A Level History - Russia chapter 1

Who was the emperor of Russia in 1917?

Tsar Nicholas II

From which year had the Romanov dynasty ruled Russia?

1613

In what year did Tsar Nicholas II inherit the throne?

1894

How old was Tsar Nicholas II when he inherited the throne?

26

What type of ruler was Tsar Nicholas II?

autocratic

Was Tsar Alexander II (Nicholas' grandfather) reformist or reactionary?

reformist

Was Alexander III (Nicholas' father) reformist or reactionary?

reactionary

What was the name of Nicholas' arch-conservative tutor?

Konstantin Pobedonostsev

When was Bloody Sunday?

January 1905

What did Nicholas have to establish as a result of Bloody Sunday?

a state Duma

arch-conservative (definition)

averse to innovation and upholding traditional values

reactionary (definition)

back-ward looking and opposed to change, particularly political and social reform

reformist (definition)

a supporter of gradual reform

When was the emancipation of the serfs?

1861

Who brought about the emancipation of the serfs?

Tsar Alexander II

Who were the Okhrana?

the Tsarist secret police

When was the Russo-Japan war?

1904-1905

Why did people strike and riot on Bloody Sunday?

they wanted reforms after the defeat in the Russo-Japanese war

Why did the Russo-Japanese war start?

Russians refused to leave Korea in exchange for Manchuria

Describe Nicholas' personality (6)

shy, awkward in public, over-cautious, bored by details of political affairs, stubborn, hated confrontation

In which year did Nicholas II agree to a state Duma?

1906 (after Bloody Sunday)

How many state Dumas did Nicholas II call?

4

Who was Alexander Kerensky?

a socialist member of the third and fourth Dumas, Prime Minister between August and October 1917

Who was Grigori Rasputin?

He was a self-proclaimed holy man and faith healer who became very close to the Tsar and his family as he was able to ease the pain of his son, he was introduced to the Tsar by Alexandra

When was the Romanov Tercentenary?

1913

When did WW1 start?

June 1914

How did WW1 start?

assassination of Austrian archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Slav in Sarajevo, part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, Serb government held responsible by Austro-Hungarian people

Why did Russia side with Serbia?

it was a fellow Slav nation, and the notion of pan-Slavism was strong in European Russia

Pan-Slavism (definition)

a belief that Slav races should be united and look to Russia as the supreme Slav country for leadership

Why did the state Duma dissolve itself in 1914?

it said it didn't want to burden the country with "unecessary politics" in wartime

war credits (definition)

the raising of taxes and loans to finance the war

What did St Petersburg change its name to in 1914?

Petrograd

Name the three battles at which Russia was defeated

Battle of Tannenburg, Masurian Lakes, Brusilov offensive

When was the Battle of Tannenburg?

August 1914

How many people were dead or wounded in the Battle of Tannenburg?

300,000

When was Russia defeated at the Masurian lakes?

September 1914

What did the defeat at the Masurian lakes force Russia to do?

the Russian army was forced to temporarily retreat from East Prussia

How many men had Russia been able to mobilise between 1914 and 1917?

12 million

What were the causes for discontent at the front? (3)

lack of equipment, lack of warm clothes, lack of properly fitting waterproof footwear

When was the Brusilov Offensive?

June 1916

How many desertions were there by the end of 1916?

1.5 million

When did the Tsar set up "military zones"?

July 1914

Why did the liberal zemstva oppose the military zones?

they believed civilians needed to play a major part in running the war

What was the purpose of the Union of Zemstva?

they provided medical facilities

What did zemgor stand for?

the All Russian Union of Zemstva and Cities

When was the Zemgor formed?

June 1915

Who formed Zemgor?

zemstva and municipal dumas

Who chaired Zemgor?

Prince Lvov

Who made up the Progressive Bloc?

over half the fourth duma deputies - Kadets, Octobrists, Progressives

When was the Progressive Bloc formed?

August 1915

What did the Progressive Bloc demand?

that the Tsar establish a "government of public confidence" (wanted a constitutional monarchy)

When were the defeats in Galicia?

September 1915

What did the Tsar do as a result of defeats in Galicia?

made the decision to be Commander-in-Chief of the Russian army

Who was the president of the fourth duma?

Mikhail Rodzianko

When was Rasputin murdered?

December 1916

What did the government do to pay for war?

increased taxes and raised huge loans at home and from abroad

What was the result of the inflation after increased taxes?

prices rose much more steeply than wages

What happened to locomotive production between 1913 and 1916?

halved

What was the effect on the cost of living?

300% increase

What was an effect of the war in cities?

unemployment, as non-military factories were deprived of vital supplies and had to close

Why did death rates rise?

insanitary lodgings and insufficient food

How many workers went on strike in Moscow in January 1917?

30,000

How many workers went on strike in Petrograd in January 1917?

145,000

Who engaged in talks with senior officers in order to arrange a possible coup?

Alexandr Guchkov

When did Alexandr Guchkov talk about a possible coup to abdicate the Tsar with army officers?

1916

When was the Tsar forced to abdicate?

February 1917

What rumours circulated about Tsarina Alexdra during the War?

People believed she was exerting control over the government with Nicholas away

What were the Key problems faced by the Russian military during WW1

• Incompetent generals in senior positions

• Least educated soldiers in Europe

• Underdeveloped industry

What were the economic and social conditions in Russia during WW1

• Inflation reached 300% by 1917

• Petrograd received only 48% of grain requirements

• Soldier’s rations were decreased from 4000 to 2000 calories

• Munitions crisis limited artillery units to 3 shells per day

• Transport networks were unreliable so food and troops struggled to move

What were the political tensions in Russia leading to the revolution

• Tsar Nicholas took personal control of the army

• Tsarina Alexandra was rumored to be influenced by Rasputin, leading to concerns about her loyalty and governance.

• Rasputin interfering and meddling in policy discussions and politics

• The failed communications between the Progressive Bloc and the Tsar

What was the effect of conscription on the rural workforce during the war?

Conscription significantly reduced the rural workforce, as many young men were drafted into military service, leading to labor shortages in agriculture and increased hardship for rural communities.

Why were peasants unable to make profit from grain production and what did they do in response

• The price of grain was kept too low

• The peasants started to hoard grain