Tsar, Tsarina, Rasputin, Count Witte, Pyotr Stolypin

Question 1

How did John Hite describe Nicholas II?

Answer 1

“Poorly educated, narrow in intellectual horizons, a wretchedly bad judge of people, isolated from Russian society.”

Question 2

What did Nicholas II say when presented a list of reforms requested by Mirskii from the National Zemstvo Conference?

Answer 2

“I shall never, under any circumstances, agree to the representative form of government because I consider it harmful to the people whom God has entrusted to my care.”

Question 3

When were new electoral laws passed after the October Manifesto?

Answer 3

11 December 1905

Question 4

How was suffrage limited by the Tsar after 11 December 1905? How much of the urban working population was ineligible?

Answer 4

All men over 25 can only vote indirectly. Only landowners with estates exceeding 200 acres were able to vote directly. Over 60%

Question 5

What did the Tsar do with the State Council that increased unrest?

Answer 5

Upgraded them to be able to work in conjunction with the Duma, giving them significant power, in early months of 1906.

Question 6

When was the Fundamental Laws released? What did it reflect of Nicholas’ political views?

Answer 6

23 April 1906. Autocracy is the best system.

Question 7

When did Nicholas appoint Stolypin as prime minister?

Answer 7

21 July 1906

Question 8

What major mistakes did the Tsar make during WWI?

Answer 8

Sacking Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich in August 1915 to take charge, and leaving the Tsarina in charge.

Question 9

Why was the Tsarina problematic?

Answer 9

Shut down reforms suggested by Progressive Bloc on 25 August 1915, and opposed Central War Industries Committee, Union of Towns, Union of Zemstvos.

Question 10

Who did the Tsar appoint to improve industrialisation in the 1890s?

Answer 10

Sergei Witte

Question 11

What was the sort of economic system Witte aimed for?

Answer 11

State run capitalism

Question 12

What was one key aspect of the Great Spurt?

Answer 12

Beginnings of the Trans-Siberian railway line?

Question 13

What was the effect of Witte’s industrialisation?

Answer 13

Large peasant migrations to industrial areas.

Question 14

How was Witte partially to blame for the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War?

Answer 14

His economic policy in the east contributed to war, responsible for negotiations the humiliating peace treaty with the Japanese, however prevented Russia from having to pay compensation.

Question 15

How did Witte suggest the revolution of October 1905 be dealt with?

Answer 15

Told the tsar significant reform was needed; severe repression needed to end, more representation, helped draft the October Manifesto.

Question 16

When was censorship abolished in 1905?

Answer 16

24 November

Question 17

When did Witte resign? Why?

Answer 17

22 April 1906. He became ambivalent about the idea of a representative duma.

Question 18

When was Stolypin prime minister between?

Answer 18

1906 - 1911

Question 19

What was Stolypin’s slogan?

Answer 19

Suppression first, and then, and only then, reform.

Question 20

What did Stolypin do after the dismissal of the Second Duma in June 1907?

Answer 20

Changes to the electoral system; outer regions are excluded. One in six males can vote.

Question 21

When was Stolypin assassinated?

Answer 21

September 1911

Question 22

What rumours circulated in court about Rasputin and the Tsarina?

Answer 22

That they were pro-German and were trying to destroy Russia.