Topic 1: The Tsarist regime and its collapse 1914-1917 Flashcards
What did autocracy mean for the Tsar?
It meant that he had absolute power, could make laws, appoint ministers and decide on policies completely on his own.
When was the first duma set up?
1906
Did Nicholas II like the duma having power?
No, he was very reluctant to allow it any real power.
What did Nicholas II ‘s tyrannical control over power mean about change in Russia?
It meant that it was impossible to bring about any changes in Russia without Nicholas agreeing to them.
Was Nicholas II strong and stubborn on his decisions or weak and easily influenced?
Weak and easily influenced by others
Give an example of when Nicholas II was indecisive in his regime.
Even when he took the right decision e.g. after the 1905 revolution, he changed his mind later on.
Did he really want to be the Tsar?
No
What was a problem about the Tsar Nicholas II attitude?
He was not capable of acting sensibly
What had the Tsar traditionally relied on to deal with opposition?
Repression
What was one of the Tsars forms of repression?
The secret police
What was the name for the Tsars secret police?
Okhrana
Who broke up street disturbances? (repression)
Cossacks
How was the Tsars Nicholas II grandfather killed?
By a bomb.
What was the name of the Tsar Nicholas II grandfather?
Alexander II
When was Alexander II ( Tsar Nicholas II grandfather) killed?
1881
In Russia there were extremes of wealth and poverty, far greater than in any other European country. How were these made worse?
These were made worse by big increases in the populations of the two main cities St. Petersburg and Moscow.
Fill in the blanks.
The number of people living in St. Petersburg and Moscow nearly doubled between ____ and _____
1880 and 1914
What did the increase in population in Russia lead to?
Overcrowding
Shortages of food
Unrest
In 1917 what percentage of the population worked in industry?
2%
In 1917 what percentage of the population worked in agriculture?
80%
In 1917 what percentage of the population were literate?
30%
What did the Russians think about Western ideas?
They distrusted them
What did the army commanders think was the most important weapon?
Bayonet
What was the largest and most powerful opposition group in Russia called?
Socialist-Revolutionaries
Where were the socialist revolutionaries strongest in Russia? And who supported them the most?
Countryside where they were supported by many peasants
What two groups made up the Social Democrats?
The Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks
Which opposition group was most significant?
The Bolsheviks (part of the social democrats)
Fill in the blanks.
Industrialisation was proceeding rapidly in the big cities of St Petersburg and Moscow. Their populations increased by more than ______ in the twenty years leading up to the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.
50%
What did Russia being an important industrial power mean for the workers living conditions?
That ten of thousands of them were were squashed into overcrowded districts in the centres of the cities.
In 1904 and 1905 which country was Russia defeated by?
Japan
In what years did Japan defeat Russia?
1904 and 1905
In what did Japan defeat Russia in 1904 and 1905?
Russo-Japanese War
How did Russias defeat by Japan make Russia feel?
Humiliated
What did Russias defeat by Japan lead to? Give an example.
Protests like ‘Bloody Sunday’
What helped bring about the 1905 Revolution?
Protests like ‘Bloody Sunday’ after Russia was defeated by Japan.
What was the only reason that Tsar Nicholas II was saved during the protests throughout 1905?
The loyalty of his army
When was the October Manifesto granted after the revolution of that year had threatened to overthrow him?
1905
What did Nicholas II grant in 1905 in response to the threat to overthrow him?
The October Manifesto 1905
What did the Tsar Nicholas II promise the October Manifest?
- Civil liberties for all people, including freedom from arrest and freedom of conscience, speech, assembly and association.
- The creation of a State Duma, which would have to agree to all laws.
- Universal suffrage for the election of the Duma.
After the 1905 October Manifesto when did the State Duma first meet?
1906
How long was the first State Duma around for?
72 Days
