The Tsarist Regime Flashcards
What was the population of Russia in 1900?
130 million
How much of the worlds land did Russia cover in 1900?
One sixth
How many times bigger was Russia than Britain in 1900?
Over 100
Which railway connected the east and west of Russia?
The Trans-Siberian railway
What percentage of people in Russia in 1900 spoke Russian as their first language?
40%
Who were the Cossacks?
Savage warrior who fought on horseback and were loyal to the Tsar
What was Russification?
The policy of making non-Russians speak Russian, wear Russian clothes and follow Russian customs
What percentage of the Russian population did the peasantry make up in 1900?
84%
What percentage of the Russian population did the nobles make up in 1900?
1%
How much of Russian land did the nobles own in 1900?
Almost a quarter
When did Nicholas II become the Tsar?
1894
What family was Nicholas II from?
The Romanov dynathy
Describe the structure of Nicholas II’s governance of Russia
1) Nicholas II was an autocrat and had absolute power
2) he had a council of ministers who ran the various government departments but ultimately reported to him
3) thousand of civil servants beneath them
4) no parliament to represent the peoples’s views
What was the name of the secret police under Nicholas II?
The Okhrana
How did the Tsar use violence to solidify his rule?
1) sent dissidents to jail or Siberia
2) Cossacks restored order with great brutality during riots or strikes
What did Nicholas II censor?
All newspapers and books
Who were the Startsky?
Holy men who were held on special regard by the Russian people
Why did peasants refer to the Tsar as their ‘little father’?
Because the Orthodox Church preached that he was Gods chosen representative on earth
Why was the fact that Nicholas II was deeply religious make him a poor leader?
He was a fatalist (someone who believed that events were due to God) so turned to prayer as opposed to actions in times of crisis
Give an example of how Nicholas II allowed himself to get overly involved in the tiniest details of governance
Personally answered letters from peasants and appointed rural midwives
Why was the Tsars choice of ministers bad?
1) he felt threatened my talented ministers (dismissed Witte 1906)
2) appointed family members and friends to important positions
Who were the ‘liberals’?
The middle class opposition to the Tsar who wanted democracy based on the British model
What did the Socialist revolutionaries want?
To divide up the large estates of the nobles between the peasants
What percentage of Russians were orthodox Christians in 1900?
75%
How did the socialist revolutionaries try to achieve their aims?
Assassinated several important government officials between 1901 and 1905
When did the social Democratic Party split in two?
1903
What were the two components that the social democrats split into?
The Mensheviks and the Bolsheviks
What was the difference between the Mensheviks and the bolsheviks?
The Mensheviks wanted slow change whereas the Bolsheviks wanted more violent sudden change
How did the Tsar get money for industrialisation prior to the 1905 revolution?
1) places heavy taxes on grain and other everyday items
2) kept workers’ wages low
When was the industrial slump?
1902
When were the poor harvests in Russia before the 1905 revolution?
1900 and 1902
How did the peasants react to food shortage in 1902 and 1903?
Outbreaks of violence (e.g. burning landlords’ houses)
How did the Tsar put down disturbances in the countryside in 1902 and 1903?
Used troops
When did the Russo-Japanese war start?
1904
When did Port Arthur fall to Japan?
1905
Who was the priest who organised the march on Bloody Sunday?
Father Gapon
How many people joined the Bloody Sunday March?
200,000
What was the date of Bloody Sunday?
22nd January 1905
Name four things included in the petition on Bloody Sunday
1) reduce the working day to 8 hours
2) provide a minimum wage of 1 rouble per day
3) reduce taxes
4) pull out of the Russo-Japanese war
Why did the soldiers fire in the crowds on Bloody Sunday?
The Tsar was not in the winter palace and they panicked
How many workers were on strike in January 1905?
400,000