Tsarist Opposition- Unit 1

Question 1

What are the main groups of opposition?

Answer 1

-Reformers/liberals
-Revolutionaries/populists
-Marxists

Question 2

Who are the liberals?

Answer 2

• Octoberists
• Kadets

Question 3

Who are the Marxists?

Answer 3

SD’s
(Later split into Bolsheviks and Mensheviks).

Question 4

Are political groups allowed?

Answer 4

Until October manifesto, 1905, political parties illegal.
No legitimate groups.

Question 5

What are the Octoberists?

Answer 5

Dated back to October manifesto, 1905.
Moderates loyal to Tsar, thought Duma’s were revolutionary.
Middle class, landowners.

Question 6

Who are the Kadets?

Answer 6

• Constitutional Democrats. From 1905 revolution.
• Wanted Constituent assembly and Tsar’s powers limited.
• Had the liberal intelligentsia- leader Milyukov.

Question 7

Who are the Populists?

Answer 7

• Dated back to 1870s.
• Future of Russia through peasants, thought ‘going to the people’ fundamental.
• Middle + upper classes.
• ‘People’s Will’ assassinated Alexander II.

Question 8

Who are the SR’s?

Answer 8

• Directly out of populist movement. Founded by Chernov as Trotsky pointed out division between ‘Left SRs and Right SRs’.
• 2000 political assassinations.
• 1905 revolution, committed to ‘revolutionary socialism’.

Question 9

Who are the SDs?

Answer 9

• Achieved revolution by following Karl Marx.
• Plekhanov- ‘founding father of Russian Marxism’. Translated his writings to Russian.
• Founded SDs 1898.
• Many find him too theoretical, want an active revolutionary programme.

Question 10

What was Lenin’s take on the SDs?

Answer 10

• Largest critic.
• Returned from exile 1900.
• With co-founder Martov of Iskra, said they were following ‘economism’–> putting people’s needs before revolution.
• Wrote attack on Plekhanov 1902, ‘What is to be done?’.
• Lenin wanted a party based purely on revolutionary members.

Question 11

When was the Bolshevik and Menshevik split?

Answer 11

1903

Question 12

Why did the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks split?

Answer 12

Dispute between Plekhanov and Lenin in second congress SD Party, 1903.
Lenin in conflict with Martov, who agreed with Plekhanov.
Lenin became Bolshevik.
Plekhanov and Martov became Menshevik.

Question 13

What was the basis of the Bolsheviks?

Answer 13

• Democratic Centralism (obedience to party leader, Lenin).

Question 14

Name things the Bolsheviks did:

Answer 14

• Set up training schools for those in exile, smuggled them back into Russia to infiltrate workers organisations.
• Extremely violent, Bolshevik faction led by Stalin bombed a post office, killing 50 and costing £1.7 million.
• Considered extremists.