Topic One: Tsarist Russia Flashcards
What style of rule did the Tsar have?
An autocracy- a rule who has absolute power over a country
What the name of the ruling family in Russia for nearly 300 years?
Romanovs
Who was Tsar in 1905?
Nicholas II
Where in society did the Tsar choose his ministers from?
The aristocracy and senior church leaders.
What percentage of the Russian population were peasants?
85%
What were the 2 key features of the ‘police state’?
Censorship and the Okhrana (secret police)
Why were peasants unhappy in 1905?
Hungry for land, overtaxed, desperate poverty
Why were industrial workers unhappy in 1905?
Terrible working and living conditions, low pay, unemployment
Why were the middle classes unhappy in 1905?
No say in how Russia was governed
Why did the police state lead to discontent in 1905?
No one could feel free because the police were always watching
Why were non-Russians unhappy in 1905?
The policy of Russification put pressure on other nationalities to speak Russian and adopt Russian culture.
What was was Russia involved with in 1904-05?
Russo-Japanese War
Why was the Russo-Japanese War bad for the Tsar?
Japan won and the Russian people blamed the tsarist government for the embarrassing defeat
What was Bloody Sunday?
A massacre of unarmed protesters who were presenting a petition signed by 150,000 people
Where and when was Bloody Sunday?
St Petersburg, 9th January 1905
What did the Bloody Sunday Protesters want?
8 Hour working day, right to organise trade unions, a constitution to guarantee freedoms in law