RUSSIA KT1 SUMMARY SHEET
What was Russia like in the Early 1900s?
Autocracy:
Tsar Nicholas II and the Romanov dynasty, who had ruled since 1613, the last monarchs in Russia –
until 1917
Democracy?
Two revolutions in 1917, February and October
Dictatorship:
Lenin and Stalin, October 1917 onwards
Before 1917, Nicholas II was the last tsar of Russia
- Nicholas II became tsar in 1894. His Romanov family had been ruling Russia since the 1600s
- He ruled as an autocrat – he had complete power
In 1917, there were two revolutions
- 1st revolution (February/March) overthrew the tsar, ending the monarchy in Russia. Russia
came close to being a democracy...
- During the 2ed revolution it became a short dictatorship
- Russia remained communist until 1991
- From October 1917, Lenin took power, when he died in 1924, Stalin took over
- Two most important cities in Russia are Moscow & St Petersburg
- Russia had many different ethnic groups
- Most people lived in the west
- Over 80% of the population were peasants
- There were numerous nationalities in Russia. Only 55/126 million people who lived in Russia,
actually spoke Russian!
- Spans 8 time zones
- In Siberia it snowed for 4 months of the year. With the very north of Siberia only having a
month-long summer.
What was life like for Russian peasants and workers?
- Peasants (land dwellers and agricultural workers) -> 82%
- Working class (factory workers and small traders) -> 4%
Peasants
- In 1917, about 82% the population were peasants
- Most peasant communities were very backward, and the farming methods available to them
were inefficient. Modern farming equipment was unknown, and wooden horse-drawn ploughs
were still in use. Houses lacked running water and flushing toilets. In many homes, animals
were kept at one end of the building, humans lived in the other. Most peasants, especially
woman and older people, were illiterate
- Almost all peasants wished to see wealthy landowners lose their land and have it redistributed
among the ordinary peasants
- Most also resented the interference of government and wanted to get on with their lives
- Tradition of peasant uprisings against landlords and government officials. This made
peasants a dangerously violent group in society who might, at times of difficulty or
unhappiness turn to violence
- In shops and markets there were food shortages – not so much because less food was being
grown, but because peasants were tending to hoard it. As prices went up for manufactured
, goods, peasants hung onto their grain partly to try and force up the price, and partly to make
sure they had enough food for themselves.
Workers
- Life for workers in the cities was also very difficult. Living conditions were often poor, with
workers living in overcrowded barracks and slums. Many Russian cities had grown so fast in
the years before WW1 that workers houses were badly built, and poorer areas were
overcrowded
- Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) which was the capital until 1918 had almost tripled in size
between 1881 and 1917. Moscow, which became the capital in 1918, more than doubled in size
in the same time
- The Tsar's police made it difficult for workers to form trade unions to campaign for better
wages and conditions
- Soldiers were often sent to end strikes or put down any unrest among the workers. This meant
that even strikes about pay and conditions could easily turn into a confrontation between
workers and the tsar's government
- Only a minority of people (less than 20% of population) lived in towns away from the great
cities of Petrograd, Moscow and eastern Ukraine as most of the country had almost no
industry
- However, many Russian workers were employed in very large factories. So, if the workers
protested, it would have little effect on the country as a whole, but caused massive disruption in
the capital
- The war (WW1) added to the workers problems. Inflation meant that prices went up faster than
wages. Between 1914 & 1917, average wages went up by 400%. The living standard for
workers in the town was cut by half. In addition, there was less food in the shops. So, at the
start of 1917, workers were cold and hungry
- 2 factory laws:
o One in 1885 stopping the night-time employment of women and children
o Other in 1897 restricting the workday to 11 and a half hours excluding workshops
Was Nicholas II a weak ruler?
In the 1860s they abolished Sefton
How was Nicholas II as a tsar?
- He was thrust into the position
- Ignorant, stupid, incompetent
- Arrogant as he blocked progress from western-style constitutional monarchy or republic
- He thought God chose him to lead the country
How powerful was the tsar?
