Opposition Flashcards
Tsars
Opposition
Liberals
In the 1850s
the main opposition to the gov was Liberals
mainly westernisers
as apposed to Slavophiles
who want the Russian gov to be sim to those in Western Europe (democracy)
there ideas were promoted and supported by the Zemstva in the mid 1890’s
and the Zemstvo Union revived the concept
in [1904]
• Pyotr Sturve
– founded the union of liberation
– they demanded greater freedoms Injustice for all Russians
– they also demanded Pharaoh and greater land distributions to peasants
– and a representative constituent assembly
– as well as better conditions for industrial workers
Nicholas II [1893-1917]
opposition
Kadets
KADETS
(want to be constitutional democrats)
Founded after the 1905 Revolution along the idea of a constitutional monarchy
– led by Paul Milyukov
– they were the opposition within the first Duma
They supported Nicholas II’s October manifesto and were therefore less likely to be liked by revolutionary organisations
Nicholas II [1893-1917]
opposition
Political parties became legal in 1905
Before this they weren’t but they weren’t dealt with as long as they were respectable
Nicholas II [1893-1917]
opposition
Octoberists
• The octoberists were also formed after the 1905 Revolution and were a more radical group than the Kadets
• they were individuals who displayed loyalty to the tsar but wanted changes to the system of government
• individuals include Alexander Guchkov
Supported Nicholas II and his October manifesto so there were less likely to be liked by the revolutionary organizations
Nicholas II [1893-1917]
opposition
SDs
In 1898 the old Russian social democratic workers party was founded also known as the SDS
• they were influenced by Plekhanov’s interpritation of Marxism
• the valued the need to encourage the working class consciousness
However if you actually had the time to do Marxism so they focused on wanting to increase play in decrease working hours
• in 1905 there was signs of the bolsheviks and menchiviks dividing
Alexander II [1855-1881]
opposition
popularists (Narodniks)
Russian intellectuals given greater freedom to Critisise Tsar rule after Alexander II reforms
• the chief proponents of the populist cause was
– Nikolai Chernyshevsky ( who published what is to be done in 1863 which impacted Lenin)
– Pytor Lavrov ( who had a campaign called going to the people 1873-74
– involving 4,000 universities students educating peasants
– this led to the land and Liberty movement forming in 1876
– however it failed when it couldn’t decide if they wanted to be violent or peaceful)
Both of these people were influenced by karl Marx and used his ideas to formulate their own version of popular socialism
Alexander II [1855-1881]
Alexander III [1881-1893]
Opposition
The Peoples Will
The People’s will were a terrorist organization
– who were part of the land and liberacy movement from 1876
– however they were the people who broke off and decided that they wanted to be violent and not peaceful
• they were very violent and formed in 1879
• they wanted violence to start a revolution
• they had four attempts to attempt to assassinate Tsar Alexander II
• the fifth attempt worked and they killed him in 1881 but they failed to fully overthrow Tsarism
• Alexander II then made it his life’s mission to remove the people’s will
– hunt them down and execute them he probably said
– even killing Lenin’s brother
Nicholas II [1893-1917]
opposition
SRs
The SRS were formed as the Socialist revolutionary party in 1901
– led by Victor Chernov
– by 1905 they had split into two main wings:
– the moderate right wing of the SRS appealed to the peasants
– The radical left wing appealed to workers
- between 1901-5 the left were responsible for 2,000 political killings
– including plehve the hated Prime Minister, and grand Duke Sergei
• after the 1905 Revolution they were the Biggest threat to Tsarism b4 febuary 1917
Oppositions success b4 1917
Overall opposition was unsuccessful before 1917 this was due to a lack of Unity between groups
– People’s will wanted to overthrow the system
– whereas the octoberists, liberals, popularists and Kadets wanted to change it
and the Tsar’s successful repression
( Nicholas hat to stop because he was fighting with World War 1)
Provisional Government [1917]
opposition
Opposition during the provisional government and was similar to that during Tsardom
• the bolsheviks dominated opposition but it didn’t look like they would seize power even by September 1917
• the workers committees grew in strength
– and these Communities opposed the government
– and were prepared to follow groups such as the bolsheviks
– this is what was able to get the bolsheviks to revolt
not the bolsheviks themselves
Lenin [1917-1924]
opposition
political partys
• B got de facto rule
– but failed to win elections in the 1918 constituent assembly
SRs: 370 seats
B: 175 seats
National minority groups: 99
Left SRs (pro B): 40
Kadets: 17
Mensheviks: 16
• Lenin therefore decided as he didn’t win to say that the election was rigged by soviets and proceeded to take it by Force
• this was further exacerbated as Lenin wanted to have peace with Germany in a peace deal
– which left those pro-bolsheviks left SRS to call Lenin a tracer to the Revolution and a German collaborator
Lenin [1917-1924]
opposition
Lenin Cival war [1918-21]
Let him used the Civil War to destroys opponents that made up the White Army
Green army that was made out of peasant groups who didn’t like either of them
• the Red Army won the civil war and Lennon makes a paper on party unity in 1921
– this makes all over political parties illegal and banned factionalism within the bolsh of it party
• between 1921- 1990 Russia was a one-party state (in 1990 you could vote for independantce party)
Tsars Internal opposition
Tsars remove their internal opposition by removing them from their posts
– such as Sergei witter the finance minister of 1892-03
– he was demoted to chairman of ministers
This removing them from their posts was in a very similar way to that of the communists way of dealing with critics
Lenin [1917-1924]
Internal Opposition post 1917
After the October revolution kamenev, Zinoviev and Kykov
– all prominent bolshevik figures
– wanted to form an alliance with other socialist groups
– Lennon said no except for a few SRS
The signing of the world a one brest-litovsk Treaty
– was opposed by the left such as Trotsky gave away land
– Lenin said the War was almost over
Bolshevik said that war communism was harsh so Lenin turned into the NEP
– left-wing bolshevik said that this portrays Revolution
– while right-wing bolshevik said it was a good step towards capitalism
Lenin [1917-1924]
internal Opposition About his replacment when he was alive
• Lenin’s Health was falling
• the Triumvir (Troika) was formed in the Politbeuro
– made up of: Zinoviev, Kamenev and Stalin
– All Hell Bent on stopping trotsky from being Lenin successor
• [December 1922]
• Lenin made a political Testament criticizing leading bolshevic figures including Stalin
– for example how he ran the Rabkrin (workers and peasant Inspectioners, ( bureaucratic)
– and stalin’s role in the Gregorian affair which was the mishandling of Georgian nationalism
– by the commissioner of national affairs in Georgia
– whose actions were defended by Stalin in 1921
• however by January 1924 Stalin was in the politburo, Orgburo and the central committee
– he was also the People’s commissioner of nationalities
– allowing him to easily take power
