The Rule of Tsar Nicholas II (Part 1)

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  • Created by: TaylorYS
  • Created on: 06-06-19 10:07
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  • Rule of Tsar Nicholas II (Part 1)
    • Character
      • Weak willed, poorly educated, bad judge of people
        • Stubborn
      • Strong religious convictions, deep family values
        • Rigid belief in autocracy due to belief in God
          • Fundamental Laws 1906
          • Autocracy, Nationality, Orthodoxy
        • Prioritised the maintenence of the Romanov Dynasty
      • Could be kind and gentle, but also vicious and mercilless
    • Problems 1894
      • Political
        • Opposition groups called for reform to the political system
          • Opposition
            • Liberals
              • Main Beliefs
                • Civil rights and freedom
                • Democracy
                • Limitation of the Tsar's powers
                • National Minorities
              • Methods
                • Reform rather than violence
                • Articles, meetings, political channels
              • Support
                • Few active supporters outside Moscow and Petrograd
                • Middle Classes, professional groups
                  • Landowners and businessmen
            • Social Democerats
              • Bolsheviks
                • Small number of highly disciplined professional revolutionaries
                • Centralized Leadership
                  • Critics warned this would lead to dictatorship
                • Bring social consciousness to the workers and lead them to revolution
                • Support
                  • Bolsheviks attracted younger, military peasant workers
                  • Mensheviks attracted a broader range of people, different types of workers and intelligentsia
                  • Support mainly from the working classes
              • Mensheviks
                • Broadly based party
                • More democratic
                • Encouraged trade unions to help working classes
                • Long period of bourgeois democratic government until they are ready to take over
                • Support
                  • Bolsheviks attracted younger, military peasant workers
                  • Mensheviks attracted a broader range of people, different types of workers and intelligentsia
                  • Support mainly from the working classes
            • Socialist Revolutionaries
              • Main Beliefs
                • Central hope for revolution was with the peasants
                • Land divided amongst peasants
                • Accepted the development of capitalism
                  • Also caused growth of the working class, who could rise up
              • Methods
                • Agitation and terrorism
                • Assassination of officials
              • Support
                • Peasants made up a large portion, but by 1905 50% of members were industrial workers
                • Represented the peasants despite them not being able to read the flyers
                • Attracted intellectuals
            • Marxism
              • Influenced by views of Karl Marx
                • Communist Manifesto encouraged workers to unite to seize power
              • Spoke of evolutionary theories, evolving towards the perfect state
                • Individuals influenced the direction of history, but the overall pattern was driven by economic changes and social developments
            • Populism
              • Put their trust in ordinary people to drive revolution
              • Avoid capitalism and the evils of industrialisation
              • Began with peaceful propaganda
                • Evolved into the People's Will, and terrorism
      • Social
        • Peasants
          • Made up 80% of the population
            • Emancipation of 1861 had freed them and given them land, but it had driven them to debt
              • Felt betrayed, threats of uprisings made the Tsarist regime unstable
          • 1891 Famine
          • The Mir was a barrier to innovation
            • Whilst democratic. they restricted the freedom of movement for the peasants
            • Outdated system of ***** farming with wooden ploughs meant subsistence farming was common
          • Living conditions
            • Still bad despite Peasant's Land Bank formation 1883
              • And abolition of peasant poll tax in 1886
      • Economic
        • Lack of industrial productivity and free enterprise
        • Reliance on foreign investment
        • Export of grain contributed to famine
        • Lack of modernisation of agriculture
      • Urban Workers
        • 2.5% of the population, mostly ex peasants
          • Militant and posed a threat to authority
            • High literacy rates, able to read political propaganda and develop/pick up revolutionary ideas
        • Long hours, harsh environment, strict punishment and fines, accidents, high rate of disease, low wages, poor living conditions
