Russia chapter 1 Flashcards
Who was Russia ruled by in 1905 and how long had they been in power?
Russia was ruled by the Romanov family who had ruled for over 300 years. Nicholas II was Tsar in 1905.
How was Russia governed in 1905?
Russia was an autocracy, meaning there were no controls on the Tsar’s power.
He was given advice by his ministers whom he chose.
He was also in command of the army and supported by the church.
There was no way for the people of Russia to change their government or how the Tsar chose to rule.
Why were peasants unhappy with the Tsarist government?
Peasants were hungry for land, overtaxed and lived in desperate poverty.
Why were the industrial workers unhappy with the Tsarist government?
Industrial workers had terrible living and working conditions with low pay.
Why were the Middle class unhappy with the Tsarist government?
The middle class had no say in how Russia was governed.
Why were other nationalities living within the Russian empire unhappy with the Tsarist government?
They wanted independence from Russian oppression because of the policy of Russification. (where people had to adopt the culture and speak the language).
What was the Okhrana?
As a result of revolutionary parties wanting to overthrow the government with violence, the police and courts were given a great deal of power. Censorship was important so a secret police division was created.
Why did the 1905 revolution happen?
- The embarrassing defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05.
- The massacre of unarmed protesters by soldiers in St
Petersburg in January 1905, otherwise known as Bloody Sunday.
Potemkin mutiny
- Part of the Russian Navy that mutinied against poor conditions and treatment.
- They sailed to Odessa where strikes had been taking place but following the putting down of these riots, they entered Romania and sank the ship.
- Strikes and riots also took place in the countryside and towns. Communes were created by peasants who had killed their landlords, and a general strike was organised which united both workers and middle class as a national strike against the government.
What did the Potemkin mutiny lead to?
October Manifesto which gave new civil rights to people of the empire and saw the creation of the Duma.
What is the Duma?
A parliament with representatives elected in a general election.
Why was the Tsar able to survive the 1905 revolution?
- The October Manifesto appeased most of the middle class breaking that unity with the working class.
- The army and navy mostly stayed loyal to the Tsar.
- The opposition to tsarism was not organised or united with peasants and workers scattered.
What did the Fundamental Laws do?
- They established Russia’s State Duma.
- It gave the new parliament a real role but their power was still very limited.
- Its power was matched by an upper house of parliament whose members were chosen by the Tsar.
- The Tsar also kept hold of very important powers in the armed services and foreign policy.
- Only the Tsar was able to make changes to the Fundamental Laws of Russia.
When were the Fundamental Laws set up?
April 1906
Why did the Tsar limit the power of the Duma?
- Because Nicholas did not trust the idea of allowing the Russian people to have a say in how Russia and its empire should be governed.
- He hated the idea of limiting his sacred autocratic powers.
Why were the first two Dumas disolved?
They were quickly dissolved by the Tsar for being too radical.
How did the third Duma run its whole coarse?
Police repression was so severe that it was mainly made up
of conservative deputies who would support the Tsar as it was too difficult for revolutionary parties to operate.
What did the Prime Minister Stolypin do?
Prime Minister Stolypin made land reforms to ensure that
rebellions stopped in the countryside by letting individual peasants leave communes to set up their own farms in Siberia. in 1917, peasant unrest once again swept through rural Russia.
When was Stolypin assassinated?
1911
What was the Lena Goldfield strike?
In 1912, the strike in the Lena Goldfields resulted in striking workers being shot discontent with the government increased again.
