russia flashcards kq1

How many ethnic groups were in Russia?

Around 23

What percent of the population was made up of Russians?

Half

What was Russification?

The attempt to impose Russia’s language, culture and religion on the Empire’s non-Russian nationalities. Emphasized the superiority of all things Russian.

Where was Russification implemented most aggressively in Russia?

In parts of the North-Western borderlands where nationalist feeling was strong (Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland).

Examples of russification in education:

Russian was the compulsory language in schools, despite not being most people’s native language.

Examples of Russification in religion:

The Orthodox Church was given money to convert non-Russians to Orthodoxy. Churches rooted in non-Russian areas were bullied, and in Baltic areas new Prot churches weren’t allowed to be built without government permission.

In 1903, the Government confiscated the property of the Armenian Church.

Example of Russification in legal institutions?

Russian was used in all court proceedings.

When did the Russian empire acquire its Jewish population?

When Russia seized control of large parts of the previously independent Kingdom of Poland in the late 18th century.

How many Jews were in Russia by 1900?

Nearly 5 million

Where were Jews in Russia forced to live?

In the ‘Pale of Settlement’, a demarcated zone along Russia’s western border. They weren’t allowed to live in the rural areas, so were forced to live in ghettos.

How many measures that imposed political and economic restrictions on Jews were introduced by the Government?

Over 600

How did peasants feel about Jewish people?

There was deep anti-semitism

What’s a ‘pogrom’?

A violent attack on Jewish people or businesses.

Who were the ‘Black Hundreds’?

A para-military gang of ultra-conservative Russian nationalists who were notorious for their attacks on Jews, who they saw as plotting the Empire’s downfall.

When and where was the worst pogrom?

In late 1905 at Odessa, where 800 Jews were murdered.

What was the relationship between antisemitism and the Tsarist regime?

Close links between the Black Hundreds and the Tsarist regime. They were subsidized and supplied with weaponry by the Interior Ministry.

Nicholas II was very supportive of the Union of the Russian People, an ultra-conservative political party with close links to the Black Hundreds.

Who were the Okhrana and what was its role?

Tsarism’s political police force at the forefront of the Tsarist regime’s struggle against internal enemies. Aimed to infiltrate and destroy revolutionary and terrorist networks.

How many Okhrana were there, and how successful were they?

In 1900, there were 2,500 full time Okhrana agents, 1/3 of them stationed in St.Petersburg. They were generally very effective.

Who were the Liberals, what did they want and where did they get their ideas from?

• A wide ranging, broad group of middle class industrialists, business men and educated professionals eg. doctors and lawyers. They were a small group, but were growing quickly.

• They wanted to end autocracy, adopt a constitution, have democratically elected institutions and introduce rights such as freedom of speech. Did not prefer violence. Moderate liberals were happy for the Tsar to continue within a constitutional monarchy, while radicals wanted Russia to become a republic.

• Ideas came from universities and zemstvas

What action did the liberals take, and how effective were they?

• Early 1900s: joined forces with radicalized students in the Liberation Movement

• 1902: Founded ‘Liberation’ newspaper

• 1904: ‘League of Liberation’ founded, with Milyukov as the head.

• Late 1904: League launches a series of ‘banquet campaigns’ to mobilise liberal opinion in support of political change.

While they were well educated and had fast-spreading ideas, they didn’t actually demand too much change and instead wanted a system where democracy and the Tsar co-exist.

Who were the Populists, and what did they want?

• Middle class idealists in the 1860s and 1870s.

• They wanted to form a political alliance with the peasantry to overthrow the Tsar and build a new democratic order based on village communes. Wanted peasant-led revolution.

What did the Populists do, and how effective were they?

• Tried to educate the peasants on their revolutionary role. Sent educated Populists from unis into the countryside to radicalise peasants.

• Out of frustration, they formed the ‘People’s Will’ in 1879, a terrorist group

Wanted to completely overthrow the system and build a whole new democratic order. Took out a lot of influential figures. However, their plans to educate the peasants were often unsuccessful, and there was infighting between the social classes.

Who were the ‘People’s Will’ and what did they accomplish?

A group of Populists turned terrorists due to lack of action. Aimed to murder members of the ruling class. Assassinated Alexander II in 1881.

