Causes of the Russian Revolution (SAC 1)

Autocracy

A system of government where one individual holds absolute power.

Autocracy: quote by historian

“Autocracy is a superannuated form of government that [does not] suit the needs the Russian people, who are increasingly assimilating the culture of the rest of the world. That is why it is impossible to maintain this form of government except by violence.”
Nicolai Tolstoy (historian)

Autocracy: quote by Nicholas

“I will preserve the principle of Autocracy as firmly and unflinchingly as my late father.”
Nicholas II

Tsar Nicholas Romanov II

The last Emperor of Russia, reigning from 1894 until his abdication in 1917.

Tsar Nicholas Romanov II: quote on being Tsar

“What is going to happen to me and all of Russia? I am not prepared to be a Tsar. I never wanted to become one. I know nothing of the business of ruling.”

Nicholas II

Date of Tsar Nicholas II’s Crowning

14 May 1896

Peasantry

a low social class consisting of members that work the land as agricultural laborers

How many different nationalities are in Russa?

60

Russia’s Weakness

• geography

• industrialisation

• social

relegion in russia + percent

Orthodox, 69%

The Russian Census of 1897

Recorded the demographic data of Russia in Jan 1897

The Russian Census of 1897 bias

Allegedly the data reflected the view of Tsarism and inflated some figures in attempt to maintain Russian nationalism and its connection to tsarism

Policy of Russification

implemented by Alexander III (Nichloas’s father) to unite individuals in the Empire to speak, worship and be nationally “Russian”

ruling class % of population

0.5

upper class % of population

12

bougeoise class % of population

1.5

working class % of population

4

peasants % of population

82

intelligentsia

a group of highly intelligent people

serf

an agricultural labourer bound by the deudal system who was tied to working on their lord’s estate

consequences of industrialisation

• poor working conditions in overcrowded factories

• influx of people moving to cities leading to overcrowding

• heavy taxes/tariffs

industrialisation

the development of industries in a country on a large scale

what was the Tsar seen as

the father of Russia

systen of Tsarism in the reign of NIcholas II was made up of + duties of them

• Imperial council: perosnal advisors

• Cabinet of Ministers: managing individual portfolios

• Senate: transformed the will of the Tsar to lawpersonal

Khodynka tragedy

part of the coronation ceremony, Nicholas II planned a free banquet for the people (4 days after coronation) in Khodynka Field, Moscow but rumors of there not being enough gifts caused a stampede in panic leading to many deaths (1389 people)

soveriegn

one posessing supreme political power

Nicholas II beliefs

• autocracy of the Tsarist system

• divine right to rule

• democary and elections would result in political collapse

Tsarina’s name + nationality

Alexandra, german

beuracracy

A system of government where most important decisions are made by state officials.

russian gov people

chosen by the Tsar, non-democaratic

purpose of russian gov

to advise the Tsar

Zemstovs

elected, rural councils responsible for administration of key local services elected only by landowners (NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PEASANTS)

mir

tradiitonal village commune to maintain order and collect taxestraditional

russian orthodox church

• linked to tsar

• reinforced his power

• preached the importance of obedience to the Tsar

• provided limited education to peasants

what views did the russian orthodox church hold

traditional views which aligned to NIcholas II’s traditionalist autocracy

Okhrana

Tsar’s secret poliec force

Okhrana role

• monitor counter-revolutionary acts, censhorship and imprisoning, executing or exiling potential victims

Okhrana symbol of

the suppresive nature of the Romanov autocracy

cossacks

fircely independent group known for fighting on horseback and were loyal to the Tsar in return for land

Russian army conscription

for large numbers of peasants

ideology

set of ideas or beliefs that characterise a particular revolutionary movement

what do revolutionary ideologies do

• harness mass philosophies

• sometiems deliberately exaggerate or distort the truth

• often a source for slogans and revolutionary symbols

• act as a mean of social control

founding fathers of communism

Marx and Engels

communist manifesto 1848

pamphlet criticising the captalist system and explaining the comminist understanding of human history

capitalism

an economic system and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit rather than by the state

Marx’s stages of History

• primitive communism

• salvery

• feudalism

• capatilism

• socialism

• communism

for capatalism to occur after feudalism…

a vourgeois rev needs to happen meaning the bourgeois seize power from the monarch and nobles

for the worker’s state to occur after capatilism…

a proletarian rev nees to happen where the worker’s rise up in rev and overthrow the bourgeois

Communism

theory or system of social organisation. All property is owned by the community, and each person contributes and receives according to their ability and needs.

