Russia Before 1905 Flashcards
What was the Tsar?
An autocrat with total power.
What did the Tsar believe?
He was chosen by God and had a ‘Divine Right’ to rule.
Why were peasants unhappy?
Bad living conditions.
What did the peasants form?
The Socialist Revolutionaries party.
Why were the proleteriat unhappy?
Bad working and living conditions.
What did the proleteriat form and when?
The Social Democratic Party.
1901.
What did the Social Democratic Party believe?
The ideas of Karl Marx.
The proleteriat would overthrow the aristocracy and form a communist state.
When did the Social Democratic Party split, and into what?
1903.
Mensheviks and Bolsheviks
Who led the Mensheviks and what did they believe?
Leon Trotsky led the Mensheviks.
They wanted slow, considered reform.
Who led the Bolsheviks and what did they believe?
Lenin led the Bolsheviks.
They wanted to carry out a violent revolution to overthrow Tsarism.
What was happening to Russia in 1905?
It was beginning to industrialise.
Why was Russia held back in 1905?
It had poor roads and railways.
How did the Tsar control people?
People were controlled using the Okhrana, the Tsar’s secret police.
What did the Okhrana do?
Imprison people in Siberian prison camps
What was the general attitude towards the Tsar in 1905?
Most people did not want to overthrow him, but did want reform.
