Russification

What is Russification?

The process whereby non-Russian regions were drawn more securely into the framework of the Russian state

What did Russification involve?

• Administrative integration

• Transmission of Russian language

• Transmission of religion

• Transmission of culture

When did Russification start?

The Polish revolt 1863

What was the process of Russification towards Finland?

• Liberal stance on Finland before 1894

• Under Nicholas, Finland was encouraged to join the Russian empire but this caused opposition

• In 1905 Finland was given full autonomy

• Treaty of Brest-Litovsk enabled lasting independence

• Winter War was an unsuccessful attempt to regain influence over Finland

• Finland was able to maintain a status of neutrality

What was the process of Russification towards the Baltic provinces?

• Consisted of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

• Rise is nationalism in these provinces was not enough for independence to be achieved

• 1936 Constitution made it easy for the states to be incorporated in new Russian government

• Suffered during WW2 due to accusations of collaboration with the Nazis

• Become more stable post WW2

What was the Russification towards Ukraine?

• Treaty of Brest-Litovsk gained full independence

• Didn’t last long as they could not oppose the Red Army during the Civil War

• Stalin implemented his collectivisation here

• In theory, the position of Ukraine improve after WW2

• Many Ukrainians were accused of being German collaborators during WW2, leading to execution

What was the process of Russification towards the Caucasians?

• Religious divisions and illiteracy made Russification easy

• Populist movements arose to fight the repression, such as the Georgian Mensheviks who fought against Nicholas II

• Georgia gained independence in 1920 but was regained by the Red army in 1921

• Stalin ruthlessly dealt with Georgian dissidents

• Following the 1936 constitution, Georgia was granted full republican status

What was the process of Russification towards the Jews?

• Jews did not have a homeland in the Russian Empire

• Alex II allowed members of the Pale to migrate to other regions

• Alex III clamped down on this

• WW2 caused bans of Jewish culture

• Khrushchev suppressed a number of prominent Jewish technical specialists for anti-communist activity