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 encoraged 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, them 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 intelligentsia
•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
•abolished poll tax 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%
•he 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
why did Vyshnegradsky’s policies fail? (what we’re the impacts)
•after a bad harvest in 1891, his policies failed to support the peasants
•this lead to the death of 400,000 in a great famine
what were some of Sergei Witte’s policies?
•he wanted to continue with protective tariffs and heavy taxation
•foreign investments increased as he sought loans from abroad
what were the impacts of Sergei Witte’s economic policies?
•increased exports and foreign trade
•had a large gold reserve to stabilise the economy
what was agriculture like 1861-1894
•same as before the emancipation, yet the quality of ploughland was reduced, cultivation was worse and the meadows were in poor condition
•yields remained poor in comparison to western europe
why was agriculture not improving?
•although the government had increased noble’s and peasants land banks, the loans offered were merge and merely decreased debts
•the average peasant received only a little less than 4 hectares
•there was higher taxes, grain requisitions and redemption payments, plus a famine which killed 400,000
how much land did the average peasant receive?
a little less than 4 hectares
what were grain requisitions?
the government took the grain from peasants and sold/ exported it
main problems with the Russian economy in the 19th century
agricultural economy (unreliable)
behind western economies
lost in the crimean war
no middle class
lack of democracy
serfdom, there were few skilled workers
what is direct tax?
a tax on a person’s income rather than on goods or services
what is indirect tax?
a tax on goods or services rather than on a person’s income
what is a tariff?
a tax on an import or export
when did Alexander III die?
1894
when did Nicholas II take the throne?
1894
when was Nicholas II’s personal rule?
1894-1905
when did Nicholas II step down as Tsar?
1917
what were the working population called?
proletariat
how many were in the middle class in the 1897 census?
half a million
some things about Nicholas II’s personality
•he was never interested in politics
•he was not prepared to be Tsar
•his father would ridicule him
what did Nicholas II fail to do in his personal rule?
implement domestic policy
what did Nicholas II dismiss in 1896 which would have been Russia’s first attempt at a central elected government?
‘All-zemstvo Organisation’
what did Nicholas do regarding the Zemstva in 1900?
purged the elected boards of the zemstva liberals
why did Witte earn the nickname ‘hangman’?
he recruited more police, surveillance was stepped up and the army relied upon to put down disturbances
how many times was the army called out to crush rebellions in 1893?
19 times
how many times was the army called out to crush rebellions in 1902?
522 times
what piece of evidence presents Nicholas II as an unfair and unjust ruler?
•he used martial law to arrest strikers and sentence them to death without trial
•he was happy to exclude lower class children from education
•women were not allowed to attend university
•continued Russification
why did opposition grow between 1894-1904?
•Nicholas continued Russification which sparked resentment
•he reduced educational opportunities, angering the intelligentsia
•he restricted how many students could meet (5)
•in his personal rule he failed to develop any domestic policy
•poor conditions of the proletariat
•the Great Famine 1891-1892
•oppressive policies like the Okhrana
•improved literacy rate (the Communist Manifesto)
•problems from emancipation- redemption payments
•autocratic rule- lack of democracy
what were the 3 changes in opposition under Nicholas II?
•party organisation
•ideologically focussed
•revolutionary
what were the 3 big oppositional groups under Nicholas II?
•Liberals/ intelligentsia
•social revolutionaries
•social democrats
What did the liberals grow from?
•the spread of education and growing middle class
•grew from zemstva and the tsars failures during the 1891-1892 famine
what did the Liberals want?
•they wanted a democracy through peaceful means (pacifists)
•they wanted to set up an ‘All-zemstvo organisation’ but was shut down
how did the liberals gain influence?
•they would meet in secret to discuss judicial reform and universal education
•they gained support from public figures, town leaders, members of the teaching/ legal profession (upper/ middle class)
•they held a grand meeting to discuss liberal ideas
how much political influence did the liberals have before 1905?
limited political influence
when did the liberals form a union and what was it called?
