
-Showed the tsar wasn’t going anywhere even after the revolution
-Showed tsarist strength
what was the Working class like between 1894 and 1914?
-Was 4% of the population
-they had poor wages and poor working conditions
-there was insufficient housing and overcrowding (in 1904 16 people lived in each flat)
What were the new benefits of Urban life for factory workers?
-There was an 85% rise in primary education from 1905-1914
-Employment under age 12 and women in labour mines was banned in 1892
-In 1897 labour hours were reduced to 11 1/2
-Political activism rose
What were the disadvantages of Urban life for factory workers?
-Workers lived in poor conditions
-40% of houses in St Petersburg had no running water or sewage system
-30,000 inhabitants died of cholera in 1908-1909
-Women made up around 20% of the workforce yet had the wage of the lowest standard
-Goldfields strike 1912 where 270 were killed
What were the developments in working and living conditions in the countryside?
-Minority migrated to Siberia > Govt schemes from 1896 to sponsor this > Trans-Siberian allowed this
How can the working and living conditions in the countryside be seen to not have developed by 1914?
-90% of the land was still strip-farmed
-widespread poverty
-Gap between the richest and poorest sectors widened > Kulacks with help from peasant banks often bought out their impoverished neighbours
-Only 3.5million from a peasant population of 97million were able to take advantage of this
-60% illiteracy by 1914
In 1895 when the Zemsto advised the Tsar to set up an advisory body what did Nicholas II say?
said the request was a ‘senseless dream’
Who took charge of the Liberal movement?
-The Beseda Symposium > was set up in 1899 by Radical liberals
What was the Beseda Symposium?
-Set up in 1899 by Radical liberals after the Tsar’s dismissal of their advice
-Wide range of support from > Public figures, Legal and teaching professions
When was the Union of Liberation founded and who ran it?
-1903
-Pyotr Struve
What happened under the Union of Liberation in 1904?
-Grand meeting > reps of zemstva and other professional societies
-Declared their intention for a constitutional monarchy
How many political assassinations were carried out by the SRs between 1901-1905?
2000
When did Marxist theory take off and why did it begin to take off?
-1890s
-Industrial take off
What groups were attracted by Marxism?
when did the Social Democratic Workers Party (SD) emerge?
1898
When was the First Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Worker’s party?
1898
When did the second congress of the Russian Social Democratic Worker’s party?
-Commenced in Brussels
-Moved to Shoreditch London
-Split of the Menshevik and Bolshevik party
Who led the Mensheviks?
-Martov
Who led the Bolsheviks?
-Lenin
How many Tarde unions were closed down and denied registration between 1906 and 1910?
-497 closed down
-604 denied
What happened in 1907?
-Economic depression and rise in unemployment
What happened in lena Goldfields 1912?
-Shooting of an unarmed demonstrator
What % of enterprises experienced a strike in 1914?
12%
Why were the SD and SR weakened after 1905?
-Exile of their leaders
