Part 1 - The Rule of Tsar Nicholas II (1894-1904)

What was the nature of the tsarist government - why was this a political problem?

• Tsar was an autocrat and believed in the divine right

• Nicholas’s civil service was widely critisised for its corruption eg nepotism and bribery

• Lack of voting rights eg only 0.7% of moscow and st petersburg could vote

• judges were appointedby the tsar, peasants had volost courts (seperate)

• the police were brutal and corrupt

• In 1881 the statue of state security was brought in which limited political freedom eg political parties were banned and there was no freedom of press or speech

What was Nicholas like - why was this a political problem?

• Easily influenced, naive and ignorant, he was unaware and lacked imagination

• May 1896, the tsars condition took place when 1400 died and 600 were injured in khidynka field by being crushed and trampled, nicholoas continued his celebration which tarnished his image

• he was extremely easily influenced by alexandra his wife and later by rasputin

• He put his family before political matters

• Lack of organisation and spent disproportionate amount of time on silly tasks rather than important matters

why was alexandra and pobedonovsteds influence on nicholas a political problem?

• Alexandra got nicholas to spend more time with family which is seen via diary entries and letters - they were in a loving relationship

• Alexandra was hated and seen as an outsider due to her being a german princess

• Pobedonostsev tutored him and had a huge influence on him - he persuaded alexander III to reject his fathers liberal reforms

• He encouraged nicholas’s accession speech (1895)

• He was deeply antisemitic and committed to russification

What were the repressive policies in 1894-1905- why was this a political problem?

• 1881 statute of state security introduced which limited political freedoms, political parties banned, no freedom of the press or journals/ books or speech, public gatherings of more than 12 were needed to be supervised by a police officer

• this led to the growth of the intelligentsia and more education political activists forming underground parties

• Big policy under nicholas II was russification

what was russification, antisemitism and national minorities a political problem?

• Russification - To impose superiority of russian ways and values on all people within the nation

• Russian imposed as the first official language, all laws, proceedings and regional government administration had to be in russian

• Russian in every school, no other language taught

• poles- no government position and the best paid jobs were given to russians

• it became more vindictive in the 1890s which led to an increase in the number of national minorities that got suppressed after uprising in the army

• jews - nicholas was an antisemite as taught by pob

• over 600 measures against jews and they were subject to pogroms

• the black hundreds attacked jews and 1920 the okrana forge the ‘protocols of the elders of zion’ which showed a jewish leader meeting planning world domination, wave of pogroms hit in 1903 over 2 days 47 jews were killed and 400 were wounded

• in 1897 jews formed the jewish bund

• poland wanted complete independance

• ukraine, caucus region, finland and baltic provinces all had russifcation imposed on them

what was the political opposition like in 1894-1905

• The liberals - Kadets and octobrists(1905), Their beliefs: russia should be governed in a similar way to western countries, civil rights and the freedom of the individual. Methods: reform rather than violent action, newspapers and meeting. Support: few active supporters outside of the large cities, mainly from the mc and intelligentsia lawyer and doctors etc

• Populists - SRs (1901)Peoples will, Beliefs: the future of russia is in the hands of the peasants, methods:violence and terrorism eg people will assassinated alexander II in 1879 Support: largely youth and young intelligentsia

• Social revolutionaries were focused on the living conditions of the poorest in society, the left wing employed direct action from 1901 and 1905. they were responsible for 2000 killings including Grand Duke Sergei . The right worked with other parties which appealed to peasants.

• Social democrats (SDs) (1898) split into bolsheviks (1903)and mensheviks(1903), they believed in karl marx ideology and wanted the proletariat to overthrow russia. The bolsheviks led by lenin and wanted workers to lead the revolution. Mensheviks continued to work for p s and e changes. support from the working class

What were the economic problems in 1894-1904?

• Agriculture - strip system of farming, lack of technology, restriction of the Mir, low productivity eg russia was ¼ of britains, many periods of famine eg 1891, 400,000 killed

• Industry - Lack of major industrial growth, industry wasn’t wide spread and money was small scale, absence of an effective banking system, lack of entrepreneurism, lack of market for goods

how are economic political and social problems linked?

Economic issues lead to more support for political groups also due to social grievances

Famine leads to discontent which leads to more support for political groups

What were Wittes reforms ?