- The Romanov family had been Russia's Tsars since 1613. Nicholas became tsar in 1894,
succeeding his father, Alexander III
- Late 19th century Russia was the most autocratic state in Europe
- There were NO formal checks or limits on the Tsar's power
- Russia did not have a constitution setting out what the Tsar could or could not do
- There was no parliament – laws were made by the Tsar
- No legal safeguard to protect human rights
- He believed his right to wield unlimited power derived from the will of God
- He viewed calls for reform, or changing the system, as "senseless dream"
Also, he often prioritised spending time with his family, rather than focusing on the country. Alexi his
son had Haemophilia.
- Russification meant making non-Russians speak Russian , wear Russian clothes and Russian
customs. Maybe they had different belief's and didn't want to change for the tsar
- About 70% of the population was part of the orthodox church. The church was closely linked to
the tsar and supported his way of ruling. It taught the tsar was the head of the country and
, church. The tsar had a council of ministers that ran the various government departments, but
they couldn't make important decisions. They had civil servants who carried out the day-to-
day work of the government and poorly paid them which encouraged bribery and corruption.
The tsar was determined to suppress all opposition through the okhrana. They used spies and
agents to root out anyone who was against the tsar and his system of government. Such
opponents could be imprisoned without trial or exiled to far-off Siberia
- He believed that he was chosen by God to rule and that no one had the right to challenge him.
He was ignorant of the nature and extent of opposition to tsarist rule and refused to share
power
- Economic problems -> Russian agriculture was poor. Extensive tundra, forest and desert meant
only about 5% of the land could be used for farming. In most villages the land was divided
into 3 large fields. This meant each household had strips in each of these fields. This
scattered strip farming system encouraged subsistence farming using primitive hard tools.
These old-fashioned methods resulted in low food production and frequent famines, such as in
1982
- Industrial problems -> Even though Russia was rich in oil and minerals, industrialisation did not
happen until the end of the 19th century, much later than most countries. Considering Russia's
size and recourses, its manufacturing output was still very low at the beginning of the 20th
century. Its size and undeveloped system of roads and railways, together with the absence of
an effective banking system all restricted the growth of industry
- I think the autocracy is not the best way to run a country, but Nicholas's personality made the
ruling a lot worse. He was arrogant, believing he was the ultimate power and the most
important person in the country. This clouded his judgement of proper issues and the fact he
was so self-indulged also completely blindsided him to real issues 82% of the population of the
country he was supposed to be ruling faced
What is communism?
Left wing -> progressive, idealistic, equality, regulations of big businesses, equality over the freedom to
fail
Right wing -> value-tradition, equality-fairness, big businesses are free from tax
At the most extreme ends:
- Communism (classless, moneyless and common ownership)
- Fascism (extreme nationalism, doctorship, militarist and suppress opposition)
Karl Marx:
- Born 1818 died 1883
- In 1848 co-authored the "Communist Manifesto" which asserted all human history had been
based on class struggles, but that these would ultimately disappear with the victory of the
proletariat (working class)
- Created Marxism
- "Workers of the world unite"
- Very influential for many revolutionaries in Russia
- Marx thought the working class were being exploited by the upper/middle class to get more
money
- Marx envisioned a Revolutionary Society in which everyone's needs were met, and no class
divisions exist. Sometimes described as "socialism", was Marx ideal society
Communism -> a society in which all property is owned by the community and each person
contributes and receives according to their ability and needs
, Eagercommunsim -> feudalism -> capitalism -> revolution -> final communism
How did the Tsar crush the power of opposition groups?
Duma -> national assembly in Russia (parliament). This was created after the failed 1905 revolution,
but it did not have much power
There was a lot of opposition to the tsar's rule
The problem was the different groups did not agree on how Russia should be governed
- Nationalists believed Russians should be in charge, within a strong Russian empire.
