What Was Russia Like Pre 1917? Flashcards
How did Tsar Nicholas II rule?
He ruled alone with no true representative bodies.
What was the closest thing Russia had to a parliament?
The Duma
How did the Tsar treat the duma?
He ignored them often.
How was freedom of expression limited?
With censorship of books and newspapers and the Okhrana (the secret police)
What were the methods of punishment from the secret police?
Execution and exile to Siberia
Where was Russia compared to Europe with civilisation and quality of life?
Very far behind.
What was the middle class’s chance to develop in comparison to other countries?
Very small.
What kind of work did Russia rely on?
Peasantry work.
Why did the peasants have to pay Redemption Payments?
They were landless so in order to give them land, the government had to pay the land owners and the peasants had to pay back this “loan” in the form of redemption payments.
What were the consequences of the redemption payments?
Increasing hardships for the peasants and famines being common.
What state were Russian cities in?
They were highly overcrowded, unplanned, poorly paid, dangerous and unregulated.
What issues were urban cities facing?
Poor and cramped housing, unfair wages and dwindling rights for workers.
Why did the peasants grow angrier during WW1?
Young men and horses were being taken away, reducing the amount they could grow and damaging their already precarious standard of living.
When did the industrial Revolutions take place in Russia?
1750 and 1850
What did rapid city growth result in?
Slums forming and diseases such as cholera spreading.