Who were the Social Revolutionaries, and what did they want?

• An offshoot of the Populist movement, who widened the boundaries and included anyone who opposed Tsarism. Key members included Chernov, Gots, Gershuni and Breshovsky. All of them were middle/upper-middle class. Included people from lots of different political movements.

• They wanted to end Tsarism and implement Socialism through a peasant path.

• Left SRs: wanted to use terrorism to achieve revolution.

• Right SRs: Wanted to focus on improving the conditions of workers and peasants.

What did the Social Revolutionaries do, and how effective was it?

• 1902: Left SRs formed the ‘Combat Organisation’, who aimed to assassinate government officials.

• 1901-1905: Over 2,000 political assassinations were performed. Included the Interior Minister ‘Plehve’ and the Tsar’s uncle.

Posed a moderate threat, as they had money to organise and wanted direct violence to political figures. However, as there were so many different views, it was hard to mobilise. Only perpetrated by half the members.

Who were the Social Democrats and what did they want?

• Formed in 1898 as an amalgamation of lots of different workers’ rights groups. Pelhanov was a key early figure, with Lenin and Yuli Martov emerging as leaders after 1898. The group split into two key groups in 1903; Bolsheviks and Mensheviks.

• Wanted to establish Communism in Russia through a workers’ revolution, based on Marx’s teachings. Wanted to end autocracy and remove the Tsar.

• Mensheviks wanted to bring improvements on working class-conditions and develop trade unions in Russia

• Bolsheviks wanted to prepare a close-knit, disciplined party of dedicated revolutionaries for revolution as soon as possible.

What did the Social Democrats do and how successful were they?

• Established the newspaper ‘Iskra’ in 1900.

• Bolsheviks set up training schools for revolutionaries, who were then smuggled back into Russia.

• Many Bolsheviks at home were involved in terrorism and violence, and focused on accruing party funds. The money was used to finance masses of leaflets, newspapers and handbills that attacked the Tsar.

Were an organised and effective group that raised quite a bit of money. However, numbers were low and were a fractured party.

How many Bolsheviks were there pre-1914?

Between 5,000 and 10,000

What was the evolution of human societies according to Karl Marx?

• Fedualism

Bourgeois (middle class) revolution

• Capitalism - the possessing classes would grind down the exploited classes until they could no longer bear it.

Proletarian (working class) revolution

• Communism - a new political and economic order, with no classes and therefore no struggle.

Why did the SDs split in 1903?

There was a dispute over political strategy and party membership. At the ‘Second Party Congress’ in 1903, Martov split off and became the Mensheviks. They believed Russia was still in the feudal stage and revolution was a long way away. They were open to cooperation with non-Marxists and wanted to promote trade unions with them.

Lenin led the Bolsheviks. They believed Russia was in the Capitalist stage, so revolution could be seen. Wanted a close-knit party made up of hard core professionals, and had to concentrate on making themselves ready to begin revolution whenever there was a chance. Wanted immiseration of the working class so that the workers turned into revolutionaries due to poor conditions.

What is ‘historical determinism’?

The belief that historical processes have a certain inevitability, based on some fundamental factor. For Marx, this factor was economic change and class conflict.

What is ‘class conflict’?

The struggle over the means to control society between different classes. This arises in each system when the oppressed / lower classes get fed up with being exploited by the upper-classes.

What is the ‘means of production’?

The societal use and ownership of elements of goods and services. Class conflict occurs over this.

Who are the ‘Bourgeoisie’?

The middle class/ capitalist class - they own most of society’s wealth and means of production during the capitalist stage.

What is ‘Capitalism’?

An economic and social system based on private ownership of the means of production by the bourgeoisie, and their exploitation of the proletariat for profit. The Capitalist stage occurs following the bourgeois revolution.

What is ‘socialism’?

The transitional, intermediate stage between a capitalist economy and a communist economy. The revolutionary proletariat now have the job of overseeing the transition to Communism. They control the state, collectivise ownership, and make everyone equal by sharing out all the wealth and goods produced fairly.

What is the ‘dictatorship of the proletariat’?

The initial stage of socialism. There are strict controls in place so that the revolutionary proletariat can oversee the transition to communism successfully and ensure that no counter-revolution takes place.

