Nicholas II (1894-1917) Flashcards
When did Nicholas come into power?
1894
What was Nicholas’ personality?
Small, natural reserved, indecisive, not a practical man
Exclaimed ‘what is going to happen to me and to all of Russia’
Nationalist gangs devoted to the ‘Tsar, Church and Motherland’ > played a major role in crushing the 1905 revolution
The Black Hundreds
Give an example of outburst in Russian universities
In 1901, force was used against a crowd of students in St Petersburg killing thirteen, and in the aftermath of the incident, 1500 students were imprisoned
What was the nickname of the mass disturbances and arson attacks in rural communities from 1902 to 1907>
The years of the red cockerel
What kind of action did the peasants take in the rural area’s?
Set fire to landlords’ barns, destroying grain, seized woodland and physically attacked landlords
What was the result of the ‘years of the red cockerel’?
Stolypin dealt with the disturbances. Peasants were arrested and exiled, or shot in their thousands
How many strikes took place in the year 1904?
90,000
Give an example of an industrial strike that escalated in the towns?
In 1901, the Obukhov factory in St Petersburg so violent clashes between armed police and Cossacks
What union was formed in 1904 by Father Gregorii Gapon and how many members did it have?
The Assembly of St Petersburg Factory Workers and it had 8000 members
When was the Russo-Japanese war?
1904
When was Plehve assassinated?
1904
What was the Russo-Japanese war unpopular?
It was announced it was going to be a ‘short swift victorious war’ > ended in defeat and caused anti-Japanese patriotism
When was Blood Sunday?
9th January 1905
What triggered the 1905 revolution?
A strike began at Putilov iron Works in St Petersburg, led by Father Gapon and soo involved 150,000 workers
What was the result of Blood Sunday?
12,000 troops were used to break up the demonstration leaving 150 dead and thousands wounded
How many people died on Blood Sunday?
150 people
What was the October Manifesto in 1905?
- Established a State Duma so allowing a voice to all classes of the population and it gave them power to approve laws
What was the initial reaction to the October Manifesto?
It was greeted with celebrations on the streets of St. Petersburg and the pre-organized General Strike was called off
How many St Petersburg Soviets are arrested on the 3rd December 1905?
250 members including Trotsky
What other measures does Nicholas II take in order to control opposition and unrest?
- Peasant redemption payments are halved
2. Press censorship end
What was the purpose of the Fundamental Laws issued by Nicholas II in 1906 and what powers did it give him?
It was issued to reassert his power. The tsar also claimed the right to:
- to veto legislation
- dissolve the duma
- to appoint and dismiss government ministers
- to control the Orthodox Church
- to control the military and declare war
The First Duma…(April-June 1906)
- Boycotted by the Bolsheviks, SR’s and extreme rights
- Requested radical reforms which were all rejected
The Second Duma…(Feb-June 1907)
- More left-wing and opposed the government
- Refusal to support Stolypin’s agricultural reforms
- Dissolved due to attack on the army
The Third Duma…(Nov 1907-June 19120
- Agreed to most government reforms
- Set up schools for poor children
- National Insurance for workers
The Fourth Duma…(Nov 1912-August 1914)
- Voiced criticisms to the Tsar
- It was blind of the Tsar to not consider the power of the Duma as this may have saved the Tsarist regime
When was Stolypin assassinated?
1911
What did Stolypin establish in 1906 that dealt with crimes deemed to be political in intent?
Court Martials led by senior military officers
How many people were convicted and execute between 1906-1909 under the Court Martials?
3000 people
Stolypin’s intolerance and ruthlessness became known as…
Stolypin’s Neck Tie
What had opposition weakened by 1914?
- Internal quarrels within the opposition groups
- Increased police activity
- Revival of patriotism
What major figure caused the Royal Families reputation to be damaged?
Rasputin
Who was the Minister of Finance under Nicholas II?
Sergei Witte
What main changes did Witte undergo for the economy?
