Russia bare minimum Flashcards
When did Alexander II come to power
March 1855
When did the Crimean War end
1856
What did the Treaty of Paris agree?
March 1856: Russia sacrificed Bessarabia to Moldovia, which was made independent.
The black sea was neutralised, Russia could not get a warm water port!
When was Alexander II’s judicial reforms?
1864
What was Going to the People
Idea that derived from the ideas of Lavrov that peasants need to be disillusioned for a revolution. Students from towns came to cities in 1874 to warn peasants of the government. Failure!
What was the Emancipation Edict?
1861: freed serfs.
What was the transition period for the Emancipation
20 year transition period - before that nobles were not as much as required to acknowledge the emancipation!
What were the fees for the Emancipation
Redemption payments to reimburse nobles for land lost.
Within the Black Earth region, places overpriced up to 100%, which peasants were expected to pay. They were now farming 4/5 of what they used to.
How many attempts were made on Alexander II’s life?
Four: and the attempt in 1881 by the People’s Will was successful.
When did the Russo Turkish War start?
1877
When did the Russo Turkish War end?
1878
What was the initial agreement within the Russo Turkish War?
Treaty of San Stefano 1878: allowed Russia significant gains as they now exercised significant influence over Bulgaria, and also land within the Caucuses and Georgia.
What was the ultimate outcome of the Russo Turkish War?
Austria and the UK were alarmed at the amount of gains that Russia would gain, so Treaty of Berlin in 1878 stopped the gains that Russia would otherwise make. They kept some smaller gains within Asia, but much of their previous influence was reduced.
Why did the Russo Turkish War take place?
Russia’s attempts to establish a warm-water port on the Black Sea, which lay in Turkish hands.
What were Alexander III’s Emergency Laws?
1881:
Elected Zemtvo deputies could be dismissed
Commander in chief of a region could close universities and other centers of advanced study for up to one month
When did Alexander III die?
1894
How did Nicholas II’s reign get off to a bad start?
Khodynka Field massacre.
a large festival with food, free beer and souvenir cups was held in Khodynka Field outside Moscow.
People rushed to get their food, there was 100,000 people in attendance. Out of this, 1000 were trampled on and subsequently died!
What was the cause of Bloody Sunday?
Price rises: Trade Unions were banned and conditions were squalid (40% of houses in St Petersburg were without running water!) with a 12 hour working day.
Also loss in Russo-Japanese War and subsequent Treaty of Portsmouth.
What happened during Bloody Sunday?
22nd January 1905: people set off led by Father Gapon to petition the Tsar to intervene with a slogan “God save the Tsar”. They did not want to overthrow him!
However, the Tsar’s army opened fire on the people and 14 died. There was outrage amongst people. People were only protesting for things like an 8 hour day
What happened with Vera Zasulich?
1877: shot Trepov. Thanks to the judicial reforms that Alexander II had introduced, she was abel to be found innocent.
Evidence of Alexander II’s Glasdont
New publications like What is to be Done
How much did railway production increase under Alexander II?
x14 in track by the end of Alexander II’s reign
What was the cause of the Polish revolt
Demands for independence, protest against conscription
How was the Polish revolt dealt with?
Widespread rebellion supported by Land and Liberty in 1863 suppressed by Russian army
Evidence of minor revolutionaries during Alexander II’;s reign?
Pamphlets being distributed by groups like Young Russia from 1862, calling for further change.
How other than the Emergency Laws did Alexander III tighten control>
Introduced Land Captains: hated as it was an elitist version of JPs.
How did Alexander III reduce local govenrment?
Local Government Act 1890: governors could veto Zemstva, and elections favored landowners (electorate was less than 1%)
Evidnece of economic stability under Alex III?
20% increase in grain exports
1897: Gold Standard
When was the Peasants Land Bank
1883
When was the Nobles Land Bank
1885
When was Alexander III’s Famine?
1891 - 400,000 dead
Railway development under Alexander III
x3
Foreign investors like the Rothchilds contributed
How did production increase from late Alexander III to early Nicholas II
Coal output x3 (1890s-1900s)
Evidence of impact for froeign investmetn
50% of capital for heavy industry was foreign
Where did railways improve agriculture?
Places like Odessa opened up
How many assassinations in lead up to Bloody Sunday
2000, including Grand Duke Sergei
When was the Russo-Japanese War
January 1904-September 1905
Evidence of Russia’s disadvantage within R-J war
By the time Russia reached the Tsushima Straits, Russian fleet had been travelling for 6 months
Defeated within an hour
What did the Treaty of Portsmouth decide?
Russia withdrew from Manchuria
Gave up control of Port Arthur and Manchuria
Sept 1905
What can be seen as a turning point for the Tsars
Summer 1904: Plevhe (minister of interior) assassinated
How many army mutinies in 1905
200: only really effected lower ranks`