Russia Theme- Opposition

Question 1

Alexander II- Political Opposition

Answer 1

Liberal reforms after Crimea- censorship relaxed, emancipation, etc.- led to discussions of democracy or representative constitutions
Assassination attempts, revolutionary Narodniks- ‘going to the people’ (failed), Land and Liberty formed
People’s Will- assassinated A2

Question 2

Alexander II- Rural Opposition

Answer 2

Peasant revolts after emancipation- land army formed in Bezdna
647 riots in 4 months after emancipation, troops used to crush rioters
No united force, no ideology

Question 3

Alexander II- Urban Opposition

Answer 3

Very limited industrial unrest- a result of very limited industrial population+ no trade unions or strikes allowed

Question 4

Alexander II- Repression and Control

Answer 4

Third Section replaced with Okhrana- countered any political opposition
Censorship rules slightly relaxed, huge increase in book publication

Question 5

Alexander III- Political Opposition

Answer 5

Students became gradually radicalised- assassination attempt by Lenin’s brother, 1887
Marxist influence- ‘Liberation of Labour’ set up
Revolutionary groups lacked general support or power- influence of Okhrana and censorship

Question 6

Alexander III- Rural Opposition

Answer 6

Little unrest despite 1891 famine- Land Captains kept control

Question 7

Alexander III- Urban Opposition

Answer 7

Rising population=growing threat
Workers lacked sufficient numbers or unity to pose significant threat- despite increasing strike action

Question 8

Alexander III- Repression and Control

Answer 8

Okhrana used to spy on, arrest and imprison political opponents.
Publication limited- educational institutions seen as threats were shut down

Question 9

Nicholas II- Political Opposition

Answer 9

Political parties emerged after October Manifesto and creation of Duma- Socialist Revolutionaries assassinated Grand Duke Sergei, Liberals demanding democratic reform- Progressive Bloc during WW1, critical of Czar, disagreements between Czar and Duma, Czar forced to abdicate
Radical groups internally divided and struggled to gain support and representation in Duma

Question 10

Nicholas II- Rural Opposition

Answer 10

Peasant revolts in 1905-07, riots after food shortages due to WW1
Stolypin’s reforms helped quell peasant opposition (abolition of peasant passports, Land Captains, redemption payments, introduction of kulaks)

Question 11

Nicholas II- Urban Opposition

Answer 11

Mass strikes and protests in cities after Bloody Sunday (1905 Revolution)- Czar forced into October Manifesto, workers’ councils formed, police used to crush opposition (Lena Goldfields)
Strikes increased during WW1- 1/2 million at Putilov Steelworks- urban pressure forced Czar into abdication
Industrial reforms improved- number of strikes dropped from 2.8m in 1905 to 47k in 1910, back up to 1.3m by 1914

Question 12

Nicholas II- Repression and Control

Answer 12

Okhrana used to execute SRs and SDs before 1905, then just used to repress dissent
Censorship rules relaxed in October Manifesto- political parties and trade unions allowed

Question 13

Provisional Government- Political Opposition

Answer 13

Lack of legitimacy- challenged by Bolsheviks, undermined by Petrograd Soviet- revolutionaries returned as censorship was banned, no soldiers willing to support PG, infighting with threat of Kornilov

Question 14

Provisional Government- Rural Opposition

Answer 14

No authority- chaos in the countryside, peasants and ex-soldiers seized land and attacked noble estates

Question 15

Provisional Government- Urban Opposition

Answer 15

Strikes in Petrograd increased- workers began to recognise Petrograd Soviet, Bolsheviks recruited workers- increase in revolutionary ideas

Question 16

Provisional Government- Repression and Control

Answer 16

Okhrana disbanded- political dissent allowed- though Counter Espionage Bureau introduced to counter Bolsheviks
Complete freedom of press- led to quick spread of Bolshevik revolutionary ideas

Question 17

Lenin- Political Opposition

Answer 17

Bolsheviks did not have a majority in Constituent Assembly- Lenin closed it down. SRs angry over terms of Brest-Litovsk, sparked Civil War- White Army of political opponents. Bolsheviks destroyed all external political opposition, and banned other parties+ Ban on Factions- no opposition within the party, though there was internal disagreement on Brest-Litovsk, War Communism and the NEP

Question 18

Lenin- Rural Opposition

Answer 18

Decree On Land- won over peasants with gifted land. Introduction of NEP helped appease peasants.
Riots nonetheless due to opposition War Communism, Green Armies formed

Question 19

Lenin- Urban Opposition

Answer 19

Urban workers largely supported and many joined Bolsheviks- promised worker control. Rewarded by War Communism and NEP.
Workers still continually repressed

Question 20

Lenin- Repression and Control

Answer 20

Cheka introduced- persecuted kulaks and political opponents, enforced War Communism, grain requisitioning, deportation, etc. Later replaced with OGPU. Army used to enforce War Communism and win Civil War.
Press Freedom abolished- many books banned, Agitation and Propaganda department founded

Question 21

Stalin- Political Opposition

Answer 21

Rise to power- Stalin used Zinoviev and Kamenev to oust Trotsky and gain power, won disagreements over continuation of NEP, level of democracy and international revolutionary spread. Those who opposed Collectivisation in 20s excluded from Politburo
Purges- political critics or opponents executed or imprisoned
1-1.5 ml executions
All political opposition eliminated by 1939

Question 22

Stalin- Rural Opposition

Answer 22

Significant peasant unrest due to collectivisation and dekulakisation (thousands dead from each)- brutally repressed

Question 23

Stalin- Urban Opposition

Answer 23

High pressure due to Five Year Plans- trade union officials ruthlessly eliminated if they were defiant
No strikes during WW2

Question 24

Stalin- Repression and Control

Answer 24

All literary groups closed down- censorship increased- any challenge led to execution- also extended to arts and cinema.
Cult of Personality founded- propaganda rife.
NKVD- formed 1934, permanent terror, sent 40 million to gulags, used to administer Purges

Question 25

Khrushchev- Political Opposition

Answer 25

Destalinisation allowed for greater tolerance of criticism- Anti-Party group formed, removed by Khrushchev but not killed
Opposition grew in 1960s, removed in 1964, allowed to live

Question 26

Khrushchev- Rural Opposition

Answer 26

Little peasant opposition- popular agricultural reforms (Virgin Lands Scheme)

Question 27

Khrushchev- Urban Opposition

Answer 27

Stable industrial relations- standard of living rose
Riots due to food shortages, 1962- Novocherkassk Massacre

Question 28

Khrushchev- Repression and Control

Answer 28

NKVD split into MVD and KGB (local and international)- far fewer political arrests, gulag system closed, torture outlawed. Terror diminished- military reduced (at least in Russia (not Bloc)).
Censorship eased- publication encouraged, 10x more books in 1949 than in 1920s, criticism of Stalin allowed, Cult of Personality abandoned.