Why did the autocracy fall?

Question 1

How many men had Russia lost in the war by 1917?

Answer 1

8 million men dead, wounded, or prisoner

Question 2

Late 1914, what did the Russian army lack?

Answer 2

Munitions, artillery and clothing. This led to desertions, mass surrenders, etc.

Question 3

What labour movements occurred as a result of the war?

Answer 3

Massive influx of labour into towns to help with war production. Food supply became unreliable.

Question 4

What fraction of govt revenue did liquor sales account for during the war?

Answer 4

1/3rd. Alcohol became prohibited, weakening the the fiscal strength of the government.

Question 5

What percentage did the money supply and prices increase over 2 and a half years of war?

Answer 5

money supply over 300%, prices around 400%

Question 6

What was the Tsar’s role in the war?

Answer 6

He took charge of the army, while Rasputin essentially ruled in his stead and undermined his authority.

Question 7

When the Duma met in August 1915, which upper class groups formed which alliance?

Answer 7

Octobrist, Kadets and some right wing deputies allied to form the Progressive Bloc.

Question 8

What problems did the Emancipation Act of 1861 cause?

Answer 8

Created many issues in the countryside, long payback period, land rights, peasants had less land on average (by about 50%)

Question 9

What were living standards like?

Answer 9

There was widespread and extreme poverty, low life expectancy, declining living standards, high taxes, alcoholism

Question 10

What percentage of the population were peasants?

Answer 10

82%, but agriculture still not productive enough.

Question 11

What is Russian populism?

Answer 11

Beginning with the People’s Will, moving to the SRs, they argued for terror and assassinations in opposition to autocracy.

Question 12

Where did the government focus their economic improvements?

Answer 12

Heavy industry - common people were left worse off with lack of consumer goods and domestic industry goods.

Question 13

What were some outcomes of urbanisation?

Answer 13

Working class discontent, famine, strikes, trade unions, low wages, poor working conditions.

Question 14

What were the Liberals’ aims?

Answer 14

Demands for democracy, 4-tail suffrage, real legislative power.

Question 15

Why was nationalism important?

Answer 15

Russians made up only 45% of the population. There was systematic Russification, antisemitism, nationalist movements banded together.

Question 16

Why was the commune being dismantled important?

Answer 16

Stolypin dismantled it in 1906, it was a monument of democracy for peasants and the working class.

Question 17

What happened in the Russo-Japanese war?

Answer 17

1904-5, Russia easily beaten by Japan over Manchuria, showed military weakness and inefficiency.

Question 18

What was significant about the 1905 revolution?

Answer 18

Bloody Sunday, creation of the Duma, cracks in the army, divided society as upper class were satisfied but working class wasn’t.

Question 19

What limited the effect of the Duma?

Answer 19

It wasn’t taken seriously and didn’t have real power, dominated by moderates, thus the govt lost support of the new elite.

Question 20

How were rural insurrections ended?

Answer 20

Stolypin’s necktie.

Question 21

What was the effect of political censorship?

Answer 21

Turned activists into extremists

Question 22

How did the autocracy fall?

Answer 22

22nd to 25th February 1917, strikes grew substantially to around 240,000 workers, demands for better working conditions became demands to end the war and autocracy. 26th February, Petrograd garrison mutinied.

Question 23

How did social movements, the war and political actions of Nicholas II combine?

Answer 23

The social movements were developed on long-lasting issues that the war exasperated and Nicholas failed to solve, hence the large-scale upheaval and revolution.