opposition to tsarism 1855-1917

Question 1

bolshevik tactics

Answer 1

-revolutionary training schools in exile, who then smuggled into Russia to infiltrate trade unions
-used terrorism and violence to raise money for their party,e.g. bombing of a post office made them 250,000 roubles, then spent on revolutionary leaflets
-before 1917,Mensheviks outnumbered them
-during feb revolution, bolsheviks had told marching women to go home as they had a demonstration planned for May Day,no party was in charge,Lenin in exile

Question 2

lenin and bolsheviks pre 1917

Answer 2

-Trotsky, who joined in 1917, after having been a Menshevik, argued that Bolsheviks had been planning the revolution since 1903
-but in reality, Lenin’s instructions from exile only played a minor role in the events

Question 3

split of SD

Answer 3

-1903, Bolsheviks (Lenin) and Mensheviks (Martov)
-by 1912, these were two distinctly conflicting Marxist parties

Question 4

lenins impact on SDs

Answer 4

-Lenin criticised Plekhavov for being more interested in reform rather than revolution
-he said that under Plekhanov a policy of ‘economism’ was being followed (which made working conditions better, when they needed to become worse to give workers more reason to revolt)

Question 5

social democrats

Answer 5

-came into being 1898, aim of marxist revolution
-first marxist revolutionary in Russia of note was Plekhanov, founded SD party and promoted Marx’s ideas
-but his leadership was deemed too theoretical, the party favoured a more active revolutionary, Lenin

Question 6

SRs and feb revolution

Answer 6

-allowed SRs to return to an active political role
-played a major role in the formation of the soviets
-Kerensky was actually somewhat linked to the party, but broke away to form part of the provisional government

Question 7

socialist revolutionaries

Answer 7

-grew from populist movement
-intention was to widen the concept of ‘the people’ to not only include the peasants but all those in society who had reason to see the end of tsardom
-weakened by internal disagreements
-left SRs wanted to continue political terrorism

Question 8

liberal opposition during feb revolution

Answer 8

-committed themselves to forming a provisional government, with free elections later
-this was greeted with enthusiasm from Kadets and Octobrists

Question 9

liberal opposition during ww1 (pre revolution)

Answer 9

-1915 ‘progressive bloc’ demanded tsar change his ministers and establish a government of public confidence
-N2 ignored this, instead choosing to suspend the Duma

Question 10

octobrists (N2)

Answer 10

-saw october manifesto as definitive statement of reform, should go no further
-more conservative than kadets
-support from industrialists, landowners and those with commercial interests

Question 11

kadets (N2)

Answer 11

-saw themselves as a national party not a class party, main support did come from the liberal inteligentsia
-lead by Milyukov
-wanted democratically elected assembly, full civil rights, end of censorship, recognition of trade unions

Question 12

russification and the persecution of jews (A3)

Answer 12

-dissenters within orthodoxy imprisoned
-Catholicism central to Polish nationality and Lutheranism pursued in part as it was the religion of baltic germans
-russification applied religiously, in education and administratively
-Jews legally confined to Pale (1880 around 4mil) and subject to Pogroms, also faced employment,education,and social restrictions (1893 became a criminal offence for a jew to use a christian name)

Question 13

intelligentsia and liberals (A3)

Answer 13

-demanded reform not revolution
-concerned with welfare, education and rule of law
-wanted adoption of democratic institutions
-non-violent
-Tolstoy’s ‘What I Believe’ text published in 1883
-Zemstva used as forum for liberals to air views
-became increasingly critical of tsarist government
-unresponsive to moderate demands

Question 14

marxism (A3)

Answer 14

-socialist doctrine hinged on economic change
-wanted equal share of industrial wealth started by a workers revolution
-Plekhanov spread marxist views and established the Emancipation of Labour Group 1883, illegal trade unions
-marxism succeeded as it provided revolution, and parts of it were ‘scientific’ and could be proven (appealed to inteligentsia) also utopian ideal (appealed to populists)
-growth in popularity due to industrialisation of 1890s

Question 15

populism (A3)

Answer 15

-removal of power from the tsar
-wanted elected representatives
-peasantry main source of opposition and revolutionaries
-assassination attempts, advocates of ‘terror’, assassination of A2 in 1881
-moderate populists appalled by assassination and hundreds of populists arrested

Question 16

significance of A2’s assassination

Answer 16

-tsarist regime hardened its stance to opposition A3 determined to crush revolution
-social and political reforms introduced by A2 halted
-police strengthened, new policing methods introduced
-success of assassination made regime look vulnerable

Question 17

the people’s will (A2)

Answer 17

-aimed to establish representative government and land redistribution
-frustrated by populists failure to stir peasants
-believed in political terrorism
-aim to destroy the state
-1st March 1881 assassinated A2
-1880 planned to blow up royal train (wrong train)
-1880 attempt to blow up bridge as tsar is crossing (too late)

Question 18

black repartition (A2)

Answer 18

-aimed to ‘partition the black soil’ provinces amongst peasants
-led by Plekhanov
-wanted to advance peasants through political reform
-spread radical materials amongst workers

Question 19

land and liberty (A2)

Answer 19

-goal of peasant revolution
-lived with peasants to learn their mentality and encouraged them to resist tsarism
-established first trade unions
-zasulich shot general trepov, her trial became a critcism of the regime
-split 1879 to Black Repartition and The People’s Will

Question 20

narodniks (A2)

Answer 20

-appealed to peasants
-aim to achieve a society of village communes
-influenced by Lavrov
-peaceful peasant revolution
-dressed as peasants and taught them about revolution, 1874 (the mad summer) failed due peasant ignorance and resistance

Question 21

tchaikovsky circle (A2)

Answer 21

-appealed to students/intelligentsia and peasants (educate them to change)
-nihilist attitude
-purpose of forming social revolution rather than a political one
-established by Nechayev
-influenced Narodniks ‘going to the people’ campaign
-distributed papers, and brought propaganda to peasants

Question 22

examples of revolutionary thinkers during A2’s rule

Answer 22

-Herzen:end to serfdom and autocratic rule,supporter of mutualist Proudhon,if peasants were to revolutionary overthrow socialism would form,The Bell(censorship free newspaper)
-Pisarev:radical,atheist,nihilist,started to build a theory of egoism,1905&1917 events acknowledge his influence
-Lavrov:reform>revolution(Narodnik),socialist believed Russia needed same events as Western Europe for peasantry to rise up, journal ‘Forward!’

Question 23

reforms under A2 causing opposition growth

Answer 23

-relaxation of censorship laws, encouraged spread of radical journals
-educational changes saw a more independent student population keen for modernisation
-local government changes gave a platform for debate
-repression after 1866 helped reinforce the belief in change, although there were ranging demands from moderate liberal ideas to socialism

Question 24

slavophiles

Answer 24

-c1840
-wanted to preserve Russia’s culture and heritage, seeing them as superior to the west
-reject parliamentarianism, individualism, and rationalism
-wanted consultative assembly representing the different social groups of Russia
-rejection of atheism
-declined in influence in 1890s, as western style socialist movements grew

Question 25

westernisers

Answer 25

-c1840
-wanted Russia to adapt western values
-hoped for western style economic modernisation
-favoured elected assemblies with civil liberties
-less power to the orthodox church
-expressed views via the zemstvo
-disappointed in A3’s restriction of zemstvo powers in 1890