Unit 2 - 1881-1905 Flashcards
when did Alexander III become Tsar?
1881
what 4 things did Alexander III do to assert control over Russia?
•the statute of state security gave the government greater control
•the Okhrana was established
•1884 university statute restricted education
•1890 Zemstva act reduced their independence
what was Russification?
forcing everyone to adopt Russian language, Russian Orthodox Church and their culture. regional governments were restricted
what 3 words are associated with Alexander III?
•Autocracy - ruled by one person or group
• Orthodoxy - following the traditional values of the Russian Orthodox Church
• Nationality - following Russian values
when was the manifesto of unshakable autocracy announced?
29th of April 1881
what did it say in the manifesto of unshakable autocracy?
that the tsar would rule ‘with faith in the strength of autocratic power’
russia was a multi ethnic society
how did Alexander II treat ethnic minorities?
•he was more concerned with control than racial superiority
•he did not engage in systematic persecution of racial minorities
•he prohibited the use of the ukrainian language
•he allows latvians and estonians to revert to lutheranism, where previously orthodoxy had been demanded
what were the benefits of Russification?
easier communication as everyone will speak Russian, it would also result in less opposing ideas if everyone has the same religion/ beliefs
how many Lutheran’s were converted to Orthodoxy in the Baltic region?
37,000
how did Alexander III Russify the Polish?
all polish subjects had to be studied in Russian, including Polish literature which had to be translated into Russian
where were there uprisings of ethnic minorities? and when?
Guriya and Georgia in 1892
what was the punishment for trying to convert someone who belonged to the Orthodox Church?
punishable through exile to siberia
why were the Tsar’s anti-semitic?
•due to the teachings of the Orthodox Church
•they resented their money-lending and personal riches
•religious grounds
•for political reasons, the Russian press encouraged the belief that the Jews had orchestrated Alexander II’s assassination
What false information did the Russian Press spread about the jewish people?
that they had orchestrated Alexander II’s assassination
what is a Pogrom?
an organised massacre of a particular ethnic group, in particular that of Jewish people in Russia or Easter Europe
when did Jewish Pogroms break out?
1881-1884
where did anti jewish pogroms break out in 1881?
Ukraine
what could be a reason for some of the anti Jewish Pogroms starting?
due to business competitions or encorages by the Okhrana using the link to Tsar Alexander II’s assassination
what organisation helped to organise early Jewish attacks?
the ‘Holy League’, although this was banned in 1882.
what happened in the Jewish Pogroms?
jewish property was burnt, shops and businesses destroyed, along with many incidences of rape, then being rounded up, beaten and killed.
The government authorised these attacks
what was the land Jewish people occupied called?
The Pale of Settlement
what were some aspects of the May Laws of 1882?
•Jews are forbidden to settle outside cities and towns of fewer than 10,000 people
•jews are forbidden to do business on sundays and christian holidays
where are Jews condemned to live?
in Ghettos
what anti semitic laws were passed in 1882?
the May Laws and Army Laws
what anti semitic legislation was instigated in 1887?
the number of Jews admitted to schools and universities is regulated by quotas
what anti semitic legislation was passed in 1889?
Jews needed a special permit from the minister of justice to be elected to the Bar (the legal professional body)
what anti semitic legislation was passed in 1892?
Jews are banned from participating in local elections and prohibited from the right to be elected to town dumas
what anti semitic legislation is passed in 1893?
it is illegal for jews to adopt a ‘christian’ name
what was the purpose of the anti semitic legislation?
to alienate and exclude the Jewish people
what emergency measures were put in place by the State Security in 1881?
•stop gatherings of more than 12
•have emergency police rule
•close schools, universities and newspapers
what changes did Alexander III make to education?
•1884 university Statute brought strict control over universities and student freedom
•the church took back control of education from the zemstva
•fees in secondary schools were raised
•university courses for women closed
What Legal changes did Alexander III make?
•crimes against state could be held without a jury
•judges were appointed by the minister of justice
•lots of justice power was given to the land captains
how did Alexander III try to stimulate economic development?
•he supported industrial growth
•grain exports increased and peasants suffered badly
•he encouraged railway building and foreign investment
how did Alexander III establish control?
•in 1881 a new secret police, the Okhrana was established
•in 1882 law gave them the power to spy on any citizen
•censorship tightened further
when were the Okhrana established?
1881
when were the Okhrana allowed to spy on any citizen?
1882
how did Alexander III change local government?
•1890 Zemstva act reduced independence of the Zemstva
•system to elect members of the zemstva changed in favour of landowners
•in Moscow only 0.7% of people could vote
when was the zemstva act and what did it do?
•1890
•reduced the independence of the zemstva
how did Alexander III rule in a repressive way?