- Development of the Trans-Siberian railway
- ‘The Great Spurt’ > boom in ‘heavy’ industries
- Economic modernization > State Capitalism
- Heavy taxation and tariffs > caused prices to rise
- Russia was placed on the Gold Standard to encourage international investment
How much did coal output increase in 1900?
671 million puds
What was the State Capital used for?
Fund public works, develop Russia’s infrastructure (railways, telegraph lines) as well as develop mines, oilfields and forests for timber
By early 1900’s , what % of the railways was state controlled?
70%
What was Nicholas II’s main aim to improve industry?
For rearmament in preparation for war
How did the development aid Russia’s economy?
Allowed more extensive exploitation of Russia’s raw materials and reinforced the export drive of grain
By 1913, Russia’s railway network was second largest in the world with……………………kilometers
62,200 km
Pro’s and con’s of the Trans-Siberian railway?
+ brought economic benefits (e.g. opened up Western Siberia for emigration and farming)
- it promised more than it delivered and by 1914 was not fully completed
Between 1908-1913 - aka. ‘the Great Spurt’ - what was the % industrial growth rate per year?
8.5% per year
By 1914, Russia was the………………………..largest industrial power in the world
Fifth (5th)
Overall conditions in the factories?
Working conditions were poor, over-crowding due to high industrialization and there was a lack of modern machinery meaning it was very labour intensive
Developments in agriculture?
- Traditional farming methods continued (e.g. medieval rotation systems and wooden ploughs)
- Railway proved insufficient to alleviate the pressure of a growing population
- However, Stolypin sought more ‘kulaks’
How did Stolypin describe the kulaks? and why?
‘Sturdy and Strong’
To win their loyalty to tsardom and to aid him to develop thee economy by improving agriculture
What was the major issue with Stolypin’s proposed agricultural reforms?
He claimed that he needed 20 years of peace for his reforms to have effect > the impossible as the coming of war prevented this
What was the value of grain production in 1914?
90 million
Failures of Stolypin’s reforms
- By 1914, only 10% of land had been transferred from communal to private ownership
- In 1914, 90% of peasant holdings were still in traditional strips, with conservative peasants reluctant to give up their traditional practices and the security that the ‘Mir’ provided them
- Landowners were often reluctant to give up land
- Fewer than 1% achieved ‘kulak’ status
By 1913, how many factory workers were in Russia?
6 million
What had the Empire’s Urban population risen to from 1867 to 1917?
7 million in 1867
28 million in 1917
What was the Empire’s Urban population in 1917?
28 million
What were the facilities like in the cities?
Inadequate, unhygienic, workers had to eat in canteens and wash in communal bathhouses
In St Petersburg at the turn of the century, what % of houses had no running water or sewage system?
40%
How many workers died of cholera in 1908-09?
30,000
When was the industrial depression and how was it caused?
1900-08
The wages of workers were failing to keep pace with inflation and the booming economy
There was an……….% rise in primary school provisions between 1905 and 1914
85%
However only ……..% of children were in full-time education by 1914
55%
Give an example of the Governments only way of dealing with strikes/opposition - repression
Siberia, 1912 -Lena Goldfields workers went on strike for better wages and conditions and troops were went in > 270 workers killed and 250 injured
How many workers were killed in the ‘Lena Goldfields Massacre’ in 1912?
270 workers
Did conditions for peasants in the countryside improve?
No - widespread rural poverty, many were forced to leave their farms and join the bands of migrant laborers looking for either seasonal farming work or industrial employment
How many peasants migrated to Siberia in Stolypin’s attempt to improve agriculture?
3.5 million peasants - out of the 9 million
What % of illiteracy was around in 1914?
60%
Position of the nobility under NII?
- Knock-on effect from the Emancipation Edict in 1861
- Many had thrived on favorable land arrangements
- Many had strong military connections
- High influence over the zemstva
- Retained much of their previous wealth and status
Position of the middle class under NII?
