Topic 1 - Tsarist Russia & February Revolution

Question 1

What was the geography of pre-1914 Russia?

Answer 1

• ‘great power’ due to its size
• 8 million square miles
• covered 1/6 of the Earth
• most land was uninhabitable > stunted economic development
• population 185 million
• multiple different ethnic groups (less than 1/2 Russian by 1917)
• resistant areas e.g. Ukraine

Question 2

What was the political state of Tsarist Russia?

Answer 2

• more people had gained the right to vote
• social hierarchies had broken down
• no parliament until 1905
• tsarist autocracy
• police state
• Okhrana (secret police)
• censored press
• political opposition: Liberals, SRs, SDs

Question 3

What was industry like in Tsarist Russia?

Answer 3

• new forms of energy had developed
• railways and trade had expanded
• rapid industrialisation since the 1890’s (still behind the rest of Europe)
• 5th largest industrial power by 1917
• coal, pig iron, oil
• Major cities expanded (Moscow, St Petersburg)

Question 4

Examples of stability in Russia:

Answer 4

• major cities expanded
• 5th largest global economy
• industrial growth since the 1890’s
• large empire and population (185 million)
• elements of democracy (State Duma, elected individuals)
• lots of public support at the start of the war

Question 5

Examples of instability in Russia:

Answer 5

• multiple opposition groups
• political fights/demonstrations
• predominantly rural/agrarian
• shortage of industrial workers
• weak economy
• Nicholas limited the power of the Duma
• didn’t industrialise at the same rate as other powers

Question 6

Reasons Russia joined the war:

Answer 6

• Nicholas’s reputation (wanted to prove/redeem his military reputation - disrepute after losing Russo-Japanese war)
• everyone thought it would be a short war
• political international alliances (Serbia, Triple Entente)
• but some politicians urged Nicholas NOT to join the war due to the economic state

Question 7

Social state/problems:

Answer 7

• 95% serf population
• 1% held most of the wealth
• 60% illiteracy
• most children only received basic education
• not enough teachers and doctors to cover vast rural areas
• huge, growing class divide
• national minorities persecuted by autocracy

Question 8

Political problems in Tsarist Russia:

Answer 8

• power of the Duma was limited (by Stolypin and the Fundamental Laws)
• the wealthy made the decisions, regular citizens’ voices were unheard
• autocracy was reactionary, oppressive and inefficient
• political assassinations since 1905
• Nicholas’s bad reputation with politicians, civil servants, orthodox bishops and army officers after Rasputin scandal

Question 9

Improvements up to 1914:

Answer 9

• improved conditions for peasantry (Stolypin)
• ‘kulaks’ supported industrial growth
• economy was less dependent on foreign investments
• increase in number of professionals (doctors, lawyers, teachers)

Question 10

Who were the kulaks?

Answer 10

• independent agricultural producers

Question 11

Why did people oppose the Tsar?

Answer 11

• incompetent
• refused to cooperate with organisations (Zemstvo, Duma, Union of town councils)
• criticism from politicians (Guchkov, Milyukov, Prince Lvov)
• people wanted democracy or to replace tsarism altogether
• lost the support of Duma
• Rasputin scandal

Question 12

Pan-Slavism:

Answer 12

• A belief that Slav races should be united
• see Russia as the supreme Slav country for leadership

Question 13

Battle of Tannenberg:

Answer 13

• August 1914
• East Prussia
• 300,000 dead or wounded
• 10,000/150,000 escaped
• Samsonov commits suicide
• Germans took over 92,000 Russian prisoners