How did social factors limit political opposition before1905?

• Russia’s working class made up 2% of the population, making them too small for genuine change.

• The peasants made up 80% of the population, but were very difficult to organise as they were spread over a vast area of countryside which the underdeveloped transport system couldn’t reliably access.

• There was a very low literacy level, with only 21% of the population able to read. All written propaganda was worthless, despite being the easiest to make and distribute.

• The leaders of the socialist groups were mainly middle/upper class, who had a totally different life to the peasant. This made it hard to properly connect and spread the message.

How did repression limit political opposition before 1905?

• Before 1905, opposition parties were illegal and so meetings had to be held in secret, this made it hard for opposition groups to win support, as people knew they would be punished harshly if caught.

• The Okhrana was very effective, and often waited till they had lots of information about upcoming meetings to arrest a group.

• Most of Russia’s leading Socialists were exiled / imprisoned, so were forced to live abroad. This cut them off from their followers and made spreading messages harder.

• All parts of the system were loyal to the Tsar, including the army, they were repeatedly called to put down protests and strikes, sometimes killing non-violent demonstrators.

How did divisions between and within groups limit opposition before 1905?

• Big differences between liberals and socialists, making chances of them uniting basically impossible. Socialists were more extreme and willing to use violence; however, Liberals were against violence.

• SRs wanted peasant based Socialism, but SDs wanted worker based.

• SRs and Marxists had different ideas of socialism.

• There were differences of opinion within the SRs, and they were split into two irreconcilable groups.

Who was the priest who led the strike in December 1904?

Father Georgi Gapon

When did the winter strike break out?

December 1904

How many workers went on strike?

120,000 by January

When did the winter procession to the Winter Palace start?

January 9th 1905

How many people were involved in the winter procession?

150,000 peaceful marchers, mainly women and children

How did the Tsar respond to the procession?

The Tsar’s troops opened fire on the crowd

How many died / were wounded at the Winter Palace?

200 were killed, and 800 were wounded

How many people were on strike by the end of January 1905 in response to Bloody Sunday?

400,000 workers

How did ‘rapid social change’ cause the 1905 revolution?

• Growing economy meant that peasants poured into overcrowded cities to take up poor, low paying industrial jobs. There was growing militancy amongst workers, and strikes became far more prominent.

• The nobility didn’t have control over the countryside as they were selling their estates and moving to the cities. Ex-peasants were buying land and becoming landowners and merchants.

• The Zemstvas had been active in towns and a growing group of professionals wanted an active part in running society. The government wouldn’t work with them, dismissing hundreds of liberals from the Zemstva in 1900.

• The liberal intelligentsia were tired of the regime, and began to think in terms of civil rights rather than service to the Tsar.

• In St.Petersburg, Moscow (1899-1901) students were brutally suppressed by police, resulting in closure of universities and higher education institutions.

How did ‘economic discontent and poor conditions’ cause the 1905 revolution?

• Workers and peasants were subjected to poverty, low wages and frequent disturbances.

• From 1900, Russia entered a deep depression brought on by an international recession. Any gains made by workers were wiped, and wages fell and unemployment increased.

• In 1903, only 23/35 blast furnaces worked in the Donbass Region.

• Increasing rents led to a peasant revolt in 1902-3. Many ex-peasants went back to their villages to join the revolt.

• The Russo-Japanese war was a disaster for the economy. The Trans-Siberian railway was constantly in use for war, so goods could not be carried on it. Lots of peasants were mobilised into the army, so agricultural work suffered.

How did ‘increasing political opposition’ cause the 1905 revolution?

• SDs and SRs began to grow.

• Activity within opposition groups increased dramatically in 1904.

• November 1904: Liberals held a national zemstvo congress, the government allowed it to go ahead and telegrams poured in asking for civil liberties, rule of law and extension of voting rights.

• There were a series of banquets where the intelligentsia discussed ideas for changing the Tsarist regime.

What did the Tsarist government put in place to curb increasing political opposition?

Head of the Okhrana, Zubatov, thought workers needed to be convinced that their lives could be improved withing the system. He set up trade unions in Moscow, supervised and funded by the police. The movement allowed workers to voice their criticism and demands legally.

