The last year of peace
- Created by: Tori
- Created on: 20-05-20 10:40
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- The last years of peace
- Unionisation
- From 1906-14 Russia's workers were increasingly unionised.
- Strikes occured sporadically from 1906-1911.
- This increased significantly in the last years of peace with major waves of strikes between 1912-early 1914.
- Strikes occured sporadically from 1906-1911.
- From 1906-14 Russia's workers were increasingly unionised.
- The Lena Goldfields
- The Lena Goldfield mines were located in Siberia and controlled by the Lenzoloto Mining Company.
- The causes of the strike
- Workers had a series of long-term grievances which contributed to the strike.
- While the Lenzoloto Mining Company provided their workers with some benefits, housing and food were often of extreemly low quality.
- The working day was either 11 or 11 1/2 hours, depending on the season.
- Serving rotten horsemeat in the canteen was the trigger for the strike.
- Striking workers quickly drew up a list of demands, including:
- -An 8 hour day
- -Sick pay
- -A 30% wage increase
- -Paid overtime
- -Better quailty food
- -Respect from company officials
- The Owners of the company refused to meet the worker's demands.
- Workers had a series of long-term grievances which contributed to the strike.
- Massacre
- The leaders of the miners were politically moderate.
- They refused to use violence and repeatedly stated that they were willing to reach a compromise.
- However, the mine's management asked the police and the army to break up the strike.
- Initially, the police arrested the strike's leaders.
- The miners responded with a protest march.
- The army reacted by opening fire on the unarmed miners, leading to 172 deaths and a similar number of injuries.
- The miners responded with a protest march.
- Initially, the police arrested the strike's leaders.
- However, the mine's management asked the police and the army to break up the strike.
- They refused to use violence and repeatedly stated that they were willing to reach a compromise.
- The leaders of the miners were politically moderate.
- Aftermath of the Lena Goldfields massacre
- Caused outrage.
- The Russian press condemned the massacre, as did politicians including Octoberists and Kadets.
- The strike didn't lead to a significant imporvement of conditions in the Lena Goldfields.
- Unable to recruit enough Russian labour, the Lenzoloto Comapny employed workers from China and Korea.
- Union Militancy
- The massacre of April 1912 was a turning point in the Russian union movement.
- From 1912-14 the union movement was more assertive and strikes increased.
- In 1912, 750,000 workers were on strike.
- Increased to 1,450,000 in 1914.
- In 1912, 750,000 workers were on strike.
- From 1912-14 the union movement was more assertive and strikes increased.
- The massacre of April 1912 was a turning point in the Russian union movement.
- Caused outrage.
- The nature of Tsarist government in 1914
- By 1914 the exact nature of Tsarist government was controversial.
- Octoberists such as Guchkov claimed that the Tsar was part of a constitutional government.
- Socialists disagreed, arguing that Russia remained an autocracy.
- Octoberists such as Guchkov claimed that the Tsar was part of a constitutional government.
- Autocracy restored
- There is evidence that autocracy was largely restored after 1905:
- -The powers of the new Duma were minimal.
- -Stolypin's state of emergancy allowed the Tsar to ignore individual rights.
- There is evidence that autocracy was largely restored after 1905:
- Growing democracy?
- However, there are also some indications that Russian government was democratising
- First, the later Dumas were able to scrutinise the Tsar's government.
- Scrutiny took the following forms:
- -Members of the Duma had the right to question ministers and expose problems with the Tsar's government.
- -Duma committees monitored key areas of government policy.
- Eg, the Third Duma set up a military committee in 1907.
- The committee, chaired by Guchkov, examined military spending, leading to changes in policy in 1911.
- Eg, the Third Duma set up a military committee in 1907.
- Scrutiny took the following forms:
- Secondly, by 1914 Russia had a largely free press, which published criticism of the Tsar.
- Thirdly, the emergance of independant trades unions and political parties led to the developement of civil society.
- First, the later Dumas were able to scrutinise the Tsar's government.
- However, there are also some indications that Russian government was democratising
- Partial autocracy?
- Clearly, Russia remained largely autocratic.
- Nonetheless, the Duma's power of scrutiny and the emergance of the free press meant that the Tsar had no longer had total freedom of action.
- By 1914 the exact nature of Tsarist government was controversial.
- Unionisation
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