Russia 1: Tsarism

Question 1

Discontent of Peasants (pre 1905)

Answer 1

• 1861 serfs freed but with debt
• Aristocracy made up 1% but had 25% of land
• 1890’s famines (word famine banned from press)

Question 2

Discontent of National Minorities

Answer 2

• Russification - policy of making non russians act like them
• 56% of population was not ethnically Russian
• Baltic Germans, Armenians, Ukrainians

Question 3

Failures of Nicholas II

Answer 3

• Not interested in ruling
• Not intelligent
• “Nicholas was not fit to run a post office” a cabinet minister

Question 4

Police state (Pre 1905)

Answer 4

• Censorship - no public opposition to Tsar
• Exile common punishment
• Okhrana punished revolutionaries

Question 5

Social Democrats

Answer 5

• Founded 1898
• Split in two in 1903
• Bolsheviks (Wanted a small, secret party that could take over at the correct time)
• Mensheviks (Believed in an open party that woukd grow until it could revolt)

Question 6

1905 Revolution
Short Term Triggers

Answer 6

Russo Japanese War
* 1904
* Battle of Tsushima May 1904 (Russian fleet crushed, 5,000 dead)
* Unexpected loss

Bloody Sunday
* 22nd January 1905
* 100 protestors killed
* Led by father Gapon
* Led to strikes nationally

Question 7

Potemkin Mutiny

Answer 7

• 14th June 1905
• 800 sailors killed officers
• Ship landed in Odessa, where troops killed 2,000 striking workers
• Failed to spread to the rest of the Black Fleet

Question 8

1905 general rebellions

Answer 8

• Peasant rebellions (destroyed 3,000 manors)
• Strikes in cities (January 1905, 400,000 workers on strike)
• Summer 1905 harvest failed again

Question 9

October Manifesto

Answer 9

• 17th October
• Created the Duma
• Freedom of speech, assembly and worship
• Allowed political parties
• Legalised trade unions
• However did not improve living conditions

Question 10

Stolypins repression

Answer 10

• Elected PM in 1906
• 60,000 opponents to regime hung (“Stolypins necktie”)
• Forced to carry internal passports
• Increased Okhrana threat

Question 11

Fundamental Laws

Answer 11

• 1906
• Gave Nicholas huge control over Dumas
• Could dissolve Dumas
• Tsar could pass any laws while Duma not in session
• Tsar could veto any Duma legislation

Question 12

Stolypins Land Reform
Goals

Answer 12

• Attempt to modernise farming and create “Kulak” peasants who owned land
• Land Bank to help own land
• End old fashioned methods of strip farming in Russia
• “Wager on the strong”

Question 13

Stolypins Land Reforms
Success

Answer 13

• 3.5 million peasants moved to Siberia
• But only 10% left communes by 1914
• Kulaks were hated
• Those who left Mir = “stolypins seperators”

Question 14

Lena Goldfields strike

Answer 14

• 1912
• Striking Workers in Siberia over being told to eat rotten horse meat, 14 hour day, poor conditions
• Clashed with troops led to 200 deaths

Question 15

KF of Dumas

Success

Answer 15

• Stolypin worked with third Duma to pass Land Reforms
• 1908 Law on universal education
• Attempts to modernise Orthodox church

Question 16

KF of Dumas

Failures

Answer 16

• Third Duma electoral system changed so only 1/6 of peasants could vote
• Dissolved very quickly (e.g 1st Duma in 10 weeks)
• No real reform