Influence began in the 1870s because there were very few literate and educated Russians around. The Zemstva was filled with them, and they were hired as lawyers too.
The intelligentsia weren't only knowledgeable about western countries, but had read and wrote in the press to persuade others. The reversal of censorship in the late 1870s stopped this.
The Nihilists were those who rejected all authority and believed in science. The intelligentsia pushed for a "Nihilist movement", which encouraged people to make a new beginning in society. The younger generation were more impressionable, as in 1862, a group of students proposed this idea named "Young Russia" which stipulated that revolution was the way forward. The idea of "Young Russia" was so infamous that in June 1862, 2,000 shops were set alight in St. Petersburg and everyone thought that they were responsible.
Comments
No comments have yet been made