The Russian Autocracy in 1855 Flashcards
What were Nicolas I three pillars?
Orthodoxy, Autocracy and Nationality
What were the tsars imperial edicts called?
Ukase
What was the name of the tsars advisory board?
How many of them were there?
The Council of Ministers
8-14
How large was the Russian army?
Who were conscripted and for how long?
Largest army in the world (1.5 million)
Conscripted serfs did 25 years in military colonies.
What percentage of annual spending was the army and navy?
45%
Who were the Cossacks?
Elite mounted regiments that acted as police and the tsars bodyguards
Who were the secret police?
The Third Section
Why was Russia ‘backward’ when it came to the economy?
Russia relied on agriculture. The West were using new methods of crop rotation, fertilisers and machinery and were now outperforming Russia’s inefficient system of farming in strips.
There was little incentive for peasants to enter markets and few entrepreneurs.
Nobles were in debt due to the West becoming more agriculturally competitive.
What were the educated class of Russia called?
The Intelligentsia
Which class was notably absent in Russian society?
The Middle Class
What percentage of Imperial Finance was funded by taxes?
90%
What taxes did the serfs have to pay?
Poll tax, indirect tax on goods, dues to master
When was the Crimean War?
Why did Russia lose it so badly?
Which Treaty humiliated Russia?
1853-56
Russia suffered from outdated technology, poor transport and inadequate leadership.
The Treaty of Paris 1856
What percentage of the population was peasantry?
Around 82%
What percentage of Russia’s population considered themselves Russian?
55%
