Revision notes - Russia to 1924

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Russia to 1917

Russia was the most backward of the 19th century major powers (had little industry, an autocratic gov. w/ no constitution and mainly an illiterate peasant pop.)

Czar Alexander II (1855-1881): TSAR LIBERATOR then turns reactionary

  • Brought the Crimean War (against Franco-British forces) to an end.
  • Instituted ? Liberalization? processes
  • Edict of Emancipation (1861): peasants had no obligations to nobles / peasants were given 50% of the agric. land / the nobles were compensated through taxes for the loss of land / the commune (Mir) became a basis for tax collection & distribution of land
  • The establishment of the Zemstov, which was elected local councils with the resp. for collecting taxes, building projects, levying rates?
  • Trial by jury (in public) was introduced / censorship lessened
  • Town councils were established (1870)
  • The army was reformed (conscription for all classes ? 1870), service time was reduced, and training and education facilities were improved.
  • The national budget became subject to audit and transparency / a state bank was established. (transparency was not extended to the national gov. and the Czar remained an autocrat)
  • Social protest:
  • The Populist (mainly students and intellectuals) / in 1866 a student attempted to assassinate the Czar ? tighter control of education / reduction in # of poor at Univs. / increased censorship / power of Zemstvo reduced / increased activity of the Secret police / political trials were taken to military court.
  • The Land and Liberty Party ? rebellion from below (the peasants) led by the anarchist Michael Bakunin
  • Evaluation of his reign:
  • Serfdom was ended
  • Reduction in the power of nobles
  • Develop. of industry.
  • Failure to carry out political change ? basis for revolution
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Czar Alexander III (1881-1894)

  • Reaction (after father?s assassination in 1881)
  • A return to ?orthodoxy and autocracy?: censorship of the press / reduction in the power of the Zemstvo / Pogroms against Jews / increased secret police activities
  • Massive increase in industrial output (foreign capital flowing in) / Russia built up huge gold reserves.

Czar Nicholas II (1894-1917)

  • Easily influenced by those around him
  • Convinced of the suitability of autocracy in Russia (therefore inflexible on political change)
  • Accepted danger fatalistically (didn?t step to change things)
  • Had little experience of gov.
  • His wife had immense influence upon him (ie: ...

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