Socialism

political and economic theory of social organisation. It advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.

main dif b/w communism and socialism

Under communism, most property and economic resources are owned and controlled by the state. In socialism, all citizens share equally in resources allocated by a democratically elected government.

Vanguard

group of people leading the way in new developments and ideas

Liberalism

political and moral philosophy based on liberty, consent of the governed and equality before the law

the great spur

period of exceptional economic growth in the 1890s

count sergei witte

minister of France (1892-1903)

count sergei witte’s task

to mordernise imperial russia to western european standards

trans siberian railway

• big plan for industrialation

• connect central and eastern russia

• increase transport to boost foreign trade

result of rapid modernisation

• increase in taxes

• decrease in working conditions

• overcrowsing in cities

• strikes

wittes problem

• made russia too dependent on foreign loans and investment

• gave priority to heavy industry

• paid no attention to russia’s agricultural needs

Bolshevik party

formerly part of the SDs and fromed in 1903 was an alliance between the working class and peasants to rapidly overthrow the middle and upper class to attain socialism

leaders of bolsheviks

Lenin, trotsky (after July 1917) and stalin

bolsheviks ideology

Marxism-lenism

Mensheviks

formerly part of the SDs and formed in 1903 as a cooperation with the middle class to overthrow tsarist regim and begin steady progression into socialism

leaders of mensheviks

plekhanov, martov and trotsky (before July 1917)

ideolgy of mensheviks

orthodox marxism

what class supported the mensheviks

industrial working class as the party organised trade uniions and attempted ot improve worker’s rights through gradual reform

socialst revs (SRs)

emerged as a coalition in 1901/2 of anti-Tsarist groups. Initially, they emerged as an organisation associated with terrorism and assassinations, but after the events of 1905, they underwent huge political shift,

kadets

formed during the events of 1905 and consisted of mostly progressive individuals frmo the upper and middle class

octobrists

formed in the fever of 1905 as a more conservative party than the Kadets

right winged (conservative) parties

Kadets and octobrists

left winged (radical) parties

bolsheviks, mensheviks, srs

did lenin play a role in the 1905 rev

no as he only returned to St Petersburg in Dec 1905 and then exiled again from 1906-17

lenin’s partu

bolsheviks

does lenin come back for feb rev

no but he returns to petrograd in April 1917 after the feb rev to initiate the Bolshevik takeover in October 1917

russo-japanese war date

8 Feb 1904 – 5 Sept 1905

sige of port arthur date

jan 1905

battle of mukden date

feb 1905

battle of mukden, how mnay russian troops died

90,000

battle of tsushima date

may 1905

battle of tsushima fact

russian baltic fleet was destroyed in less than 24 hours after months of travel

batlles of russo japanese war

• battle of mukden

• battle of tsushima

causes of the russo jap war

Sergei Witte in the early 1900s wanted to industrialize russia and expand into Manchuria, therefore completing the trans-siberian railway. However, Japanese imperialism and influence in Korea wanted the land as well, leading to these two emerging world powers colliding

did russia have control of manchuria

yes since 1860

what happened during the treaty of portsmouth signing?

Japan gained control of Port Arthur ad maintained its sphere of influence over korea while Russia was forced to evacuate Manchuria marking the formal end of the russo-jap war

effects of the russo jap war

• humiliation highlighted the economic, social and technological backwardnes and ineffectivness of Russia

• instead of boosting nationalism, the war further destroyed the public’s faith in the Tsar

• crushed the belief of European superiority

• exacerbated the rising discontent

factors that led to the 1905 rev

• rapid social and economic changes

• economic depression

• failure of gov to improve working conditions

• russo jap war

• increasing opposition from the liberal intelligentsia