Conservatives opposed to social change want to defend the status of nobles and wealthier
groups in society
- Moderates thought Russia should be ruled as a democracy like France or Britain. Octobrists
were supporters of moderate reforms, better government and more freedom. Kadets were
liberals believing in political rights for all and a constitutional monarchy that puts limits on the
power of the tsar
- Socialist Revolutionaries believed in sharing out wealth to make a more equal society. They
promised to take land away from the great landowners and give it away to the peasants. They
supported revolutions and assassination of political enemies (left SRs)
- Social democrats believed in revolution to overthrow capitalism and create a fairer communist
society. They were socialists (who sometimes called themselves communists) who believed in
the ideas of German writer Karl Marx
- Social democrats split into Bolsheviks which aimed to create a group of professional
revolutionaries; leader is Lenin. Whereas Mensheviks believe Russia is not ready for revolution.
They would not cooperate with other parties. They were not democratic – and were tightly
controlled by Lenin and their central committee.
- The Bolshevik leaders were in exile (1917) because they were against Russia's involvement in
WW1, they were accused of being traitors working for Germany. Lenin ended up in
Switzerland.
Bloody Sunday
- In 1905, there was a series of uprising against the tsar. However, the revolution failed, and the
tsar remained in control as the army sided with the tsar
- However as soon as the uprisings died down, in 1906 he declared that he had the power to
dissolve the duma and in 1907 he changed the election rules so that worker had less of a say
– essentially taking away its power entirely
- Nicholas II appointed Stolypin as prime minister in 1906, until his assassination in 1911
- He introduced reforms in education and agriculture. However, he also crushed opposition
ruthlessly
- More than 3000 were executed and the gallows became known as Stolypin's necktie
- He also sent thousands to exile in the frozen wastelands of Siberia. The trains that carried
them there became known as Stolypin's wagons
- As a result, the tsar remained an autocrat until he was overthrown in 1917
- The opposition parties were effectively crushed by the Okhrana. The duma, created when the
tsar was almost overthrown in 1905, had very little power – after 1907, it essentially agreed
with what the tsar said
- The main opposition leaders were exiled abroad
What was Russia like in the Early 1900s?
Autocracy:
Tsar Nicholas II and the Romanov dynasty, who had ruled since 1613, the last monarchs in Russia –
until 1917
Democracy?
Two revolutions in 1917, February and October
Dictatorship:
Lenin and Stalin, October 1917 onwards
Before 1917, Nicholas II was the last tsar of Russia
- Nicholas II became tsar in 1894. His Romanov family had been ruling Russia since the 1600s
- He ruled as an autocrat – he had complete power
In 1917, there were two revolutions
- 1st revolution (February/March) overthrew the tsar, ending the monarchy in Russia. Russia
came close to being a democracy...
- During the 2ed revolution it became a short dictatorship
- Russia remained communist until 1991
- From October 1917, Lenin took power, when he died in 1924, Stalin took over
- Two most important cities in Russia are Moscow & St Petersburg
- Russia had many different ethnic groups
- Most people lived in the west
- Over 80% of the population were peasants
- There were numerous nationalities in Russia. Only 55/126 million people who lived in Russia,
actually spoke Russian!
- Spans 8 time zones
- In Siberia it snowed for 4 months of the year. With the very north of Siberia only having a
month-long summer.
What was life like for Russian peasants and workers?
- Peasants (land dwellers and agricultural workers) -> 82%
- Working class (factory workers and small traders) -> 4%
Peasants
- In 1917, about 82% the population were peasants
- Most peasant communities were very backward, and the farming methods available to them
were inefficient. Modern farming equipment was unknown, and wooden horse-drawn ploughs
were still in use. Houses lacked running water and flushing toilets. In many homes, animals
were kept at one end of the building, humans lived in the other. Most peasants, especially
woman and older people, were illiterate
- Almost all peasants wished to see wealthy landowners lose their land and have it redistributed
among the ordinary peasants
- Most also resented the interference of government and wanted to get on with their lives
- Tradition of peasant uprisings against landlords and government officials. This made
peasants a dangerously violent group in society who might, at times of difficulty or
unhappiness turn to violence
- In shops and markets there were food shortages – not so much because less food was being
grown, but because peasants were tending to hoard it. As prices went up for manufactured
, goods, peasants hung onto their grain partly to try and force up the price, and partly to make
sure they had enough food for themselves.