1903
‘Union of liberation’
how effective are the liberals?
they are ignored by the police so are somewhat effective, after 1905 there is a form of democracy
what specific ideas did the social revolutionaries foster?
they adopted ‘agrarian socialism’ after the great famine (taking land from the wealthy and distributing it amongst the poor)
who did the social revolutionaries take inspiration from?
the ‘People’s Will’ and favouring violent protests/ processes, as well as Marxist theories
what did the social revolutionaries want?
land distribution and the de-centralisation of the government
how many assassinations did the social revolutionaries carry out between 1901-1905?
2000
who were the social revolutionaries made up of?
they had a large peasant membership, yet 50% their supporters were from the urban working class (proletariat)
how effective were the social revolutionaries?
they stirred up discontent in the countryside, lead strikes and protests as well as thousands of assassinations. rendering them quite effective
what did the social democrats believe in?
Marxist theories and socialism
what groups were attracted to Marxist ideas?
workers organisations and illegal trade unions
how did the social democrats plan revolutions?
they had congresses
what did the social democrats want?
revolution and a proletariat revolutionary class
what year did the social democrats split into two groups?
1903
what two groups did the social democrats split into?
the Mensheviks and the Bolsheviks
what did the Mensheviks want?
the party to be open to all and the revolution to come from the workers/peasants/ proletariat’s themselves
what did the Bolshevik’s want?
to keep the party small to escape the police and they wanted to lead the revolution by telling the people what to do
what made the Bolsheviks less effective?
there were a few members, they were in exile and had contrasting ideas
who was Vladimir Lenin?
•his older brother was involved in the plot to assassinate Tsar Alexander II
•he joined marxist discussion group and then was exiled to siberia
•he helped cause the spilt of the social democrats
•Bolshevik member
who was Leon Trotsky?
•he was drawn to marxism and joined marxist discussion groups
•he was arrested and exiled to siberia
•in the 1903 social democrat conference he did not side with Lenin, believing the concept of a revolutionary party would inevitably lead to a dictatorship
•he was in the Bolsheviks when the 1905 revolution broke
who was Vera Zasulich?
•she was imprisoned for revolutionary activities
•she shot and wounded the governor general
•she went into hiding
•she was a part of the Russian Revolutionary exiles
•she sided with the Mensheviks
brief overview of the 1905 revolution
•the tsarist regime nearly met its end
•thousands of people hit the streets in protest
•uprisings occurred all over the country from January to October
•this included different classes and different nationalities
when was the Russo Japanese war?
1904-1905
why did the Russo Japanese war happen?
it arose because russia wanted to export the area of land around Manchuria- as it was rich in natural resources- but Japan did not want Russia on the land that they had already marked out for economic expansion
what happened in the Russo Japanese war?
Japan launched a surprise attack on Russia, and Russia had underestimated Japan so suffered several defeats. Russia lost the war, suffering a humiliating defeat.
what were the impacts of the Russo Japanese war?
it rocked the autocratic regime and led to many petitioning for fundamental change, opposition grew
there were economic impacts like trade being disrupted and factories closing.
Food prices and unemployment also increased
what type of uprising was the 1905 revolution? (given that i’d had no leadership)
an organic uprising
what two manifestos did Nicholas II propose?
october and november manifesto
what were the 3 main points of the October Manifesto?
•civic freedom
•representation of the Duma
•All pe have to be approved by the Duma
what were the limitations of the October Manifesto- specifically the Duma?
•The Dumas was consultative- the Tsar didn’t have to accept it
•They were not elected by universal suffrage with a secret ballot, although all groups were represented they were not equal
what were the Duma?
an elected legislative body/ government
what were the 3 main points of the November Manifesto?
•’Manifesto to better the conditions of the peasant population’
•redemption payments reduced by half from January 1st 1906 and discontinue from January 1st 1907
•Improve peasant land banks
what happened on the 3rd of december 1904? (and the rest of the month)
•the leaders of the St Petersburg soviet and hundreds of deputies were arrested
•this led to armed/ violent uprisings led by the social democrats
•this was followed by a brutal crackdown with mass arrests, beatings and executions
•the okhrana and the police arrested hundreds of people
•they cut redemption payments in half and introduced the peasants land banks
•troops were sent to carry out brutal methods like beatings, floggings and executions
what happened at bloody sunday?