•after 1881- 10,000 arrests were made
•Okhrana hired thousands of informants- the konspiratsia
•despite this some opposition groups continued to grow
after 1881, how many arrests were made?
10,000
how did Alexander III try to change Russia financially and socially?
•the finance minister abolished poll tax and reduced redemption payments
•in 1883 the peasants land bank was set up to help peasants buy land
what was set up in 1883 that helped the peasants?
•peasants land bank
•it helped peasants buy land
what were the impacts of the anti semitism put in place by the Tsars
•many jews left the country, some went of their own free will but others were forcibly expelled (for example, Kiev in 1866)
•from 1890 foreign jews began to be deported from Russia along with Russian Jews who had settled outside the Pale
• In winter 1891-92, around 10,000 Jewish artisans were expelled from Moscow
•such policies drove a disproportionate number of Jews to revolutionary groups
how many Jewish artisans were expelled from Moscow in the winter of 1891-92?
10,000
what was the impact of Russification?
•resentment and opposition grew, in June 1888 there was an estimated 332 cases of mass disturbances
•there was a particular resentment amongst the more wealthy ethnic minorities as they constantly petitioned the Tsars for more liberties
•some people avidly supported Russification and believed it was necessary to ‘unite’ the country, there people supported the Tsar
•it made Russia look stronger in the eyes of other Western countries, as it was more united
how many cases of mass disturbances were there in June 1888?
332
reasons why Russification strengthened Russia
•it made Russia look stronger and more united to other countries
•more control over provinces
•less communication barriers, easier to rule
reasons why Russification did not strengthen Russia
•resentment and opposition grew, 332 cases of mass disturbance in June 1888 alone
•less people to contribute to the economy
•resentment within the intelligence
•more distrust of the Tsar, unanimous resentment
what were the landed elite?
•a small but diverse group, mostly of noble status
•after the emancipation, their personal landholdings considerably declined
•they kept wealth and passion
•many moved to business, by 1882 over 700 nobles owned their own businesses in Moscow
in 1882, how many of the landed elite owned businesses in Moscow?
700 nobles
how did the middle class change 1855-1894?
•there was an increase in educational opportunities
•the middle class began to grow, half a million in the 1897 census
•many were factory owners who did not have noble ‘paternalistic’ values
how did the urban working class change 1855-1894?
•there was growth in the urban population
•by 1864 one in three of the inhabitants of St Petersburg were peasants by birth
•numbers were still low- 2% of the population
•conditions in cities were grim despite new legislation passed
•some peasants moved to be workers
•strikes began, 33 per year between 1866-1894
how many people were in the middle class in the 1897 census?
half a million, 500.,000
in 1855-1894 what percentage of the population were the urban working class?
2%
how many strikes were there between 1866-1894?
33 per year
what was the peasantry like between 1855-1894?
•kulaks became richer
•the poor people became poorer
•poor healthcare and life expectancy ( 27 for males, 29 for females)
what was the cultural influence of the church 1855-1894?
•70% of the population subscribed to the orthodox church, it still has a large following
•the Tsar now had a more secular (not religious) role
•the church has a strict censorship
•the church still largely controlled education
•new priest training
how much of the population was subscribed to the orthodox church 1855-1894?
70%
who were the 4 economic ministers 1861-1894?
•Michael von Reutern
•Nikolai Bunge
•Ivan Vyshnegradsky
•Sergei Witte
When was Michael von Reutern economic minister?
1862-78
when was Nikolai Bunge economic minister?
1881-87
when was Ivan Vyshnegradsky economic minister?
1887-92
when was Sergei Witte economic minister?
1892-1903
what was the economic policies of Michael von Reutern?
•he implemented a new taxation system
•he introduced a government wide system of accounting and encouraged foreign investors
•he introduced a state bank in 1860
•he encouraged major state investment in railways, as well as restricting spending on military
what were the impacts of Michael von Reutern’s economic policies?
•private investment increases
•railways developed
who introduced the state bank?
Michael von Reutern
when was the state bank introduced?
1860
what were the economic policies of Nikolai Bunge?
•he founded the peasants Land Bank 1883
•he reduced the poll tax and eventually abolished it altogether in 1886
when was the poll tax abolished?
1886
when was the peasants land bank founded and by who?
1883 ,Nikolai Bunge
what impact did Bunge’s economic policies have?
•increased state income by 30%
•be introduced more direct tax on things like salt, hurts the peasants
what things did Ivan Vyshnegradsky implement?
•he increased indirect taxes on consumer goods and raised tariffs
•he said ‘we shall ourselves not eat, but we shall export’
•he pushed the collection of redemption payments
when was the Famine and how many died?
•1891-1892
•400,000 died