the extent and impact of reform

Question 1

tsars attitudes to reform

Answer 1

A2 - freeing the serfs they would be happier and less likely to riot
A3 - russification, lack of liberalism (Russia made official language, only 1892 – Municipal Act 10% of population in St Petesrburg and Moscow were eligible to vote, Orthodox church expansion – x7 under Poedebedonostev)
N2 - introduced the Duma to quell unrest - ‘damn the Duma’
PG - passed liberal reforms, dismantled the Okrahana, did little to stop land seizures in the hopes for more stability

Question 2

communists attitudes to reform

Answer 2

• reforms were often to directly control opposition and intended to crush it completely
• War Communism, Collectivisation and 5YP - repressive measures ensured they were implemented
• many were ‘sacrifices’ that were made for the good of the motherland - anyone who disagreed was removed
• Khrushchev - moved more towards liberal reforms and granting greater freedoms, but still maintained repression and control through MVD

Question 3

tsars: extent and impact of economic reform

Answer 3

A2 - promoted greater railway building - Reutern – encouragement of railway expansion - almost x2 by 1881
A3 - Witte’s Great Spurt (movement to industrialisation and Trans-Siberian) and encouragement of entrepreneurialism

Question 4

communists: extent and impact of economic reform

Answer 4

• Used policy to centralise economic policy around the state - Veshenka used to implement policies of nationalisation
• War Communism, NEP, Collectivisation and FYPs

Question 5

tsars: extent and impact of social reform

Answer 5

• A2 - most far reaching social reforms through emancipation edict - military reforms (Milyutin - conscription lowered, 500k in reserves) or judicial, or local gov reforms
• Most tsars strived for educational reform, but some were reversed under Tolstoy and A3
• N2 - education censorship lessened slightly, causing literacy rates under workers to reach 64%
• housing low concern to economic policy - ibza huts common and peasants stayed on communes

Question 6

communists: extent and impact of social reform

Answer 6

• less concern over housing - Stalin adopted communal flats as a means to promote brutalist architecture and efficiency
• they were removed under Kh - but most still lacked running water and those under Virgin Land Scheme’s ‘agro towns’ were also in bad conditions
• reforms were to better productivity - Stalin’s variations in working hours demonstrates this

Question 7

tsars: extent and impact of agricultural reforms

Answer 7

A2 - Emancipation
A3 - 1889 Land Captains to supervise peasants activity
N2 - Stolypin’s land reforms
PG - did very little to address land issues

Question 8

communists: extent and impact of agricultural reforms

Answer 8

Bolsheviks - land decree (only to appease, wouldn’t last long)
Lenin and Stalin - collectivisation as a means to keep control and supplies where needed - 90% of production given to urban population
Kh - went further with these reforms as he considered himself an ‘expert’ in this field

Question 9

Who was Stolypin?

Answer 9

Minister of Internal Affairs from 1906-1911

Question 10

Successes of Stolypin’s reforms

Answer 10

60k under necktie, reformed farming (abolished redemption payments gradually until Jan 1907 where they were abolished completely), 64% literacy rate,

Question 11

Failures of Stolypin’s reforms

Answer 11

only 10% of households had moved past strip farming, needed 20 years
Redemption payments hadn’t been paid in full for a long time

Question 12

impact of reforms on peasants

Answer 12

• abused
• emancipation granted some freedoms
• always secondary citizens and hardest hit by famines

Question 13

impact of reforms on workers

Answer 13

• exploited but valued by the Bolsheviks
• bonus schemes introduced by end of 1917
• treated in a similar way to peasants but reforms certainly allowed advancement by 1964