The Russian Autocracy 1855 Flashcards
1
Q
How was Russia run in 1855
A
- it was an AUTOCRACY run by the tsar who had unlimited god given respect
2
Q
What sections supported the tsar
A
- the church
- advisers and ministers
- the nobility
- the law
- the bureaucracy
- the army
- the police
3
Q
How did the church support the tsar
A
- the tsar was seen as gods incarnate on earth and so could completely control the Russia Orthodox Church
- Russia was his god given land and the people his children, they were forced to be absolutely devout to him
- he appointed a spiritual guide- the patriarch of Moscow- and the over-procurator of the holy synod himself so all high figures in the church were up to him and intertwined w the gov
4
Q
What were the two other large positions in the church
A
- the patriarch of Moscow- the spiritual guide
- the over-procurator of the holy synod- a gov minister running church affairs
5
Q
How did the law support the tsar
A
- he gave EDICTS (laws) that couldn’t be contested
6
Q
How did advisors + ministers support the tsar
A
- he chose them and they all came from the nobility
- they couldn’t dictate his decisions
7
Q
How did the nobility support the tsar
A
- the provincial nobles in non government roles kept order and loyalty in their provincial estates and land
- they often served in special committees, as governors and reporters for order
8
Q
How did the bureaucracy support the tsar
A
- all civil servants were paid nobles who held a ‘rank’ on the government
- all orders were passed down the ranks to the provinces and districts
- it was corrupt and incompetent however
9
Q
How was the army set up/ helped the tsar and the autocracy
A
- it included 1.5 million conscripted serfs who had to serve for 25 years
- the higher positions were reserved for nobles
- there were elite regiments of mounted Cossacks who acted as special aid for the tsar
10
Q
How was the army financially burdenous
A
- it absorbed about 45% of the govs annual spending
11
Q
How did the police help the tsar/ autocracy
A
- the police state meant heavy censorship, travel and speech freedom and strikes was banned
- the ‘third section’ of the imperial council were sevret agents who could act freely to stop any anti tsarist behaviour
12
Q
How large were the serf population
A
- 50% of Russia were serfs
- 50% of that privately owned by land owners and the rest state owned who paid taxes and rent
13
Q
What was serf life like
A
- most lived in land village communities called mirs
- they were very religious and uninterested in change
- they also had little interest in money
- they were often very poor and hungry
- liable for taxes to their master and the state
14
Q
Political developements leading up to 1855
A
- the intelligentsia called for a civil law based society whilst nicolas the 1 was heavy on repression to distance himself from liberal western ideas
- his reign ended in the defeat in crimea which brought the need for change to the new Tsars attention
15
Q
What were the main reasons for russias economic backwardness
A
- they had a large inhospitable territory that meant it was hard to live and work in the majority of Russia
- the serf based economy limited any force that drove change eg the lower working class
- bad communication meant that their raw material eg coal and gold was untapped
16
Q
What are the three things that drive industrialist change
A
- wage earners
- internal market demand
- entrepreneurs
17
Q
Why was Russia lacking ‘wage earners’
A
- serfs worker communal harvesting jobs, they were very poor and only gained money working in cottage industry’s at best
- they had no opportunity to develope as they could not break the system
18
Q
Why was Russia lacking an ‘internal market demand’
A
- there was no want to gain money or wealth in serf areas as money was not relevant due to the fact they could not get anywhere with wealth
- at markets goods were usually exchanged
- there were small areas where peasents sought wage work when farming was bad
19
Q
Why the Russia lack entrepreneurs
A
- the rich elite could obtain all they needed from their Bailiffs which squeezed out serf money
- even though western competiton meant moeny was scarce the rich still did not care for money and so didn’t seek entrepreneurial ways to make more or seek capital accumulation when they did have wealth
20
Q
How was Russia divided class wise
A
- society was feudal
-the rich royal court, 10% of the population and extempt from taxes - the productive class; liable for taxes and 90% of finance
- there was no middle class only a few intelligentsia but they even were sons of nobles
21
Q
Background of the ottoman Turks
A
- latge empire that stretched from the Middle East to the bulkans
- struggled to control the Christian’s in his European dominions
22
Q
Reason for attack of the Ottoman Empire/ Crimean war
A
- tsar wanted to increase Russian influence
- could pose as protecting the Christian’s under ottoman control
23
Q
1853-54 events of Crimean war
A
- June, nicolas sent army to Moldova beginning a war
- war declared in October
- brits and french join the war threatened by Russia
- they begin an attack on the Russian naval base of Sebastopol
- in October 54 Russian was defeated at backlava and inKerman
24
Q
Why Russia failed in the Crimean war
A
- outbreak of cholera
- outdated technology eg muskets and only one between 2 soldiers
- poor transport as equptment and soldiers took much longer to get to front line (by foot)
- poor leadership
25
Q
1855-56 events of Crimean war
A
- Nicolas I dies in March 1855
- september, Sebastopol was lost
- treaty of paris signed in 56 preventing Russia from using Black Sea
26
Q
Impact of Crimean war
A
- revealed russias weak military and administration
- trade disrupted
- encouraged peasent uprising
- intellegestua fueled in cries to bridge gap between Russia and the superior west
- Alexander II inspired to make a more open minded and liberal change
