The Rule of Tsar Nicholas II

Question 1

What can be said about the character of Nicholas II?

Answer 1

Nicholas was weak-willed, poorly educated and lacking in confidence, he was also known to be a bad judge of people and very devious. Many believed that Nicholas lacked the taste for power that was required of a strong autocratic leader.
Nicholas could be very obstinate, as shown when he made the decision to lead the Russian army in WWI.
Nicholas could also be benevolent and kind and was know for being a family orientated man.

Question 2

What can be said about the attitudes of Nicholas II?

Answer 2

Nicholas’ attitude in governing was based upon a firm belief in God and a sense of duty as well as rigid belief in autocracy. The tsar believed that tsarism and religion were inextricably linked. He prioirtised the preservation of the Romanov Dynasty and believed it was his duty to be as strong as his father had been.

Question 3

What can be said about Nicholas’ abilities?

Answer 3

Although the eventual fall of the Romanov dynasty and Russia falling to revolution and a state of civil war is often blamed on Nicholas, it is possible to commend him for his ability to bring about reform. This is evident through the establishment of the dumas, he was able to enforce his reforms with a firm hand.

Question 4

What were the four main political problems in Russia in 1894?

Answer 4

Opposition had grown against the reactionary and repressive measures of Alexander III, the most pressing were:

1) The centralised control of the police under the minister of the interior.
2) The replacement of the elected Justices of the Peace with Land Captains.
3) A rise in censorship
4) Tighter control of the Zemstva (provincial governments) and a reduction of peasant representation these organisations.

Question 5

What were the five main economic problems facing Russia in 1894?

Answer 5

1) A lack of productivity compared with international rivals.
2) A lack of free enterprise, the tsar an his ministers directed production by controlling the armaments industry and the railway.
3) A reliance on foreign investment.
4) Rising exports of grain which contributed to the famine of 1891.
5) Agriculture was backward, many peasants were still using wooden ploughs which limited productivity.

Question 6

What were the three main social issues Russia faced in 1894?

Answer 6

1) Peasants were aggrieved about their living standards. The redistribution of land had resulted in a reduction of the size of plots and the mir continued to be a barrier to innovation.
2) The 1891 famine resulted in the deaths of nearly 350,000 people, its effects were long lasting.
3) Industrialisation led to urbanisation and resulting social problems such as: poor housing, lack of sanitation and inadequate water supplies. The result was the spread of diseases, especially cholera.

Question 7

Who were the Liberals?
In 1904 what was founded by Pytor Struve and what were there demands?
Give three specific wants.

Answer 7

Westernisers continued to demand that Russia should be run similar to the Western European democracies such as Britain.
In 1904 Pytor Struve founded the Union of Liberation, which demanded greater freedoms and justice for all Russians.
In particular the Union wanted:
1) More land distribution for peasants.
2) A representative Constituent Assembly
3) Improved conditions for industrial workers

Question 8

Who were the Kadets?

Who was their leader?

Answer 8

The Kadets were a group of intellectuals from the liberal movement, they were led by Paul Milyukov and called for a constitutional monarchy. They were the opposition within the first duma.

Question 9

Who were the Octoberists?

Answer 9

These were a more moderate liberal group, they were loyal to the tsar but wanted changes to the system of government. They supported Nicholas II’s October Manifesto.

Question 10

Who were the Populists?

Answer 10

The Populists were revolutionaries operating in the 1870s, who believed that agricultural communes and co-operative workshops would provide a base for the Russian economy to develop without resorting to capitalism. The Socialist Revolutionaries of the 20th century emerged from the Populist movement.

Question 11

Who were the Socialist Revolutionaries?
When were they formed and who was their leader?
What were the actions of the right and left SRs.

Answer 11

The Socialist revolutionaries were focused on improving the living conditions of the poorest people in society, including the growing urban proletariat. It was formed in 1901, led by Victor Chernov. By 1905 there had been a split in the party, on one side were the more radical left-wing SRs and on the other side were the more moderate right-wing SRs.
The left SRs were responsible for 2000 political killings between 1901 and 1905. The left focused on the plight of industrial workers.
The right SRs worked with other parties and appealed to the peasants.
The SRs had the most support and were the biggest threat to tsarist rule prior to the 1917 October Revolution.

Question 12

Who were the Social Democrats?

Answer 12

The Social Democrats based their ideology on the writings of Karl Marx, believing that the Proletariat could be educated to overthrow Russian autocracy by way of revolution.
The Mensheviks focused on improving pay and lowering working hours of the proletariat.
The Bolsheviks split from the Mensheviks; they argued that the working class could be sufficiently politically educated to create a revolution.

Question 13

What was the process of Russification?