Workers
- Life for workers in the cities was also very difficult. Living conditions were often poor, with
workers living in overcrowded barracks and slums. Many Russian cities had grown so fast in
the years before WW1 that workers houses were badly built, and poorer areas were
overcrowded
- Petrograd (now St. Petersburg) which was the capital until 1918 had almost tripled in size
between 1881 and 1917. Moscow, which became the capital in 1918, more than doubled in size
in the same time
- The Tsar's police made it difficult for workers to form trade unions to campaign for better
wages and conditions
- Soldiers were often sent to end strikes or put down any unrest among the workers. This meant
that even strikes about pay and conditions could easily turn into a confrontation between
workers and the tsar's government
- Only a minority of people (less than 20% of population) lived in towns away from the great
cities of Petrograd, Moscow and eastern Ukraine as most of the country had almost no
industry
- However, many Russian workers were employed in very large factories. So, if the workers
protested, it would have little effect on the country as a whole, but caused massive disruption in
the capital
- The war (WW1) added to the workers problems. Inflation meant that prices went up faster than
wages. Between 1914 & 1917, average wages went up by 400%. The living standard for
workers in the town was cut by half. In addition, there was less food in the shops. So, at the
start of 1917, workers were cold and hungry
- 2 factory laws:
o One in 1885 stopping the night-time employment of women and children
o Other in 1897 restricting the workday to 11 and a half hours excluding workshops
Was Nicholas II a weak ruler?
In the 1860s they abolished Sefton
How was Nicholas II as a tsar?
- He was thrust into the position
- Ignorant, stupid, incompetent
- Arrogant as he blocked progress from western-style constitutional monarchy or republic
- He thought God chose him to lead the country
How powerful was the tsar?
- The Romanov family had been Russia's Tsars since 1613. Nicholas became tsar in 1894,
succeeding his father, Alexander III
- Late 19th century Russia was the most autocratic state in Europe
- There were NO formal checks or limits on the Tsar's power
- Russia did not have a constitution setting out what the Tsar could or could not do
- There was no parliament – laws were made by the Tsar
- No legal safeguard to protect human rights
- He believed his right to wield unlimited power derived from the will of God
- He viewed calls for reform, or changing the system, as "senseless dream"
Also, he often prioritised spending time with his family, rather than focusing on the country. Alexi his
son had Haemophilia.
- Russification meant making non-Russians speak Russian , wear Russian clothes and Russian
customs. Maybe they had different belief's and didn't want to change for the tsar
- About 70% of the population was part of the orthodox church. The church was closely linked to
the tsar and supported his way of ruling. It taught the tsar was the head of the country and
, church. The tsar had a council of ministers that ran the various government departments, but
they couldn't make important decisions. They had civil servants who carried out the day-to-
day work of the government and poorly paid them which encouraged bribery and corruption.
The tsar was determined to suppress all opposition through the okhrana. They used spies and
agents to root out anyone who was against the tsar and his system of government. Such
opponents could be imprisoned without trial or exiled to far-off Siberia
- He believed that he was chosen by God to rule and that no one had the right to challenge him.
He was ignorant of the nature and extent of opposition to tsarist rule and refused to share
power
- Economic problems -> Russian agriculture was poor. Extensive tundra, forest and desert meant
only about 5% of the land could be used for farming. In most villages the land was divided
into 3 large fields. This meant each household had strips in each of these fields. This
scattered strip farming system encouraged subsistence farming using primitive hard tools.
