Political Authority + Govt Under Nicholas II 1894-1904

Question 1

What did Nicholas II declare in his coronation?

Answer 1

-maintain ‘principle of autocracy as firmly + unflinchingly as it was by (his) father’
-commitments to orthodoxy ensured the church maintained its powerful influence
-continued Russification + support for ‘black hundreds’ with their right-wing anti semitic ideals

Question 2

Why didn’t his reign begin well?

Answer 2

-events at Khodynka fields
-may 1896 crowds gathered attracted by his promise of free food, drink + gifts to celebrate coronation

Question 3

What happened at Khodynka fields + the outcome?

Answer 3

-in rush to see new tsar around 1400 men, women + children trampled to death
-but celebration went ahead as if nothing happened
-Nicholas visited hospitals where injured were + gave money to families of the dead

Question 4

Why were there demands for change?

Answer 4

-years after 1894 was serious unrest
-society more politicised after famine
-failure over+bureaucratic govt deal with crisis bred scorn + despair — zemstva left deal with it
-greater public mistrust of govt competence + firmer belief in power of ordinary people

Question 5

What happened in unis?

Answer 5

-outbursts in unis met by increased use of Okhrana
-1901 squadron of Cossacks charged into students in St P killing 13 + 1500 imprisoned
-rebellious young were expelled, exiled or drafted into army

Question 6

What were the disturbances in towns + countryside 1902-07?

Answer 6

-nicknamed the ‘years of the red cockerel’
-unrest worst in central provinces — peasants set fire to landlords barns, destroying grain or seized woodland + physically attacked them

Question 7

How were the disturbances dealt with?

Answer 7

-Stolypin dealt with them — ‘Stolypin’s necktie’ but aggravated opposition further
-peasants flogged, arrested, exiled or shot in the thousands

Question 8

How did strikes escalate in towns?

Answer 8

-17,000 1894 + 90,000 1904
-1901 Obukhov factory St P violent clashes between police + whip carrying Cossacks

Question 9

How were the strikes dealt with?

Answer 9

-attempt control proliferation of illegal unions - 1900 chief of Okhrana organised own police sponsored TUs
-idea provide official channels so complainants could be heard to prevent workers join radical socialists
-but idea dismissed 1903

Question 10

What was the other union strike in 1904?

Answer 10

-formed by Father Gapon + approved by minister internal affairs Plehve
-had support of Orthodox Church too
-soon had 8000 members