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How stable was the Tsarist government at the turn of the 20th Century?

At the turn of the twentieth century, Russia had been under Tsarist rule for over 300 years. The philosophies of different Tsars mainly fell into two categories: that of reform; and that of the Slavophile and Russification. Tsar Nicholas II was reigning at the turn of the twentieth century and was a firm Slavophile, and he therefore believed in the repression of the “dark masses” and that he was “God’s anointed” in Russia. In many ways, the stability of Tsarist governments was dependent upon the attitude of the Tsar, which often either destabilized or improved the stability of his government. This essay will explore how stable was the tsarist government of Nicholas II.

In 1900, the Tsarist autocratic government faced problems that other tsars had never previously faced. The tsar wanted Russia to modernise so it could stay as a major power in the world, however this was hard to do whilst maintaining the autocracy that was the foundation of the system of government in Tsarist Russia. Modernisation and industrialisation led to better-educated people, and a rise in the middle class who wanted more say in government and the running of the country. This did not fit in with Nicholas’ view of Russia and how it should be governed: i.e. by the aristocracy. In this way, the government of Nicholas II was showing signs of instability.

Instead of attempting to tackle the problem of the educated and “rebellious” middle classes, the Tsar stubbornly defended his rights and privileges, and was determined to rule, yet lacked the necessary qualities to do so. As a result, he could only meddle and disrupt the workings of his government without leading it. Nicholas II was too polite to confront ministers, and therefore was unable to control his subordinates. This strange and unpredictable behaviour soon led to insecurity and rumours within the government. This clearly shows some instability within the government of Tsar Nicholas II at the turn of the twentieth century.

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On top of these new problems, brought about by the industrial revolution and the modernisation of Russia, there were many long-term problems. Most prominent amongst these was the inefficiency of the government and the systems used by it. There was also a huge bureaucracy of civil servants who took an inordinately long time to do anything of significance. The bureaucracy of the civil service and the ensuing nepotism served to heighten the incompetence of the Tsar’s government. Alexander Herzen described this system as a “kind of civilian priesthood” – privileged, self-seeking and greedy. Once again, the problems within the ...

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