Nicholas II and the Challenge to Autocracy Flashcards
What years was Nicholas II Tsar of Russia?
1894-1917
How many people were trampled to death at Nicholas II coronation?
1400
What did the Great Famine mean for the beginning of Nicholas II’s rule?
It was a time of serious unrest: opposition groups at an all time high.
Where did the nickname, ‘The years of the red cockerel’ come from?
The many instances of arson and uprising in the countryside
Who was the Tsar’s minister at the beginning of his reign?
Pyotr Stolypin
Where did the term, ‘Stolypin’s necktie’ come from?
Pyotr Stolypin dealt with the disturbances: peasants were flogged, arrested & exiled or shot in their thousands. The gallows were in excessive use.
How many industrial strikes were there in 1894?
17,000
How many industrial strikes were there in 1904?
90,000
Why was Nicholas encouraged to respond to the Japanese assault that would become the Russo-Japanese War?
A short, swift victorious war would detract from the unrest at home.
What was the extent of Russia’s failure in the Russo-Japanese war?
Plehve, having encouraged Nicholas II to react, was assassinated in the streets.
What date did Bloody Sunday occur?
9 January 1905.
What caused Bloody Sunday?
A strike @ the Putilov Iron works
How many workers were involved in the strike @ the Putilov Iron works?
150,000
When the protesters from the Putilov Iron works peacefully marched to the Winter Palace, what was the reaction?
12,000 troops were used to break up the protest
How many died on Bloody Sunday?
40
How many were wounded in total on Bloody Sunday?
150
What was the result of Bloody Sunday?
Rebellion was sparked across the country, known as the 1905 revolution.
What occured on Battleship Potemkin?
A mouldy meat ration led to a mutiny where 7 officers were killed, sailors hoisted a revolutionary flag.
How did the people react to what happened on Battleship Potemkin?
thousands came to pay their respects, soldiers shot at them.
How many were killed when paying their respects to the Potemkin mutiny?
2000, 3000 wounded.
What was promised in the Tsar’s October Manifesto?
To grant civic freedom (freedom of speech etc), To establish a state Duma, to give that Duma power to approve laws.
How were the strikes dealt with after the October Manifesto?
Soldiers were ordered to spare no bullets, forcing people back.
What were the Fundamental Laws?
Laws reasserting his autocratic power: claiming the right to, veto legislation, rule by decree during emergency, appoint and dismiss ministers, dissolve the duma as he wished, command land and sea forces, declare war & negotiate peace, control expenditure, overturn legal verdicts and control the church.
What was the issue to autocracy regarding the first Duma?
It was dominated by Bolsheviks; thus, was extremely liberal & strongly critical of the Tsar.
What happened to the First Duma?
It was dissolved when it became to critical of the Tsar and his ministers.
What was the issue to autocracy regarding the second Duma?
It was more oppositional than the first.
How did Stolypin act during the Second Duma?
He couldn’t get support for his reforms so passed them under the tsar’s right when the Duma wasn’t in session.
What brought on the downfall of the second Duma?
Stolypin spread a rumor about a plot to assassinate the Tsar to dissolve the second duma.
What was the attitude of the third duma?
They were more submissive due to the downfall of the second duma.
What caused the need for a fourth Duma?
Stolypin was assassinated; thus, a new Prime Minister required a new Duma.
Why did the influence of the Duma decline under Kokovstov?
He ignored it’s influence.
Who succeeded Stolypin as Prime Minister?
Nikolaevich Kokovstov.
After the 1905 revolution, what year do we see the labour troubles rise again?
1912
At this point in history, what figure was causing even more resentment to the Tsar?
Rasputin and his involvement with Alexandra
