Tsarist and Communist Russia - Political authority and attempts to reform
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- Created on: 16-03-21 14:44
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- Trying to preserve autocracy 1855-94
- Political authority and the state of Russia 1855
- The army included around 1.5 million conscripted serfs - 25yr service - used around 45% of government expenditure
- Russia was a police state with limited freedom of speech, press etc
- Over 50% of Russia's population were serfs
- Liberal ideas had begun to spread from the West but Nicholas I retained the policy of repression.
- The 1853-6 Crimean War had been an utter failure, depleting
- No internal market demand - not only were most self-sufficient, money also had little prevalence at the time
- Serfs had to live from scattered strips which was highly ineffective
- Political authority and attempts to reform
- The emancipation granted privately owned serfs freedom - no more scattered strips, many could sell surplus, move to cities etc. landowners were given government compensation
- BUT - they had to pay redemption payments over a period of 49 years
- BUT - there was also a 2yr period of temporary obligation - around 15% remained that ay until 1881
- Had to live with mirs until payments were fulfilled - these were ineffective so by 1878 only 50% had a surplus
- Local gov reforms established more liberalism but zemstva was limited and provincial governors had most control
- Education became more independent, with it also extended to the military (better provisions)
- Later reversed reforms - eg regained control in the zemstva and the police
- The emancipation granted privately owned serfs freedom - no more scattered strips, many could sell surplus, move to cities etc. landowners were given government compensation
- Reaction and the emergence of opposition
- Westernisers, slavophiles
- Famine of 1891-2 marked a significant turning point in loss of faith in the Tsars.
- Tchaikovsky Circle - literary opposition
- The Narodniks - populists. 1600 arrested after going to the countryside to inspire revolution
- Land and liberty - set up 1877 and continued populism. also carried out some political assassinations - split 1879 into Black Partition and the people's Will
- Black Partition wanted to share black soil provinces, worked peacefully without violence
- The People's Will finally killed Alex II 1881
- Tsarist reaction and radical opposition after 1881
- Underground societies continued to translate and reproduce writings
- 1883 - Georgi Plekhanov established Emancipation of Labour - smuggled Marxist tracts into Russia
- 1886 - students in St Petersburg tried to reform the People's Will
- 1887 - a group who had made bombs to kill Alex II was arrested, five members later hanged
- By 1890s - growth of industrialisation led to the development of workers organisations, illegal trade unions, Marxist discussion circles and other groups
- Marxist ideas became more widespread
- Alexander III and Russification
- Initially began reign by hanging those involved in in Alex II's assassination and issued the 1881 'manifest of unshakable autocracy'
- Reversed Alex II's reforms - eg futher contol in policing, introduced land captains etc
- Weakened the 'diet' in Finland, enforced the Russian language etc
- Special protection initially entertained by Baltics was removed
- Also, military conscription added into areas previously exempt, ethic uprisings were quashed
- Led to unrest and mass disturbance along with resentment from upper classes too
- Jews were worst affects with the pogroms of 1881 and anti-Semitic legislation like 1882 may laws.
- Economic and social developments
- Reutern (Alex II's finance minister)reformed treasury and taxation, abolished tax-farming, set up a state bank, offered subsidies to entrepreneurs etc
- Vyshnegradsky was finance minister 1887-1892 - introduced high tariff of 30% of value of raw imported materials
- Under Vyshnegradsky, grain exports increased by 18% and by 1892 the Russian budget was in Surplus BUT at expense of thre peasants
- Witte (1892-1903) maintained protective tariffs, heavy taxation and forced exports
- Also attempted improvement in foreign investment and encouraged western workmen to come over and help.
- 1897 - Russia had world's 4th largest industrial economy
- Political authority and the state of Russia 1855
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