Russian Gov. changes Flashcards
To what extent did ___ event change Russian government more than any other between 1855-1921?
25 Marks - 45mins max
To what extent did ___ event change Russian government more than any other between 1855-1921?
Consider -
- Crimean War / Alexander II coming to the throne
- Alexander III coming to the throne 1881
- 1905 Revolution / Fundamental Laws 1906
- WW1 / March Revolution
- October Revolution 1917
Ideology, Structure of Gov., Repression
Intro - I dis/agree with the statement due to the fact that… . We can assess the impact of various events on Russian government using 3 key elements of reform: Ideology, Structure of Government & Repression.
Para 1 - Ideologically, the October Revolution had the greatest impact on Russian government. This is because it issued reform, implementing a left-wing government that, in theory, would be far more focused on improving the rights of the lower classes. In practice, almost the opposite occurred. Under the Tsars, an ideology of autocracy remained prevalent, that they were accountable only to God, not the people and thus elections were not necessary. Alexander II introduced some slight changes such as the Zemstva in 1864, but these were limited to regional power and only 43/70 provinces had them by 1900 - seen as ‘Tsar Liberator’ but in reality this may not be accurate. Of course Alexander may have had good motives of improving the lives of the serfs, but improvement barely came (still indebted to Mir, huge payments for poor-quality land, no surplus of grain), probs because Alexander was limited so not to anger land-owners. Alexander III considerably more authoritarian with his reign in charge known as ‘The Reaction’, reversing Alexander II’s reforms such as poorer classes attending secondary and rejecting Constitutional Reform in 1881. 1905 October Manifesto and subsequent Fundamental Laws proved once again that the Tsars had the ideology of preserving full autocracy influencing everything they did. WW1 caused PG rule, but they were unwilling to make meaningful reform on the home front as they were focused on WW1 and the election of a constituent assembly. October Revolution first event that hugely shifted ideology of rulers in Russia. Bolsheviks and Lenin were determinedly socialist and in favour of workers far more than the Tsars, but after Civil War conditions for them actually worsened due to 37% agricultural production of pre-war and poor and the Militarisation of Labour (sending soldiers into workplaces to ensure sufficient work). Nevertheless, despite the actual failings, ideologically they offered a drastic alternative to Tsarism, and wasn’t until later years that Lenin & Stalin resembled the autocracy of the Tsars
Para 2 - In terms of the structure of government, consistent with the ideological factor is the Tsars did little, if anything to change it, while PG then Lenin creating change. Under the Tsars the Council of Ministers, Imperial Council of State and Supreme Court were all subservient to the Tsars. Alexander made Zemstva in 1864, but only 43/70 provinces had them by 1900 and power was limited. His proposed reforms for Constitutional Power before his assassination could’ve proved significant but Alexander III rejected them. Nicholas created the Duma, which in theory was huge but Fundamental Laws 1906 limited power and autocracy was still the ruling structure - ‘No new law can be legally binding without the approval pf the Sovereign Emperor’. Far more importantly were WW1 and the PG changed structure hugely, with head now an unelected body made of Progresive Bloc members of the Duma. This was a great change and the PG’s 8 principles set out were sound. Their main aim of creating elections fo a constituent assembly were ultimately successful by January 1918, but they were so focused on this and the war that not much else was done. Dual-power also limited reforms. October Revolution reformed structure as well as the Constituent Assembly was replaced in dramatic fashion by Bolshevik dictatorship, with Lenin using the Central Executive Committee to rule. Lenin continued with the Constituent Assembly, but when it became dominated by SRs he shut it down, claiming it to be ‘anti-revolutionary’. Ultimately Lenin believed that the ‘superstructure’ of bodies that formed the base of tsarist rule must be destroyed and replaced with new bodies that reflected an egalitarian society, such as the Central Executive Committee. However, extent of this structural change varies depending on what comparison we make. In relation to the PG it was huge as the PG was focused on democracy, whereas in relation to Tsarism, while there was an ideological change it could be argued that the same form of autocracy remained under the Bolsheviks. Ultimately Tsars did little if anything of meaningful change while WW1 and Bolsheviks drastically changed the system
Para 3 - In terms of repression between 1855-1921, the major event that changed it was WW1 and the Feb. Revolution. Under the Provisional Government a clear switch in policy towards repression, including freedom of the press and political prisoners. Under the Tsars, the Okhrana - introduced in 1880 by Alexander II, was a form of secret police responsible for targeting dissidents to the regime; however, it was largely ineffective in achieving its purpose, shown by the numerous attempts on Alexander’s life and successful assassination of 1881. The use of the Okhrana continued until the February Revolution of 1917. The PG refused to continue with an institution that was clearly hated among the Russian people. Along with this change, the PG also allowed political prisoners to be freed form prison and freedom of press, illustrating the most extensive reform to repressive measures in the period. The PG did much to ameliorate this system, but upon its replacement by the Bolsheviks in October repressive measures were reintroduced. Lenin created the Cheka as a new form of secret police, and it became integral to the implementation of War Communism. Lenin also reintroduced propaganda and limitations to publishing, similar to the Tsars. As a result of these factors, we can infer that the February Revolution was the most crucial factor in halting repressive measures against the people, yet it was what many historians have called a brief ‘honeymoon’ before Lenin reintroduced measures.
Conclusion - the October Revolution was most crucial in stimulating changes in government structure. This is due to the fact that, under the Tsars, autocracy remained the underlying factor behind all changes, and it could be argued that any that were made, such as the Zemstva and Duma were almost purely domestic reforms with no real substance. Under the PG there was a drastic reform to government structure both ideologically, structurally and in terms of repression, yet the temporary nature of its existence serves to weaken its contribution to Russian society. As a result, the October Revolution acts as most influential in changing Russian government, both through its ideological paradox to Tsarism and its change to the autocracy of the Romanovs, yet it could be argued that Lenin took a similar autocratic approach after the years in question.
