Tsarist Russia

Question 1

The Impact of Enlightenment

Answer 1

Enlightenment in Western Europe encourage a sort of renaissance in Russian culture in 19th C. The Enlightenment itself in the 18th C urged an end to tradition and privilege and to replace this with government based on reason and science.
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Travel abroad in early 19th C made many writers and educated people critical of backward Russia.
 Decembrist Rising in 1825 was a result of growing criticism from the officer class – 600 members of the leading noble families were put on trial after the collapse of the uprising.

Question 2

How many students were in university by the time that Nicholas died in 1855?

Answer 2

3500 students enrolled in Russia’s six universities

Question 3

What was Russian economy like in Tsarist Russia?

Answer 3

Failure of Peter the Great + Catherine the Great to modernise Russia.
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Backwards farming methods + poor quality of much of Russia’s soil- growth of population put an increased strain on limited resources.
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Trade was made difficult by the fact that in Russia by 1855, there was not one port that was ice-free for all the year.
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Underdeveloped banking system made investment difficult.
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Communication and transport difficulties – Hardly a railway compared to Britain. Roads barely more than mud tracks.

Question 4

Crimean War

Answer 4

Fought on Russian territory against British, French and Turks
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British were very badly disorganised – even with this, of the 25 million men subject to military service, only 800,000 served – the ones who weren’t serving were exempted due to poor health.
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Russian casualties were high, perhaps as high as 500,000- death mainly due to illness + disease rather than fighting.
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By December 1855, govt exhausted by funds, army exhausted of supplies + recruits