Pre-Course Russian Revolution

Question 1

in 1894 how much ground did russia cover?

Answer 1

22 million km^2, West to East: 8000km, North to South: 3200km, 1/6th of worlds land mass.

Question 2

Britain vs Russia infrastructure

Answer 2

Britian could fit into Russia 100x but same km of railway track

Question 3

How many ethnic groups were in the Russian Empire?

Answer 3

170. 44.3% of population: Ukrainian. 18%: Polish.

Question 4

in 1894 how much ground did russia cover?

Answer 4

22km^2, West to East: 8000km, North to South: 3200km, 1/6th of worlds land mass.

Question 5

how did the population change from 1815 to 1914

Answer 5

In 100 year x4. 40 million to 165 million

Question 6

How long has Romanov Dynasty been around since?

Answer 6

1613

Question 7

When was Tsar Alexander II assassinated?

Answer 7

1881

Question 8

Example of the lessening hold of the orthodox church due to urbanisation in 1900

Answer 8

A Moscow suburb with 40,000 people only contained 1 church and 1 priest

Question 9

Percentage makeup of the social classes in the population

Answer 9

1%: ruling class/nobility
12%: upper class
0.5%: middle class (1897)
7%: working/urban class
82%: peasantry

Question 10

Characteristics of Nobility + Upper Class at their emergence:

Answer 10

Nobility: moving to cities to gain govt. jobs based on social class instead of merit. The lack of skill ∴ mismanagement. In rural areas were afraid of the peasantry.
Middle Class: small but growing, professional jobs. In govt. they took active role, ∴ had higher levels of representation + influence + power.

Question 11

Characteristics of Urban Workers, Peasantry + Kulaks.

Answer 11

Urban Workers: small new class, very poor SOL eg. high no. of deaths from accidents, barrack style housing, (become proletariat). exploited by landlords + employer, had zero protections ∴ ripe for radicalisation. Peasants: previously been serfs. restricted by the ‘mir’, most were poor + illiterate + widespread disease + famines. worst conditions of all. not organised enough for radicalisation. Kulaks: rich peasants, perceived as capitalists.

Question 12

How much land did the nobility own?

Answer 12

25% of the land.

Question 13

How much of the population did peasants make up?

Answer 13

4/5

Question 14

In peacetime during Nicholas’ I (1825-1855) reign how many soldiers died?

Answer 14

over 1 million.

Question 15

in the 19thC on average how big was the army and how much was spent on it? and how much was spent on education?

Answer 15

1.5 million men and 45% of government spending. only 4% was for education

Question 16

What did Alexander II do in 1861? and what did he do in 1864? What was his other reform and what were his bad things?

Answer 16

1861: The emancipation of Serfs. And in 1864 he created zemstvos.
He also reduced censorship.
But! banned trade unions + had massive police force.

Question 17

How much of the population were non-Russian ethnic minorities by Nicholas II reign?

Answer 17

50% of the population

Question 18

How many new measures were created in Russification?

Answer 18

600 restrictions, and particular focus on jewish people.

Question 19

How many jews fled from Russia because of persecution?

Answer 19

5 million.

Question 20

What was formed in 1897? as due to Russification.

Answer 20

A jewish revolutionary union the “Bund”

Question 21

When Tsar Alexander III started Russification what was his advisor Pobedonostsev plan for the Jewish population

Answer 21

1/3 must die. 1/3 must emigrate. 1/3 must assimilate.

Question 22

How many levels of bureaucracy was there?

Answer 22

14

Question 23

The police force weakness

Answer 23

1 policeman per 3850 peasants

Question 24

How long has the Russian Orthodox Church been under state control?

Answer 24

1721

Question 25

Post-Emancipation of peasants, what happened to the land?

Answer 25

1/4 of previously cultivated land fell into disuse

Question 26

Because of inefficient farming, what was the grain per acre yield?

Answer 26

The yield was low, half as much of the richest countries.

Question 27

How many died because of famines caused by bad harvests?

Answer 27

millions

Question 28

Russia industrial Coal statistics:

Answer 28

coal production: less than 5% of Britains.
25% of all coal had to be imported.
since 1860, coal production had x16

Question 29

What were the bodies of govt. + functions

Answer 29

Imperial Council: expert opinion,
Committee of Ministers: advisory role and ran departments,
Supreme Court: judicial function.

Question 30

Russification:

Answer 30

force all minorities to learn Russian, convert them to Russian Orthodox Church.

Question 31

when did the govt remove freedoms from universities bc “ideologically dangerous”

Answer 31

1884