How did the ‘Russo-Japanese War’ lead to the 1905 revolution?

• Russia was underprepared and over-confident as Japan was much smaller.

• The was was operating a long way from Russia, making it difficult to send reinforcements and supplies.

• Japan had a better trained navy and effective intelligence, making Russia look silly and outmatched.

• There were a series of humiliating defeats in 1904: Mukden in Jan 1905, Tsushima in May 1905

• There was an atmosphere of political crisis and public support for the war turned to dismay.

When was Minister of Interior ‘Von Plehve’ assassinated?

July 15, 1904

How did ‘Bloody Sunday’ lead to the 1905 revolution?

• Father Gapon organised a peaceful protest, calling for an 8 hour day, minimum wages and dignified treatment.

• The march also wanted freedom of speech, the right to form trade unions and an elected parliament.

• The march was mainly made up of women and children, with many killed.

Why were the events of 1905 such a threat?

Mainly workers and the army who were striking, so the Tsar had basically no protection or labour. Peasants also began to mutiny.

Which group was the dominant revolutionary force until autumn of 1905 in the revolution? Why did they lose momentum after autumn 1905?

The middle class were very organised and pressured the Tsar, until he released his October manifesto. This promised a Duma and freedom of speech. Lots of liberals were happy with this, and so they lost momentum. The party was divided and weakened, so was no longer the biggest threat.

Which group came to the fore of the revolution in later 1905?

The working class began to mobilise towards the end of 1905, calling lots of different strikes, forming parties and organising armed uprisings.

How did events progress in the countryside during the revolution?

The peasantry started off with disorder, but by the end of the year they organised themselves and started the All Russian Peasants Union. There was also more striking and protesting.

What was the St.Petersburg Soviet and what role did it play?

A council of elected representatives of the city's industrial workers. Consisted of 562 representatives from 1905, but changed to a 30-member executive committee. Started off as a strike committee to organise and direct; sparked lots more change, as other towns soon had their own Soviets. Engaged people in political campaigning even after the strike ended.

How did the Tsar respond to the 1905 revolution?

• Immediately after Bloody Sunday, Tsar Nicholas underestimated the seriousness of the situation and didn’t act.

• His initial instinct was to use military force to suppress the rebels, particularly after his uncle’s assassination in February. This was effective in the first half of the year, but multiple mutinies made the army unreliable.

• He started offering concessions (August and October Manifestos) in the second half of the year.

What was the August manifesto, and who created it?

• Created by Alex Bulygin

• Elected assembly was to be named the Duma; this was a purely advisory assembly, so they could discuss new laws but not enforce them. This electoral system favoured the peasants and landowners, and no one else got a vote.

Who supported and opposed the August manifesto?

• Supported by ultra moderate liberals, who saw it as a basis for further negotiations

• Everyone else opposed it.

What was the October Manifesto and who made it?

• Count Sergei Witte

• Granted basic freedoms such as speech, trade unions and political parties. The Duma had real power and could enforce laws. Everyone was granted the right to vote in Duma elections.

Who supported and opposed the October Manifesto?

• Supported by most average people, especially moderate liberals and business leaders.

• Opposed by radical liberals, who thought it didn’t go far enough. These people banded together and formed the Constitutional Democratic party.

Who were the Union of the Russian People and how did they help Tsarism survive in 1905?

Political party founded in October 1905 to defend Tsarism. Aimed to take on the socialists and radicals. Put down uprisings and insighted violence without being linked to the Tsar, as they didn’t work for him.

How did the Black Hundreds help the Tsar in 1905?

They were violent and put down National Minority groups who opposed them. This could cause fear and deterred people from protesting. They did a lot more damage when subsidised by the Tsar, and took out large numbers of opponents.

How did the government’s crushing of the Moscow Uprising dissuade others?

It caused extreme fear and made them not want to attempt a similar revolution. Showed that any armed uprisings would be met with violence, and the army would see it as deserved - so, people could only attempt peaceful protesting, which was rarely effective.

How did the army help the Tsar stay in power?

They had begun to uprise, but they felt like their needs had been met. Military reforms were put out on December 6th, increasing their pay and reducing their terms of service.