Answer 13

Russification was the process whereby the non-Russian regions were drawn more securely into the framework of the Russian empire. This involved administrative integration as well as the transmission of Russian culture, religion and language to the peoples of the national minorities. This was a process that started in 1863 and was continued by Lenin, Stalin and Krushchev, mainly through constitutional changes and repression.

Question 14

Describe Pobedonostsev’s ideology.

Answer 14

He was a conservative and reactionary for most of his life. He was an advocate of autocracy and enemy of liberal democracy. He was very religious and venerated the Russian Orthodox Church. He held anti-semitic views and was behind many of the attacks on Jews that took place in this period.

Question 15

What were Pobedonostsev’s four main achievements?

Answer 15

1) Helped to prepare judicial reforms for the tsar in 1864.
2) He became an adviser and writer on Russian law between 1868 to 1880 and published three volumes of ‘A course of civil law’.
3) He was a major influence on Alexander III’s policymaking and manifesto.
4) He became the chief prosecutor of the Holy Synod in 1880; this post enabled him to advise the tsar on religious matters and influence the church and educational and social policies.

Question 16

Describe Witte’s ideology.

Answer 16

Witte was committed to industrialisation so that Russia could compete with other industrialised nations and improve its military capability.
He believed in encouraging foreign exports to come to Russia.
He also planned to take out foreign loans, raise taxes and raise interest rates to boost available capital for investment in industry.

Question 17

What were Witte’s four main achievements?

Answer 17

As a result of Witte’s focus on industry and the railways there was a ‘Great Spurt’ in which:

1) Coal production doubled and that of iron and steel sevenfold.
2) New technologies were introduced in the oil and steel industries.
3) The amount of open railway track almost doubled.
4) Income from industry quadrupled from 1893 to 1897..

Question 18

What were the long term causes of the Russo-Japanese war? (3)
What promise did Russia make to Japan?

Answer 18

1) Prior to 1904, Russia had quarrelled for many years over Korea and Manchuria.
2) Russia had looked to increase its influence, it was successful in securing a 25 year lease of Port Arthur in China in 1898.
3) Russia’s threat to Japan increase after the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway and occupation of Manchuria after a short military conflict with the Chinese.

However Russia promised to remove its troops from Chinese territory by 1903.

Question 19

What were the short term causes of the Russo-Japanese war? (3)

Answer 19

1) Russia reneged on its promise to remove troops from Manchuria, which angered the Japanese.
2) In February 1903 Japan retaliated by launching a night attack on the Pacific Squadron at Port Arthur. This resulted in damage to three Russian ships and had a negative effect on Russian morale.
3) Japan proceded to blockade Port Arthur.

Question 20

Explain the course of the Russo-Japanese war. (4)

Answer 20

1) The Japanese moved north from Korea to confront Russia in South Manchuria at the battle of Yalu. The Russian forces were outnumbered and thoroughly beaten which was a shock to the Tsar and the other Great Powers.
2) The siege of Port Arthur continued, isolating around 60,000 Russian troops. In December 1905, the port finally surrendered.
3) In May 1905, Russia’s Baltic Squadron were defeated by a Japanese Navy fleet.
4) Defeat at Mukden in 1905 was the final straw and prompted peace talks and the singing of a treaty.

Question 21

What were the consequences of the war?

Answer 21

1) The defeat led to questions being raised about the Tsar’s ability to maintain Russia’s world status and concerns about autocracy in general.
2) The conflict brought about significant reform, the Tsar brought about a number of social, political and economic reforms to remedy the social unrest in the Russian homeland.
3) The Tsar reluctantly introduced the duma, in the hope that this would give the impression that the Tsar was prepared to become more accountable for his actions and those of his advisers.

Question 22

What were the two main terms in the Treaty of Portsmouth, August 1905?

Answer 22

1) Russia was forced to withdraw from Port Arthur, south Sakhalin and south Manchuria.
2) Russian leaders had to acknowledge Japanese sovereignty in Korea.

Question 23

Give two main causes of the 1905 revolution.

Answer 23

Two areas of grievance arose against Nicholas II:

1) The repressive nature of his government.
2) His inability to deal with political, economic and social problems including the Russo-Japanese war.

Question 24

Give four examples of unrest as a result of grievance against Tsar Nicholas leading up to 1905.

Answer 24

1) Student unrest and the assassination of the Minister of Education (1901).
2) Strikes such as that at the Obukhov factory in St Petersburg (1901).
3) Peasant protests linked to poor harvests (1902).
4) Anti-war protests leading to the assassination of the Minister of the Interior, Plehve (1904).

Question 25

Why did Nicholas publish the October Manifesto?

What were the three main statements made in the October Manifesto?

