Opposition Flashcards
Westernisers = liberal intelligentsia
aim = reform autocracy + abandon slavic traditions + adopt modern W values
methods = St.P Z demanded a central body to coordinate the regional councils but the Tsar stood firmly against this
Achievements = Loris-Melikov Constitution proposal
the influence of the Z in 1891-92 in helping the peasants through the famine
Z was a representative body of ppl
Slavophiles
aim = believed R had a unique cultural heritage + wanted to preserve the peasant society + influence of orthodox church
Achievements = after peaking in 1881, the attraction of the Slavophiles diminished as R moved towards industrialisation
Radical Thinkers
aim = believed peasants had to be made the leaders of revolutionary change + create a new peasant based social structure
methods = smuggling books + calling students to assassinate the Tsar
1862 fires in St.P destroyed over 2,000 shops
The Tchaikovsky Circle = set up in 1868
set up by Nikolai Tchaikovsky in 1868 in St.p
aim = sought socialist rev
methods = literary society that organised printing, publishing + spread rev literature including the 1st volume of Marx’s Das Kapital
Populists (Narodniks)
aim = “going to the ppl” + agrarian socialism based on the peasant commune + believed the commune would provide the route to a good society (capitalism + industrialisation = evil)
methods = 1874 - 2,000 young nobles + intelligentsia went to the countryside to persuade peasants the Rrev was dependent on them. they aimed to exploit resentment to Emancipation, land + tax
Achievements = Narodniks met with hostility - many of the visitors were reported to authorities and 1600 of them were arrested
despite its immediate failure, it helped take radical op away from underground meeting rooms to the countryside
helped gov be more aware of op
Land and Liberty = set up in 1877
aim = set up in 1877 continuing the work of the Populists
Land and liberty were more organised and far more radical. Their chief aim was to destroy the state and the Tsarist regime, then redistribute the land out to the peasantry.
methods = Members of this radical group left the cities to work as teachers and doctors in the Mir and attempt to educate the peasants and it became clear that this approach was not going to work.
Land and Liberty were certain that the only way to end the regime was to kill the Tsar and his ministers. They carried out political assassinations + spoke with Z to pressure gov for more constitutional reforms
Achievements = tsarist gov failed to respond so did not achieve much
they won public sympathy thru their assassinations
Why did ppl oppose the Tsar?
Famine + everyday realities
Russification + Anti-semitism
influence of Z –> platform for debate
improvement of Ed –> opposition + radical thinking
Extreme ideas + polarisation of Marxism
Tsarist reaction to oppposition
Alex II’s assassination in 1881 marked a turn –> security was stepped up + R faced a period of repression under Alex III
however, op was still not dead + populists still managed to meet in secret and carry out acts of terrorism
self-education circles still continued underground + held contact with exiled radicals in the West
What groups did Land and Liberty split into in 1879?
In 1879 the party split into:
Black Partition: It was a peaceful party and used propaganda to bring about reform in a non-violent way. Many of them were arrested between 1880-1881.
The People’s Will: The party successfully planted a spy within the third section to monitor police activity. The party advocated violence and assassinated government officials. In 1879 they declared that the Tsar must be assassinated. After several attempts, they succeeded in 1881.
