Tsarist Russia and the 1905 Revolution

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the social, political, and economic structure of Tsarist Russia and the events of the 1905 Revolution.

Tsarist Russia (Size)

An empire covering over 8 million square miles and two continents, extending from Poland in the West to the Pacific in the East.

Ethnicity Statistics (Great Russian)

The dominant ethnic group in the Russian Empire, making up $55.6$% of the population according to transcript data.

Romanov Family

The ruling dynasty of Russia since 1613, of which Nicholas II was the last member to serve as Tsar.

Imperial Council

A group of honorary advisers directly responsible to the Tsar, which acted as one of the three official bodies of authority.

Cabinet of Ministers

The official body concerned with the running of government departments.

The Senate

The official body concerned with supervising the operation of the law.

Conscription

Enforced enlistment often used as a form of punishment to maintain the 1.5 million-strong Imperial Russian army.

The Bureaucracy

The administrative body responsible for the law, police, and military, which was frequently accused of nepotism and corruption.

Divine Right of Kings

The religious belief reinforced by the Russian Orthodox Church that the Tsar was chosen by God and must be obeyed.

Serfs

The social class that comprised the vast majority of the population before 1861; they were legally tied to the land and owned by the nobility.

Peasants (1897 Census)

The largest social class in Russia, making up $82.0$% of the population.

Sergei Witte

The Tsar’s finance minister between 1893 and 1903, responsible for economic expansion and the building of the trans-Siberian railway.

Gold Standard

The economic system the rouble was placed on under Sergei Witte to promote financial stability.

Pobedonostsev

The conservative leading official of the Russian Orthodox Church and Chief Minister who educated Nicholas II.

Okhrana

The extensive secret police network used by the Tsar to expose political crimes and maintain internal security.

Zemstvos

Elected local councils formed in the 1860s that often demanded a voice in national government.

Russification

The policy of enforcing the Russian language and culture on non-Russian national minorities within the empire.

Pale of Settlement

A region in the west of the Empire where the majority of the 5 million Jewish residents were forced to live.

Mir

A village commune that owned land, organized tax collection, and allotted strips of land to households.

Social Revolutionaries (SRs)

A political party formed in 1901 that sought to return land to the workers and was the most popular party among the peasants.

Bolsheviks

A faction of the Social Democrats led by Lenin who favored a tight-knit organization of professional revolutionaries.

Mensheviks

A faction of the Social Democrats led by Martov who believed Russia was not ready for a proletarian revolution until a bourgeois stage occurred.

Kadets (Constitutional Democrats)

The largest liberal group, led by Pavel Milyukov, which wanted Russia to become a constitutional monarchy with an elected national assembly.

Octobrists

A liberal party led by Aleksandr Guchkov that supported the Tsar's October Manifesto and favored moderate constitutional reform.

Treaty of Portsmouth

The September 1905 agreement that ended the Russo-Japanese War, resulting in Russia's withdrawal from Manchuria.

Redemption Payments

Hated 'loans' that peasants were forced to pay the state for land following their liberation from serfdom in 1861.

Years of the Red Cockerel

The period of 1903-1904 when peasants frequently seized land in the countryside.

Bloody Sunday

The trigger event of the 1905 Revolution where Father Gapon led 150,000 workers in a peaceful demonstration that was fired upon by troops.

Soviets

Revolutionary councils consisting of elected delegates from whole towns that organized strikes and basic services.

October Manifesto

A document issued by Nicholas II in 1905 promising civil freedoms and the establishment of an elected State Duma.

Black Hundreds

Armed bands of government supporters who organized pogroms against Jewish communities and attacked left-wing activists.

Stolypin’s Neckties

A nickname for the hangman's noose, reflecting the thousands of summary executions carried out under Peter Stolypin’s special courts.