Answer 25

Nicholas II was advised by Witte to issue a new declaration of his policy, or manifesto. The October manifesto was an attempt to clarify the powers that a new legislative assembly might have.
It stated that:
1) The duma would consist of elected representatives from the 51 provinces of the empire.
2) The Duma would require the legislation of political parties and trade unions.
3) Russian people would be granted the right to freedom of assembly, worship and speech.

Question 26

When were the Fundamental Laws published?

Why were they published?

Answer 26

Nicholas II published the Fundamental Laws in 1906.
The Fundamental Laws stated that: ‘The Sovereign Emperor possesses the initiative in all legislative matters. No law can come into force without his approval.’ This enabled Nicholas to keep control of the Duma.

Question 27

How many dumas were called between 1905 and Nicholas II’s abdication?
Give details about the first two dumas. (4)

Answer 27

Four dumas were called in this time.

1) Consisted of representatives from a broad range of political groups.
2) Highly critical of tsarist policies.
3) Stolypin was asked to change the voting rights so they favoured the nobility.
4) Lasted only months and despite heated debate over land distribution, they achieved very little.

Question 28

Give details about the second two dumas. (3)

Answer 28

1) They were very conservative and far more supportive of the government.
2) Resulted in major reforms being made to the army and navy.
3) Improvements in the judicial system and state-run insurance schemes for workers.

Question 29

Form where does the expression ‘Stolypin’s neckties’ originate.

Answer 29

Stolypin, the newly appointed Chairman of the Council of Ministers thought the process of dealing with rebels was too slow and the punishments not harsh enough.
He therefore ordered a speeding up of the trial system by introducing field court-martials.
The result was a series of very quick trials and executions which gained the label: ‘Stolypin’s neckties’.

Question 30

What were the two main aims of Stolypin’s land reforms?

Answer 30

1) To use land distribution to build and strengthen the class of more able and educated, ‘best’ peasants.
2) The hope was that they would then act as a role model to other peasants and a force agains the mir.

Question 31

What were the two main policies of Stolypin’s land reforms?

Answer 31

1) Unused or poorly utilised land was made available to the Peasant Land Bank. Forward-looking peasants would then be able to buy the land from the bank on favourable terms.
2) Peasants who still farmed small plots were given the opportunity to consolidate their land into smallholdings.

Question 32

Give two reasons why Stolypin’s land reforms failed?

Answer 32

1) The process led to an expansion of the wealthier class of peasants, but they were not satisfied with Stolypin’s reforms, they believed that the best land was still inaccessible to peasants.
2) By 1914, 2 million peasants had left the village commune, leaving some regions very short of rural labour which added to the challenge of maintaining supplies of food to the growing urban population.

Question 33

Give details about the political situation in Russia in 1914. (5)

Answer 33

1) Political situation was relatively stable.
2) The creation of the Duma via the October Manifesto had initially caused some issues, as participants in the new assembly took the opportunity to criticise the tsar.
3) With the help of Stolypin, the tsar reduced the authority of the duma and the challenge it posed faded.
4) Liberal members of the Duma felt aggrieved, but did not feel it was correct to criticise the tsar.
5) More radical groups lacked enough support to mount a revolution and many of their leaders such as Lenin had been exiled.

Question 34

Give details about the economic condition of Russia in 1914. (5)

Answer 34

1) Economic growth was still slow compared to other European powers.
2) Low levels of industrial productivity.
3) Agricultural production had increased, due to Stolypin’s reforms many more peasant households had become independent farms.
4) However, many peasants were beginning to leave the land to live and work in urbanised areas.
5) Railway system continuing to develop, although the -Trans-Siberian railway was not complete and many parts of Russia remained ‘unconnected’ to the centre.

Question 35

Give details about Russian society in 1914.

Answer 35

1) Population was continuing to rise, it had grown by 41 million since 1897, which put pressure on those working the land to increase the supply of food.
2) Rapid urbanisation and a lack of sanitation and hygiene in neglected urban areas led to the spread of disease.
3) An outbreak of cholera in St Petersburg killed 100,000 people in 1910.
4) There was rising discontent in urban areas, due to poor working conditions and low pay. There was increased working class consciousness and the potential for a challenge to tsarist authority from below.
5) Lena Goldfield strike of 1912 was considered such a threat, that troops were sanctioned to kill the striking miners.

Question 36

Give details about Russian society in 1914. (5)

Answer 36

1) Population was continuing to rise, it had grown by 41 million since 1897, which put pressure on those working the land to increase the supply of food.
2) Rapid urbanisation and a lack of sanitation and hygiene in neglected urban areas led to the spread of disease.
3) An outbreak of cholera in St Petersburg killed 100,000 people in 1910.
4) There was rising discontent in urban areas, due to poor working conditions and low pay. There was increased working class consciousness and the potential for a challenge to tsarist authority from below.
5) Lena Goldfield strike of 1912 was considered such a threat, that troops were sanctioned to kill the striking miners.