•the strike was concerned with wages and working hours
•a priest organised a petition to call for the help of the Tsar
•this ended in 130 killed and 300 seriously injured
•by the end of january, over 400,000 people were out on strike
how many were killed and injured in Bloody Sunday?
130 killed and 300 seriously injured
by the end of january 1905, how many people were on strike?
400,000
what happened after bloody sunday in jan 1905?
outbursts and anger followed, 400,000 on strike at the end of january
riots and vandalism
widespread unrest
zemstva and city councils demanding change
what was the Union of Unions in May 1905?
made up of trade organisations
held meetings for petitions of change
achieved through peaceful means
they wanted democracy
why weren’t the socialist leaders involved at the start of the 1905 revolution?
because they were out of the country and exiled to places like siberia
how did the national minorities react to the 1905 revolution?
they wanted the end of russification, they carried out some violent actions by attacking officials
What did the peasants do in June/ July 1905?
they began seizing land, grain and animals, burning land. refusing to pay rents and taxes
when they seized the land they burnt the grain on it
when did the General strike happen?
september 1905
what is a Soviet?
a council of workers, they discuss revolutionary ideas and coordinate strikes
when was the St Peter’s soviet?
october 1905
Why was the Tsar able to survive the 1905 revolution?
•military reforms meant he had the support of the army
•the government used violent methods to assert control
•the oppositional groups were not united and each held different aims
•the october manifesto split the liberals and the socialists, the liberals were satisfied leaving the socialists more isolated and easy to crush
•the violent culture was causing the middle classes to be scared and turn to the Tsar for guidance
•Witte secured a loan which stabilised the economy and paid for the troops to restore order
how did the Tsar applease the liberals?
through the october manifesto, introducing some form of democracy
when did nicholas II take the throne?
1894
what did the great famine lead to a rise in?
resistance and strikes
when did nicholas II celebrate his coronation?
1896
how many people were killed at Nicholas II’s coronation?
1440
what did Nicholas ignore calls for in 1904?
a national assembly or All-Zemstvo
what were the causes of the 1905 revolution?
•Russo Japanese war
•Protest led by Father Gapon (Bloody sunday)
•mass urban migration
•new marxist ideas
what happened economically as a result of the Russo Japanese War?
factories closed, unemployment rose and led to a 300% increase in cost of living
what did the october manifesto promise?
state duma (democracy)
civil liberties/ freedom
all law have to be approved by the Duma
what did the november manifesto promise?
to half redemption payments (Jan 1906) and end them by Jan 1907
who were the groups that crushed resistance?
the army and the Black Hundreds
how many executions happened between October 1905 and April 1906?
15,000 people were executed
what were the limitations of the october manifesto?
•the dumas were consultative- the Tsar didn’t have to accept it
•not elected by universal suffrage with a secret ballot, although all groups were represented it was not equal
when was the peasants land bank set up?
1883
by 1905 what percentage of landlord land had been passed to the peasantry?
27%
what did grain production grow by annually 1883-1914?
21%
who was the economic minister under Alexander III?
Nikolai Bunge
when was Nikolai Bunge economic minister?
1881-1887
when was the peasants land bank founded?
1883
why did the peasants land bank of 1883 have limited success?
it only helped around 20% of land purchases
when did Bunge abolish the poll tax?
1886
how much did Bunge increase state income by?
30% by 1890
how many miles of railway was there under Bunge?
around 17,000 miles of track by 1885
who was the second finance minister under Alexander III?
Vyshnegradsky
what was Vyshnegradskys catchphrase?
‘we ourselves shall not eat but we shall export’
when was the famine?
1891-92
who was economic minister under Nicholas II?
Witte
when was the trans-siberian railway constructed?
1891-1902
when was there an industrial spurt and what percentage did it grow by?
1890-1900
growth rate had hit 9%
how did Alexander III’s main values translate into his policies?
•the reassertion of autocracy
•russification
•antisemitism
when did Alexander III arrest 150 members of the People’s Will?
1881
when were the police able to arrest on suspicion?
from 1882
when did Alexander III appoint land captains?
1889
what were land captains?
they were appointed from the nobility, they had the power to override the zemstva
how many Lutherans did Alexander III force to convert to orthodoxy?
37,000