• Foreign investment - he negotiated huge loans with foreign countries, particularly france. also to encourage the arrival of foreign money, witte adopted the GOLD STANDARD which gave the rouble strength when exchanged

• The russian people - increased their direct taxes on everyday items such as salt and kerosene and alcohol, peasants had to sell more grain

what were wittes successes?

• Between 1890 and 1900 the production of iron and steel had risen from 9m to 76m pods per year

• state owned 2/3 of metallurgical production and controlled 70% of railways and owned many mines and oil fields

• 1890-1900 coal output x3, cotton cloth increased by 66% and iron and steel inc by sevenfold

• by 1900 russia had overtaken france as the 4th largest iron producer

• income from industry rose from 42m roubles to 1893 to 161m in 1897

• railway tracks went from 19,510 miles in 1891 to 33,270 in 1900

• railways boosted other industries

what were wittes failures?

• light industries were neglected

• small industries were not priorities

• still reliant on customer goods from imports

• agriculture suffered

• high interest on loans

• sections of the transiberian railway was incomplete by 1916, it didnt greatly improve migration

• the population was rapidly growing so figures seemed better than they were

• tarrifs backfired

• peasants were effected by high tax and bad wages which led to more unrest

who did tsar face social problems from?

peasants

urban workers

what were the peasants long term grievences?

• redemption payments - 49 years set at high price which made lots of debt for peasants

• plots were often small and low quality

• land hungers - periods of severe famine and food shortages

what were the peasants short term grievences?

• wittes introduction of higher taxes made it even harder

• series of poor harvests led to mass starvation for example in 1891-2 400,000 died

• peasants resorted to attacking the land owners in times of hunger by burning fields and killing cattle

how significant was the threat from peasants?

• significant - growing opposition and many join rebellions, 82% peasants were peasants, tsarist regime was millitant, poor harvests led to opposition, 1901 poor harvests and increase rent for peasants, peasants revolt in 1902, 1903

• Limited threat - hard to organise as they were illiterate, debt held them back, less susceptible to ideologies, only concerned with survival

what were the urban workers grievences?

• working conditions were very poor and had long hours and low pay

• hit by direct and indirect taxation

• foremen used to beat the workers

• living conditions were also poor and badly crowded with disease being rife

• cholera epidemic returned one year of 3

• strike and trade unions were illegal, protest could lead to arrest

• despite this there was many protests eg 1897 - 97,000 protested

• some became unemployed so were homeless which led to gangs on the street

• worker unrest was rising due to the poor conditions and an uncaring government

how significant was the worker threat?

• significant - protests becoming more organised and widespread, more literate and very close, start supporting radical parties, more willing to strike, growing in number and opposition, 97,000 workers in strike in 1897, 1899 students protested

• limited threat - small in number, up to 1905 they were striking only for economic reasons and not political

why was russia willing to go to war with japan?

• russia wanted to increase its influence in the far east

• wanted to distract from domestic troubles

• russia wanted an ice free port as all of their major ports get frozen

• nicholas believed a patriotic war would strengthen and support his government

• they saw japan as an inferior nation

• territiorial disputes with japan over korea and manchuria

what was plehve and wittes take on war?

• plehve - supported the war against japan as he thought it would be an oppertunity to settle disagreements while also distracting the russian public

• witte - concerned about the financial cost and the lack of millitary preparation

what happened in february 1904 in rj war?

russia refused to withdraw troops from manchuria, japan launch a night attack at russias pacific squadron at port arthur and damaged 3 ships - japan blockades port arthur, isolating 60,000 russian troops

what happened in april and early may 1904?

battle of yalu, japan moved north from korea to confront russia.

defeat for russia who were outnumbered 3 to 1

what happened in jan 1905?

port arthur falls to japan, outrage and protest within russia

what happened in march 1905?

japan seize key town of mukden

what happened in may 1905?

russian baltic fleet on its way to relieve port arthur, blown out of water by fleet at tsushima

what happened in august 1905?

the treaty of portsmouth, russia withdrawn from manchuria

why did russia lose the rj war?

• russian millitary commanders had not prepared effectively and didnt understand the enemy

• russia found it difficult to transport men and materials

• russia underestimated japanese army and navy

what was the impact of the rj war?

• humiliation

• russians felt lied to

• factories closed due to a lack of materials

• unemployment increased

• food shortages as peasants went into the army

• increase in social unrest - led to bloody sunday

• incompitence of russian ministers and tsar shown

• shown as backwards

• wittes transiberian shown as a failure

what were the long term causes of the 1905 revolution?

