russia Flashcards
Attitude of Tsar II towards the first four Dumas
Only to be elected from the nobility.
The first duma met in 1906, but was closed after 72 days.
The first two Dumas were openly critical to the Tsar which lead to the Tsar dismissing them.
Nicholas II retained the title of autocrat and continued to appoint and dismiss ministers as he pleased.
Laws continued to be promulgated by the government without reference to the Duma as Stolypin and Nicholas II changed the electoral system without the Duma in session.
This defied the purpose of the October Manifesto as the democracy promised to the people was not fulfilled.
Oppression continued in the power of the Tsar’s secret police, Okhrana.
Again this renders the October Manifesto ineffective.
This was because Nicholas II only promised to the October Manifesto as a desparate measure and a sign of weakness.
Stolypin’s policy of repression and land reform
Stolypin established military tribunals as a policy of repression
He proposed public execution of thousands to suppress ongoing revolutionary activity.
He convicted 16,500 people of political crimes and 3,500 of them to a death sentence.
As a result, political assassinations dropped to 365 in 1908 compared to 1,200 in 1907.
When the first 2 Dumas refused to pass the Tsar’s legislation, he advised the Tsar to dissolve them.
In 1907, he changed the franchise to prevent the poor from voting for the third and fourth dumas.
Suspended voting in areas where the population had not reach civic development lead to fewer representatives from the lower classes, ie. peasants, urban wokers.
This created Dumas who were more obedient towards the Tsar.
With the peasants excluded from voting, thus eliminates 78% of the population as the peasants formed the majority.
This encouraged the autocratic regime to continue on as the upperclass would vote for a Duma from the nobility without opposition.
Stolypin carried out land reforms such as breaking up the Mirs and setting up a peasants bank.
The peasant bank enabled the poor to purchase land for agriculture.
This benefitted about 15% of the peasants who established larger and more productive farms.
Other peasants sold their land and ended up in the cities, which increased industrial work force.
He abolished redemption payments which reduced the burden of peasants.
By 1915, 50% of the peasants had ownership of land.
Agricultural production raised from 46 tonnes in 1906 to 61 tonnes in 1913.
Lena Goldfield strike
Lena Goldfield was a mine containing substantial mineral resources.
Several thousand workers were hired and transported to the mine from Siberia.
Workers failed to live up to the exorbitant promises made by company officials.
As a result, workers had to work for 14-16 hours a day in a risky work environment without safety equipment.
70% of the workers succumb to injury and illness on a monthly basis.
Workers would be fined for trivial offences and their already low wage would be deducted.
The company manipulated basic necessities of the miners.
These commodities are purchased from canteens in the mine operated by the company.
The company would raise the prices of these basic necessities and miners had to be an exorbitant price for low-quality goods.
In 1911, the company reduced workers’ pay and instead pay them with canteen coupons which narrows the worker’s shopping outlets to only the canteen in the mine.
In 1912, the company served rotten horse meat disguised as beef.
AS A RESULT :
This sparked a widespread strike amongst the workers.
6,000 miners formed a strike committee and handed the company a list of demands.
They demanded for a 8 hour work day, higher wages, abolition of company fines as well as improved quality of goods sold in the canteen.
The strike continued and thus, froze mining production.
The company requested troops and arrested the leaders of the striking committee.
This led to an increase of strikes and 2,500 miners marched to the company headquarters demanding release of their leaders.
They were met with a brigade of soldiers and 250 men were killed.
How successful was Stolypin?
Censorship broke October manifesto
First 2 Dumas were radical, demanding reforms
Third duma election was rigged
new bank loans for peasants created Kulaks
Peasants didn’t get Siberian land
Industrial production increased
Why was Rasputin a problem?
People thought the Tsar shouldn’t be associating with a commoner
Bad reputation for drinking and sex
Used his influence to get people sacked or given jobs
Thought to accept bribes
Believed to be having an affair with the Tsarina and other noble women
Impact of ww1 on the Russian army
Enthusiasm didn’t last long
Heavily defeated by Germans at Tannenberg
Losses mounted rapidly
Most didn’t have weapons or ammunition
Some didn’t have boots
Soldiers were badly led and treated appallingly by their aristocrat officers
Impact of ww1 on peasants and workers
Huge casualty figures
Left many orphans and widows needing state war pensions which they didn’t always receive
Food production remained high until 1916
Enough food and fuel but it couldn’t be transported to the cities
Workers got little wages
Impact of ww1 on middle class
Set up their own medical organisations along the lines of the modern Red Cross
Activists were appalled by reports about how bad it was for the soldiers
Joined war committees to send other supplies to the troops
Duma asked Tsar to work with them to unite the people, he dismissed the duma a month later
Impact of ww1 on aristocracy
Late 1916- council of united nobility was calling for the Tsar to step down
Junior officers in the army had suffered devastating losses in the war, many of these officers were the future aristocrat class
They were appalled by the influence of Rasputin over the government of Russia
A group of leading aristocrats murdered Rasputin in dec 1916
Causes of March revolution 1917
Army poorly led- 12 million Russians recruited, many casualties
Tsar took personal charge of the war
Tsar lost authority- soldiers and duma didn’t listen to him
Food shortages
