Unit 2: Russia Road to Revolution Flashcards
Tsar Nicholas II
Son of the highly reactionary Tsar Alexander III, ruled 1894-1917 in a changing Russia and was in his late 20’s at the time of his ascension. He was a shy, unassertive man who was more concerned with his family than with foreign affairs. Tsar Nicholas II, who is considered “the last of the Romanovs”, is widely considered an incompetent ruler, unable to meet the needs of the crumbling Russian empire with his reluctance to meet demands, his lack of acknowledgement of the need for reform, and his deep-rooted beliefs in the moral rightness of autocracy and religious faith.
Alexandra
The wife of Tsar Nicholas II, her full name was Alexandra Feodorovna. She was a German princess, and her values were conservative. Like her husband, the Tsarina was seen as incompetent and unprepared to address the problems of Imperial Russia. Later, she was rumored to be having an affair with Gregory Rasputin, and many were unnerved by her willingness to follow his words.
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War took place from February of 1904-Spetember 1905 between a quickly westernizing Japan and the Russian Empire over rising tensions and increased Russian presence in Korea and Manchuria, which angered the Japanese. By going into war, Tsar Nicholas believed that attention would be diverted away from the internal problems of Russia, while Japan was willing to go to war because they knew Britain would not interfere. The war led to a series of humiliating naval and military defeats for Russia, including the humiliating loss of Port Arthur. In addition to creating an economic standstill, the war increased government expenditure, which the lower classes had to compensate for, and also created food shortages, increased political strain, and increased anger against the Tsar, pushing Russia further towards the direction of rebellion. The humiliating loss of Russia was a surprise to all- it was the first time an European nation was defeated by an Asian country in that time period, and it was a blow to notions of racial superiority; it also displayed Russia’s military weakness.
Bloody Sunday
Bloody SUnday, which took place on January 9, 1905, was a peaceful protest of over 200,000 individuals towards the Tsar’s Winter Palace. Lead by Father Gapon, the people hoped to present a petition to the tsar asking for justice and protection from injustices. The troops at the palace, who were ordered to fire into the crowd, killed and injured hundreds of protestors. This event undermined the tsar’s reputation as a “loving father” and was a catalyst to several other uprisings, and eventually, the 1905 revolution.
Father Gapon
Father Gapon was the leader of the 1905protest known as Bloody Sunday. He was an orthodox priest and drew many of his arguments from the bible; one of his arguments was that the tsar was obliged to meet the demands of the people if confronted. Gapon was one of the main creators of the petition the people attempted to present, which called for justice and rescue from injustice.
1905 Revolution
The 1905 revolution was a series of strikes, protests, and revolts that took place across Russia and spread to other countries as well, such as Ukraine and Poland. Some of its main catalysts were Bloody Sunday and the Russo-Japanese war. During this 1905 revolution, peasants increased attacks on land lords, trade unions were organized, and the Russian Empire seemed on the verge of collapse. However, despite a few uprisings, the armed forces remained loyal to the Tsar, and the lack of leadership and a unified goal for the revolution ultimately led to its failure, especially because various political parties failed to unify. The Tsar used a “carrot on a stick” approach to ending the revolution, with the October Manifesto acting as the carrot, and the use of troops to shut down other revolts as the stick. However, in response to the 1905 revolution, redemption payments were eliminated and so was Russification.
Soviets
Soviets were worker’s councils that especially grew after the 1905 revolution. They included delegates from factories, trade unions, and political parties, especially the socialist parties. The soviets quickly became linked with the idea of a local democracy, and the fact that they often assisted in strikes led to their quick dissolution after the 1905 revolution, though they later were recreated.
Battleship Potempkin
The Battleship Potempkin was a battleship located in the Black Sea. After the captain shot a spokesperson of the crew, who went to ask about the maggoty meat, the crew rioted and killed 7 officers, taking the ship to odessa where they lay the spokesperson’s body to rest. Thousands of people went to the port to meet the crew and protest. However, troops were sent to disperse the crowd and they fired randomly- thousands were killed. Later, the mutineers went to romania and gsve up the battleship in exchange for refuge. However, while the whole event was relatively small, it raised anger against the Tsar and served as an embarassment to the regime as it was a mark of the extent of the revolution- it had reached the military.
October Manifesto
The October Manifesto was a set of concessions granted by the tsar after the 1905 revolution, primarily at the convincing of Count Sergei Witte. The Manifesto promised freedom of speech and press, the right to legislative parliament (duma), and freedom from arrest without trial. The Manifesto was met with jubilation from many who thought it adressed the needs of russia, but many, especially poorer classes, felt it was not enough.
Carrot and the Stick
The Carrot and the Stick was an analogy for the approach by Tsar Nicholas II in response to the 1905 revolution. The Carrot and the Stick refers to a dual response of punishment and reward, and this encompasses the experience of the people during this time. The concessions granted by the Tsar, which included the elimination of Redemption payments, and the october manifesto, were the carrot, and so was the promise of further democratic reform, while the tsar’s harsh methods of tamping down the revolution, which included mass arrests and military violence, was the stick that used fear to return russia to normal.
Black Hundreds
The Black Hundreds were a group of people that displayed violence and discrimination. They became more prevalent towards the end of 1905 and advocated for the reprisal of uprisings. Their violence was especially directed towards jews and african americans, which implies their support for russification.
Fundamental Laws of 1906
The fundamental laws of 1906 were the series of laws enforced by Tsar Nicholas II that severely limited the concessions of the October Manifesto and maintained the tsar’s autocratic power. It was established and limited the powers of duma before it even met for the first time. The laws announced that the tsar was to have the final decision over the cabinet, military, and foreign affairs, that the duma was to share its power of law introduction with the newly established Council of empire, which included delegates nominated by the tsar and could veto the duma’s laws. Additionally, the tsar could enact laws when the duma wasn’t in session.
1st and 2nd Dumas
The first duma took place from May-July of 1906, the second from march-june of 1907. In both these dumas, revolutionary/opposition parties had the larger portion of the vote, but there were more conservatives in the second duma. Both these dumas were prematurely dissolved, with the first duma dissolved on the grounds of exceeding power and the decond on the grounds that a member planned to assassinate the tsar (an SD). The end of the 2nd duma coincided with major changes- only landowners and wealthy residents could vote now, and new repressive meaasures and censorship against opposition parties which forced many revolutionary leaders into exile. The dumas a s a whole achieved some change, but for the most part, their powers were completely erased by the COuncil of Empire.
3rd and 4th Dumas
The 3rd and 4th Dumas were carried for their full five years, from 1907-1912 and 1912 to 1917. These dumas were mainly composed of Octobrists who were loyal to the tsar and believed the October Manifesto was sufficient to address Russia’s problems. However, the 4th Duma marked an icrease in the strain between the Tsar and the aristrocrats, who were increasingy alarmed at the increasing influence of Gregory Rasputin. His increasing political influence upset the nobles and he was eventually assassinated in 1916.
Octobrists
The octobrists, who were an organized party under liberalism, were wealthy landowners who supported Tsarism. THey believed that the October Manifesto was sufficient in addressing Russia’s problems, and despite their beliefs in a constitutional monarchy, they were generaly considered to be more conservative.