• peasant discontent, the grievences about land hunger and the 49 year redmemption payments

• worker discontent, low pay in bad conditions with terrible housing and very bad living conditions

• middle class / student discontent, many want to a more organised and kinder government system, many in parties

• national minorities/ jews had many measures against them

• tsarist system was outdated and did not benefit anyone in society except nicholas and friends

what were the short term causes of the 1905 revolution?

• economic recession 1900

• railway industry badly hit

• oil industry slumped

• small metal firms closed

• cut wages, unemployment streets = gang

• RJ war also

what was the trigger cause of the 1905 revolution?

• bloody sunday january 1905 - gapon organised a petition to the tsar and a march to the winter palace

• petition called for an 8 hour day, minimum wages, dignified treatment, freedom of speech and an elected parliament, 100,000 went

• troops had orders to stop the crowds, troops open fired at crowds - 130 dead and 300 wounded

by the end of january 1905 how many were on strike?

400,000

where were rebellions in january 1905?

poland, ukraine, finland, the baltic states and the caucus

when was grand duke sergie assassinated?

february 1905

what happened in march 1905?

georgia declares independance

what hapened in april 1905?

second zemstva congress, growing demands for freedom

what happened in may 1905?

union of unions formed

what happened in june 1905?

potempkin mutiny on 14th june try to start the revolution in odessa, fails and limited impact but still dangerous

what happened in the 13th october 1905?

formation of the st petersburg soviet, the activists meet to coordinate the strike and made of representatives from elected variety, trotsky involved shows power of urban workers

when and what was the october manifesto?

17th october, a concession conceded - freedom of speech and consciences - freedom of association and unwarrented arrest - duma elected

what were the reasons for the october manifesto?

• general strike as workers were defient

• mounting opposition

• growing opposition from peasants

• witte put pressure on

what were the different responses to the october manifesto?

• liberals led by milyukov hailed the manifesto and opposition ended for now

• workers and peasants were less impressed and strikes increased again

• revolutionaries saw it at a trick

• supporters of tsar instigated violence on streets

what happened between october to december 1905?

• mid october new political parties formed and anti-government newspapers formed

• end of oct violence between tsars supporters and protesters , inc violence against jews and 3000 were killed

• november peasant unrest grew and poor harvests, the authorities used brutal suppression eg rape floggings and executions

• november there was another general strike at st petersburg supported by the soviet

• december there was an uprising in moscos led by the sd and srs - 12 days long and it was brutally supressed

what were the concessions for the liberals in the october manifesto? outcome?

• creation of duma

• freedom of speech, assembly and worship

• right for political parties to exist

• legalising trade unions

• liberals mainly happy

what were the concessions given to the peasants in the october manifesto? reaction?

• mortgage payments to be slowly reduced then abolished

• peasants mainly happy

what were the concessions given to workers during the october manifesto? reaction?

• no concessions

• this led to troops who returned from the east crushing strikers and seizing the soviet HQ in st petersburg

• moscow HQ was burned

• they were extremely unhappy

what was the issue stolypin set out to fix?

the problem of land shortages and overpopulation of the countryside caused by rapid population growth

what did stolypin do?

• ended redemption payments 1907

• ended strip system of farming and transfer land from the mir

• peasant land bank loans

• improved methods of farming

• reduction in power of mir

• voluntary resettlement

stolypins success?

• end to redemption payments meant that peasants were relived of huge financial burden and reduced discontent, also gave relative stablility to countryside

• end to strip system and transfer of land from mir meant that peasants could demand their land was separated, they were given incentives to move from collective to individual farming

• peasant land bank loans allowed more successful peasants to buy land from their neighbours and nobility, cooperative emerge, provided loans and tools

• improved methods of farming led to introduction of machinery and artificial fertilisers but this was a slow process

• reduction in power of mir led to peasants free to leave villages by 1914, 2 million had left and relocated to cities and became industrial workers

• voluntary resettlement meant some colonisation of siberia and the production of crops boosted exports

stolypins failures?

• end of redemeption payments was limited and most peasants remained poor and social tensions between landlords and peasants continued

• end to strip system was limited as by 1914 only 16% of land had been consoldated, peasants also stayed with the mir for security

• main land transfers were between peasants and not nobles

• yields remained low despite new methods of farming, russian problems like weather clime and over population continued

• reduction in power of the mir left some regions short of labour which led to food shortages and put pressure on an already dire living condition in the cities

• many peasants returned from voluntary resettlement as the land was so inhospitable

what were the successes of russian industry 1906-1914?