          • Saw themselves as slaves being exploited
    • Opposition
      • Liberals
        • Main Beliefs
          • Civil rights and freedom
          • Democracy
          • Limitation of the Tsar's powers
          • National Minorities
        • Methods
          • Reform rather than violence
          • Articles, meetings, political channels
        • Support
          • Few active supporters outside Moscow and Petrograd
          • Middle Classes, professional groups
            • Landowners and businessmen
      • Social Democerats
        • Bolsheviks
          • Small number of highly disciplined professional revolutionaries
          • Centralized Leadership
            • Critics warned this would lead to dictatorship
          • Bring social consciousness to the workers and lead them to revolution
        • Mensheviks
          • Broadly based party
          • More democratic
          • Encouraged trade unions to help working classes
          • Long period of bourgeois democratic government until they are ready to take over
      • Socialist Revolutionaries
        • Main Beliefs
          • Central hope for revolution was with the peasants
          • Land divided amongst peasants
          • Accepted the development of capitalism
            • Also caused growth of the working class, who could rise up
        • Methods
          • Agitation and terrorism
          • Assassination of officials
        • Support
          • Peasants made up a large portion, but by 1905 50% of members were industrial workers
          • Represented the peasants despite them not being able to read the flyers
          • Attracted intellectuals
      • Marxism
        • Influenced by views of Karl Marx
          • Communist Manifesto encouraged workers to unite to seize power
        • Spoke of evolutionary theories, evolving towards the perfect state
          • Individuals influenced the direction of history, but the overall pattern was driven by economic changes and social developments
      • Populism
        • Put their trust in ordinary people to drive revolution
        • Avoid capitalism and the evils of industrialisation
        • Began with peaceful propaganda
          • Evolved into the People's Will, and terrorism
    • National Minorities
      • Russification
        • Non-Russians forced to adopt Russian customs and habits
      • Teaching of the Polish language forbidden
        • Poles showed an interest in Marxism, combatting russification
          • Had politicans in the duma
      • The Jews suffered from frequent pogroms
        • Deliberate policy of anti-antisemitism by Nicholas
        • Were able to sit in the Duma
      • Caucasions were religiously divided, and illiterate, so easy to russify
      • Opposition to russification in Finland led to them being given autonomy in 1905, quickly reneged by Stolypin
      • Baltic provinces were stable and prosperous, with places such as Latvia becoming business centres for Russia
        • Russification followed as influence grew
    • Pobedonostev Vs Witte
      • Pobedonostev
        • Tutor to Nicholas from 1865, and appointed senator 1868
        • Conservative and Reactionary
          • Advocate of autocracy, saw greater freedom as the delusions of youth
        • Helped with Alexander III's reforms and repressive measures
          • Also advised on religious matters
      • Witte
        • Minister for Transport in 1891 and Minister for Finance in 1892
          • Dismissed in 1903 due to worsening economy
        • Helped to negotiate peace with Japan in 1906
        • Commitment to industrialisation
          • Encouraged foreign experts to come to Russia
          • Took out foreign loans, raised taxes and interest rates for industrial investment
          • Coal production doubled, iron and steel production increased massively
          • New technology introduced to industry, and huge railway growth
          • Income from industry shot up by 120 million roubles, Russia catching up with other nations by 1900
        • Improved military capability
          • Secured a loan in 1906 to save the economy and pay for troops to restore order
    • Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
      • Causes
        • Short Term
          • Russia went back on a promise to withdraw troops from Manchuria
            • Japan then launched a night attack on Port Arthur in Feb 1903
              • Damaged Russian morale (and some ships) and land/sea warfare commenced
        • Long Term
          • Russia had for a while looked to increase influence in the Far East
          • Chinese Eastern railway increased Russian threat to Japan
          • 25 Year lease of Port Arthur from the Chinese in 1898
      • Course
        • The Japanese outnumbered Russia in Manchuria (Battle of Yalu) and beat them convincingly
        • Port Arthur was surrendered in December 1905