- Increased number of businesses and professional men
- Some social mobility as nobles’ sons chose to join the business world or hard-working peasants rose up
- Found themselves on the councils of the zemstva and the state dumas
Position of the workers and peasantry under NII?
- Poor conditions, disease and famine caused an increase in ‘political activism’
How did women benefit under NII reign?
Political and economic development brought some new opportunities for women including factory work, mainly on the evenings. Also more educational opportunities and in December 1908, the First All-Russian Congress of Women campaigned for a female franchise
What was the government expenditure on primary education in 1914?
82 million roubles
Cultural changes under NII?
- ‘silver age’ of Russian culture
- Censorship was relaxed allowing more publications of books, newspapers and articles
- Culture had diversified beyond the intelligentsia
- Domination of poets and classic literature
Between 1860 and 1914, by how much did the number of university students grow?
5000 to 69,000
What caused an outpour of patriotism and support for the tsar when war was announced in 1914?
Traditionalism - soldiers carried icons of Nicholas as they marched to the front and all social groups rallied in defence of the Russian Motherland
What major events/issues caused Liberal opposition?
- The Great Famine 1991-92
- Reduction of zemstva powers
- Poor educational reforms
- Industrial depression fro 1900-08
Who was Prince Lvov?
Wealthy landowner and liberal Kadet leader > served in the first Duma
What were the tactics of the Social Revolutionaries?
They tried to stir up discontent in the countryside nd strikes in towns, similarly to the Populist movement, and disrupt government through political assassinations.
^ played an active role in the 1905 Revolution
Between 1901 and 1905, how many assassinations did SR’s carry out?
2000 - including Plehve
When was the split in the Social Democrats? and what groups did they split into?
1904
Mensheviks > Trotsky
Bolsheviks > Lenin
What were the tactics/aims of the Mensheviks?
- Believed that revolution had to come from the workers themselves. They had alliances with other bourgeois liberal parties
What were the tactics/aims of the Bolsheviks?
- Believed in class struggle and that revolution would occur by aiding and educating the workers. Described as a ‘democratic centralism’
How did the government react to fear of independent working-class strike activity?
497 trade unions were closed down and a further 604 were denied registration between 1906 and 1910
What strike activity a major threat to autocracy before 1914?
No, pre-war strike movement was less than it seemed.
Geographically limited, only 12% of enterprises experienced a strike and even the General Strike in July 1914 only brought out a quarter of the manufacturing labour force
What was the initial spirit of national solidarity damped?
Battle of Tannenburg left 300,000 dead or wounded and many were captured prisoner > it was clear it would not be a clear victory
Why did the liberal zemstva oppose the ‘military zones’ set up by the government to restrict all civilian authority?
They regarded the government as insensitive to the needs of the people and believed civilians had a major part to play in running the war
When and who killed Rasputin?
1916 and a group of nobilities loyal to the Tsar
What equipment issues affected the war?
By Christmas 1914, there was already a serious shortage of munitions.
In 1914, the infantry had only two rifles for every three soldiers
There was a lack of suitable clothing/footwear
Spending on the war rose from………………… in 1914 to ………………….by 1918
1,500 million roubles
14,500 million roubles
What did the increase need for grain to the military cause some farmers to do?
Hoarded what grain and foodstuffs they produced
Why had the railways been taken over?
To transport men and goods to the frontline causing acute food and fuel shortages.
What was the impact of increased numbers of workers in essential war industries?
Armament manufacture improved in 1916 - rifle production doubled and heavy artillery quadrupled
When did unemployment increase in urban area’s?
As non-essential industries were closed down and lock-outs and strikes crippled what little industry survived
What was the % rise of living?
300%
In January 1917, how many workers went on strike in Moscow and Petrograd?
Moscow > 30,000
Petrograd > 145,000
Why did the revolution in 1917 cause the collapse of the Tsarist Regime?
- Nicholas no longer had the support of the military or the nobility
- Impact of war caused uncontrollable situations
- Opposition groups were more united