• between 1907 and 1914 industrial production grew at a rate of 6% per year

• by 1914 russia was the worlds 4th largest producer f coal, pig iron and steel

• production of consumer goods rose in response to increased demand from peasants who had more to spend after the end of redemption payments

• towns and cities continued to grow

• some large modern industrial works using latest technology

• the economy was stabilising 1906-14

what were the failures of russian industry in 1906-14?

• heavy industries remained the main focus

• industry couldnt meet the demand for agricultural tools and machinery dependant of foreign loans

• consumer goods share fell from 52% to 45%

• in 1881 population of st petersburg 0.861m to 2.2m 1914

• 67% of industrial workers in small scale shops but only produced 33% of total industrial output

• chemical and machine tools still brought in from abroad

• russia 1/10th usa capita income 1/5th uk and ½ austrohungarian

• russia still backwards in many aspects and falling further behind, boom was likely to be short lived

what were workers like in 1906-14 (society)?

• there were more first generation workers than ex peasants by 1914

• literacy levels rose due to 64% in 1914

• workers didnt really benefit from growth in industrial production - their wages were less than 1/3 of europes avg

• 1912- limited insurance introduced for accidents and sickness but did not cover unemployment or old age

• long hours

• strikes and trade unions had been harshly repressed from 1905-14

• discontent inc due to lena goldfields massacre in april 1912

• july 1914 general strike

• frequency of strikes inc and become more political

what were peasants like in 1906-14 (social)?

• some living standard improvement

• reletively quiet with uprisings

• rapid population increase = land hunger

• simmering resentment over land ownership and stolypins reforms

• many who moved became threat for mulitant progaganda

what were liberals like in 1906-14?

• divided so no real threat

• feared mass anarchy so didnt support strikes

• becoming increasingly critical of tsar

what were revolutionary parties like 1906-14?

• srs and mensheviks weakened by okrana

• bolsheviks have deputies on 3rd and 4th duma and had growing influence on trade unions

• bolsheviks pravda had a circulation of 40,000

• bolshevik leaders in exile and infiltrated by okrana

what was the millitary like 1906-14?

• up to 1914 no mutiny significant, quite loyal

• some army more reluctant to crush civillian disturbances

when was the first duma and its achievements/limits?

• april - june 1906

• 182 kadets 136 trudoviks 18 mensheviks 60 national minority representatives 17 octobrists and 27 progressists

• no sig achievements apart from political parties being legal

• met in a mood of bitterness due to the tsars fundamental laws in april 1906

• disagreements between kadets and trudoviks over land transfer kadets want compensation trudoviks dont

• stolypin marital law field courts begin

• ended due to stolypins agricultural reforms - duma issues proclamation asking for support, nicholas views this as a threat and shuts duma in june

• vyborg appeal followed - 200 kadets and trudoviks asking people to disobey conscription and not pay tax - led to rise in violence and mutiny in army

when was the second duma? what was the success/limitations of this?

• made up from 37 sr 47 sd and 91 cadets

• this duma was hostile towards the government

• stolypins land programme was opposed by all, this led to tensions

• ended as the duma directed a strong attack on the way the army was organised

• nicholas accuses the sds and srs of subversion, he orders the duma to be dissolved as he claims they were plotting ti assassinate him

when was the third duma and successes/limitations?

• november 1907- june 1912

• 154 ocotobrists 147 rightists and 19 bolsheviks

• stolypin had good relations with this duma especially guchkov

• duma exercised rights to question minister and introduced a system of national insurance, universal primary education was compulsary till 4, government spending on education went 1.8% to 4.2%

• peasants grievences over land ownership and land hunger continues

• stolypin wanted to introduce more zemstva in the west, duma oppose and he convinced nicholas to suspend them and rule by decree for 3 days

• april 1912 lena goldfields massacre in siberia, strike where 270 killed

fourth duma when and impact?

• november 1912 to august 1914

• 15 bolsheviks 154 rightists and 95 octobrists 41 progressists

• growth in secondary schools, technical colleges universities and teacher training

• enrollment in secondary doubles

• minister of education excludes women and jews

• bolsheviks constantly openly oppose the goverenment which creates tension

• ww1 ends duma as they agree to suspend to be patriotic

• duma meets again in 1916 and 1917 to dicuss nicholas abdication