Political opposition to Nicholas Flashcards
Who was the leader of the Emancipation of Labour Group and the “father of Russian Marxism”?
George Plekhanov
When did the Social Democrats become a party?
1898
How did Plekhanov and Lenin disagree on the capabilities of the Russian proletariat?
Plekhanov: the intelligentsia could accelerate revolution, but must not push aside or replace the masses, who needed to develop ‘class consciousness’.
Lenin: the intelligentsia should form a revolutionary vanguard (educated, professional revolutionaries) to steer the course of the revolution on behalf of the masses
How did the Mensheviks and Bolsheviks disagree on the nature of the Party?
Mensheviks: mass organisation, open to all revolutionaries, with open, democratic discussion/debate.
Bolsheviks: tight-knit, exclusive organisation - authority exercised by the Central Committee and communicated downwards.
Nicholas reacted to the SDs by setting up Zubatov Unions in 1902 - what were they?
Workers used the unions to negotiate with state officials to improve their economic plight without making excessive political demands. This would reduce the influence of revolutionary parties (like the SDs).
How many members did the Bolsheviks have in the years up to 1914?
5,000-10,000
What happened to the Social Democrats at the Third Party Congress held in London in 1903?
Split into the Bolsheviks (“majority”) and Mensheviks (“minority”)
What did the anarchist Bakunin argue about socialism?
The peasant, not the worker, was an instinctive socialist, “by the natural accumulation of experience and thought”. Socialism would come through the peasantry
What was the Populist “going to the people” campaign and how successful was it?
Populist leaders/students (from the middle and upper classes) would go to the countryside to turn peasants into revolutionaries. But many peasants called the police - hundreds of Populists were arrested!
How many political killings did the People’s Will commit between 1901 and 1905?
2,000
What role did women play in the People’s Will?
- Made up 1/3 of the executive committee
- Housekeepers in conspiratorial quarters
- Arranged escapes for prisoners
- Made and planted bombs
- Took part in all six assassination attempts against tsars
Who led the Socialist Revolutionaries, founded in 1901?
Victor Chernov
How were the Right and Left SRs divided?
Left SRs: continue with terrorist tactics.
Right SRs: more moderate - work with other parties to improve worker and peasant conditions.
Who edited the journal Liberation, in what years, where was it published and what did it support?
Peter Struve
1902-1905
Stuttgart and Paris
Advocated for a constitutional monarchy
Who founded the Union of Liberation in 1904 and what three things did they demand?
Peter Struve and Paul Miliukov
Demanded fairer land distribution for peasants, a representative constituent assembly, and improved conditions for workers
