The state of Russia in 1855

Question 1

How was Russian society in 1855 organised?

Answer 1

1- The middle class was extremely small due to an absence of industrialisation and
a lack of professional training opportunities
2- Peasants, or serfs, ‘belonged’ to the nobility or the state.
3- The Mir – village commune – was run by the peasants, and allotted them land
4- Made up of many recently conquered national groups

Question 2

What was the Russian religion?

Answer 2

1- Eastern Orthodoxy
2- Church services were the main source of information for peasants

Question 3

What was one problem of the size of Russia?

Answer 3

1- There was poor communication across the empire due to a lack of railway (none
south of Moscow)
2- Close control of the rural population was only achieved through reliance on the
serf system

Question 4

Why were the serfs unprosperous?

Answer 4

1- Up to 2/3 of a serf’s income were given to the landowner
2- Strip farming techniques were inefficient
3- Little incentive or opportunity to become wage earners, so innovation and
productivity remained low

Question 5

Why did Russia lose the Crimean War?

Answer 5

1- Major shortage of weaponry and armaments
2- Lack of infrastructure to move men and materials

Question 6

What was the impact of the Crimean War?

Answer 6

1- Destabilisation throughout the Empire, particularly in Ukraine
2- The average number of peasant risings per year rose to 70 through the late
1850s

Question 7

What was the state of Russian industry in 1855?

Answer 7

1- Non-existent heavy industry
2- The most successful industries were textiles and sugar
3- Most of production was in small, domestic workshops

Question 8

What was the state of Russian agriculture in 1855?

Answer 8

1- Productivity was very low compared to western countries – production per hectare
was less than 50% of that in Britain
2- 90% of the population worked in agriculture
3- Most peasants used the inefficient strip farming technique

Question 9

What was the state of Russian serfdom in 1855?

Answer 9

1- Prevented excess labour being used profitably
2- Mobility of labour was virtually impossible
3- If serfdom was abolished, it was believed that peasants would work more willingly
and would move to cities to work in factories