Opposition - Part 1 - Political Parties (1855-1964) Flashcards
Who were the Populists or the Narodniks?
They were intellectuals who criticised the Tsar - They were able to do this after the reforms of Alexander II (1861-1864 Reforms)
What was the Populists ‘Going to the People’ idea?
This was a campaign between 1873-1874 that saw 4000 University students going into the countryside to educate the peasants.
The populists formed which group in 1876 based on the principles of ‘Going to the People’.
Land & Liberty
What was the name of the terrorist group that grew out of the populist movement by 1879.
People’s Will
What was People’s Will aim from 1879?
To assassinate the Tsar (This would be achieved in 1881 when Alexander II was killed by People’s Will)
How did Tsar Alexander III react to the assassination of his father by People’s Will in 1881?
Those that were involved or complicit with the murder were executed by the state.
Reform was seen as the cause of his death and a wave of restrictions and repression was put in place.
People’s Will was pushed ‘Underground’ as a political movement.
Who were the Socialist Revolutionaries? (SR’s)
The SRs emerged from the populist movement and continued to focus on
improving the living conditions of the poorest people in society, including the
growing urban proletariat.
How did the SR movement split by the early 1900’s?
The left employed direct action; from 1901 to 1905 they were responsible for about 2000 political killings, including Grand Duke Sergei and Vyacheslav Plehve.
The right worked with other parties and groups, gathering support and momentum
after the 1905 revolution
The Left focused on peasants, The Right focused on the new urban workers.
The Social Democrats by 1905 were made up of a left & a right within the party. What do we call these?
Mensheviks & Bolsheviks.
Which political group came to the forefront demanding constitutional reform after the 1905 Revolution?
Kadets/Octoberists.
What was the October Manifesto?
This was a manifesto that offered a Duma (An elected parliamentary body) for Russia.
How did the October Manifesto deal with opposition?
It halved the threat of opposition. It appeased Kadets, Octoberists & Liberals.
THis meant that the SR & SD opposition was not strong enough to challenge the government.
What were the Fundamental Laws of 1906?
This was a mandate to uphold above all else ‘Autocracy, Orthodoxy & Nationalism’ (These were laid down back in 1832).
This was a conservative measure against the premise of establishing a Duma.
To what extent did the Provisional Government face opposition from February 1917?
- Opposition from those that felt they were not the elected heirs of the Tsar
- Opposition from those that felt a temporary government would be bad for Russia.
Opposition from the SR’s & SD’s who held greater faith with the Petrograd Soviet as the true government in Russia.
To what extent did the Provisional Government face opposition between February-October 1917?
- Opposition from many factions in Russia who felt they were not dealing with; the land question, the issue with staying in the war and poor handling of the economy.
How did Lenin deal with any opposition from Political Parties in his first few months in power?
- He rejected the Constituent Assembly which gave the verdict that a coalition of socialist parties should rule.
He closed it down by force and established the Sovnarkom to rule. This saw SR members arrested & Socialist newspapers closed down - Building a Bolshevik only government.