These old-fashioned methods resulted in low food production and frequent famines, such as in
1982
- Industrial problems -> Even though Russia was rich in oil and minerals, industrialisation did not
happen until the end of the 19th century, much later than most countries. Considering Russia's
size and recourses, its manufacturing output was still very low at the beginning of the 20th
century. Its size and undeveloped system of roads and railways, together with the absence of
an effective banking system all restricted the growth of industry
- I think the autocracy is not the best way to run a country, but Nicholas's personality made the
ruling a lot worse. He was arrogant, believing he was the ultimate power and the most
important person in the country. This clouded his judgement of proper issues and the fact he
was so self-indulged also completely blindsided him to real issues 82% of the population of the
country he was supposed to be ruling faced
What is communism?
Left wing -> progressive, idealistic, equality, regulations of big businesses, equality over the freedom to
fail
Right wing -> value-tradition, equality-fairness, big businesses are free from tax
At the most extreme ends:
- Communism (classless, moneyless and common ownership)
- Fascism (extreme nationalism, doctorship, militarist and suppress opposition)
Karl Marx:
- Born 1818 died 1883
- In 1848 co-authored the "Communist Manifesto" which asserted all human history had been
based on class struggles, but that these would ultimately disappear with the victory of the
proletariat (working class)
- Created Marxism
- "Workers of the world unite"
- Very influential for many revolutionaries in Russia
- Marx thought the working class were being exploited by the upper/middle class to get more
money
- Marx envisioned a Revolutionary Society in which everyone's needs were met, and no class
divisions exist. Sometimes described as "socialism", was Marx ideal society
Communism -> a society in which all property is owned by the community and each person
contributes and receives according to their ability and needs
, Eagercommunsim -> feudalism -> capitalism -> revolution -> final communism
How did the Tsar crush the power of opposition groups?
Duma -> national assembly in Russia (parliament). This was created after the failed 1905 revolution,
but it did not have much power
There was a lot of opposition to the tsar's rule
The problem was the different groups did not agree on how Russia should be governed
- Nationalists believed Russians should be in charge, within a strong Russian empire.
Conservatives opposed to social change want to defend the status of nobles and wealthier
groups in society
- Moderates thought Russia should be ruled as a democracy like France or Britain. Octobrists
were supporters of moderate reforms, better government and more freedom. Kadets were
liberals believing in political rights for all and a constitutional monarchy that puts limits on the
power of the tsar
- Socialist Revolutionaries believed in sharing out wealth to make a more equal society. They
promised to take land away from the great landowners and give it away to the peasants. They
supported revolutions and assassination of political enemies (left SRs)
- Social democrats believed in revolution to overthrow capitalism and create a fairer communist
society. They were socialists (who sometimes called themselves communists) who believed in
the ideas of German writer Karl Marx
- Social democrats split into Bolsheviks which aimed to create a group of professional
revolutionaries; leader is Lenin. Whereas Mensheviks believe Russia is not ready for revolution.
They would not cooperate with other parties. They were not democratic – and were tightly
controlled by Lenin and their central committee.
- The Bolshevik leaders were in exile (1917) because they were against Russia's involvement in
WW1, they were accused of being traitors working for Germany. Lenin ended up in
Switzerland.
Bloody Sunday
- In 1905, there was a series of uprising against the tsar. However, the revolution failed, and the
tsar remained in control as the army sided with the tsar
- However as soon as the uprisings died down, in 1906 he declared that he had the power to
dissolve the duma and in 1907 he changed the election rules so that worker had less of a say
– essentially taking away its power entirely
- Nicholas II appointed Stolypin as prime minister in 1906, until his assassination in 1911
- He introduced reforms in education and agriculture. However, he also crushed opposition
ruthlessly
- More than 3000 were executed and the gallows became known as Stolypin's necktie
- He also sent thousands to exile in the frozen wastelands of Siberia. The trains that carried
them there became known as Stolypin's wagons
- As a result, the tsar remained an autocrat until he was overthrown in 1917
- The opposition parties were effectively crushed by the Okhrana. The duma, created when the
tsar was almost overthrown in 1905, had very little power – after 1907, it essentially agreed
with what the tsar said
- The main opposition leaders were exiled abroad
