Russia At The Start Of The 20th Century Flashcards
What was Russia’s geography like at the dawn of the 20th century?
. Russia covered an area of 23million sq and held areas in Europe and Asia.
. It encompassed over 128million people from around 200 nationalities.
What state was Russia’s economy in at the dawn of the 20th century?
. Russia’s main income was from agriculture however this was severely inefficient as its farming methods were severely backward and the majority of Russian land was unfit for farming.
. Industry did exist however compared to other western nations it was small and the materials it required couldn’t reach it due to an inefficient transport network.
What was society like in Russia at this time?
. Society in Russia can be referred to as a pyramid like structure with the richest being at the top with the poorest being at the bottom. . Over 80% of the population were poor serfs with the other 20% being middle class or part of the tiny elitist group.
What state was the Russian army at the beginning of the 20th century?
. Russia maintained the largest army on earth, it was however technologically inferior to western nations and it took up over 40% of the nations total expenditure.
What opposition was there to the Romanovs?
. Liberals wanted a constitutional Monarchy which would consist of the Tsar and an elected government/ later called the Duma.
. Radicals e.g. Bolsheviks wanted a revolution, workers mostly allied with this mindset and groups.
. Peasants were referred to as the ‘Dark Masses’ and were feared by the ruling elite.
What was Russia’s ultimate aim even if the Tsar didn’t want it to happen?
. Russia needed to modernise its economy, services, army and transport links in order to be considered a real world power which could rival the likes of France, Britain and Germany.