        • Russia suffered another embarrassing defeat in May 1905 to Admiral Togo, and later at Mukden
      • Consequences
        • Treaty of Portsmouth
          • Russia forced to withdraw from Port Arthur, south Sakhalin, and south Manchuria
          • Russian leaders had to acknowledge Japanese sovereignty in Korea
        • Demonstrated Russia's military weakness
          • Underestimated opponents, poor knowledge, understanding and skill
        • Caused unrest in Russia
          • Led to reform
            • Set up the Duma to demonstrate democracy/ change
          • Food shortages, high prices, and unemployment
    • 1905 Revolution
      • Causes
        • Long Term Discontent
          • Middle Classes wanted a say in government
          • Students were against repression
          • SRs wanted peasant revolution
          • Minorities wanted autonomy and independanceand were against russification
          • Peasants had grievances over poverty, famine, and land
          • Workers had grievances over hours, pay, conditions, and wanted more political power
        • The Government
          • Tsarist regime was weak, repressive, and denied basic freedoms
          • Witte pushed workers hard for industrialisation
          • Poor harvests and an economic slump led to starvation in the countryside and high unemployment
        • The Catalyst
          • Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905
            • Causes
              • Short Term
                • Russia went back on a promise to withdraw troops from Manchuria
                  • Japan then launched a night attack on Port Arthur in Feb 1903
                    • Damaged Russian morale (and some ships) and land/sea warfare commenced
              • Long Term
                • Russia had for a while looked to increase influence in the Far East
                • Chinese Eastern railway increased Russian threat to Japan
                • 25 Year lease of Port Arthur from the Chinese in 1898
            • Course
              • The Japanese outnumbered Russia in Manchuria (Battle of Yalu) and beat them convincingly
              • Port Arthur was surrendered in December 1905
              • Russia suffered another embarrassing defeat in May 1905 to Admiral Togo, and later at Mukden
            • Consequences
              • Treaty of Portsmouth
                • Russia forced to withdraw from Port Arthur, south Sakhalin, and south Manchuria
                • Russian leaders had to acknowledge Japanese sovereignty in Korea
              • Demonstrated Russia's military weakness
                • Underestimated opponents, poor knowledge, understanding and skill
              • Caused unrest in Russia
                • Led to reform
                  • Set up the Duma to demonstrate democracy/ change
                • Food shortages, high prices, and unemployment
        • The Spark
          • Bloody Sunday
            • Petition to the Tsar and a peaceful march to the palace organised by Gapon
              • Called for freedom of speech, better conditions for workers, trade unions and an elected parliament
              • The Authorities panicked, and charged the marches, opening fire and killing 130 people
            • Sparked uprisings, and broke the bond between the Tsar and his people
      • Course
        • Following Bloody Sunday were mass strikes across Ste Petersburg, quickly spreading
          • Battleship Potemkin Mutiny
            • Tsar depended on the loyalty of his army
            • Naval conditions were harsh and morale low
              • After a soldier was shot following a rotten meat complaint, the crew took over
                • The Tsar ordered troops to open fire upon their arrival and thousands of citizens were killed
      • Consequences
        • October Manifesto
          • Pressure from below for more democracy and freedom
            • Witte advised Nicholas to introduce reforms
              • Freedom of speech and conscience
              • Freedom of association and unwarranted arrest
              • An elected duma which could block laws
        • Fundamental Law
          • Stated that no law can come into force without the Tsar's approval
          • Undermined the democratic nature of the Dumas
      • Why the Tsar survived
        • The October Manifesto appeased the revolutionary liberals, splitting the revolutionary movement
        • The government stormed the headquarters of the Soviets and arrested the ringleaders, suppressing the workers
          • Brutal, repressive measures put fear into the population, particularly the middle classes who feared continued violence and disorder
        • Lack of unity in the revolutionaries
          • Different aims and purposes
        • The army remained loyal in the mostpart, aiding to crush revolts
        • Loan secured by Witte to save the economy and fund defences
        • Announced the end of outstanding payments for peasants

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