key feature question

    Cards (30)

    • 2 key features of tsarist rule in 1905 -
      • Autocracy was the system of government in Russia in which the Tsar had absolute authority over the state and its people and believed that it was derived from God.
      • The Tsar was a metaphoric father to all of his subjects and his title was ‘Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia’
      • Supported by the Russian Orthodox Church that upheld the Tsar’s divine right to rule.
      • A personal system that depended on the ability of the Tsar - Nicholas II after 1894. His tutor Pobedonostev had hardened his hatred of democracy and support of autocracy
    • 2 key features of tsarist rule in 1905 - leads to discontent
      • There was no democracy or parliament. Local government was in the hands of officials appointed by the Tsar - this led to discontent, particularly amongst the middle classes.
      • Nicholas used his autocracy to rule repressively using harsh penalties, censorship, the Okhrana and the army to control dissent.
      • 1861 serfs granted freedom but had to pay a redemption tax.
    • 2 key features of autocracy - the system
      • Autocracy was the system of government in Russia in which the Tsar had absolute authority over the state and its people and believed that it was derived from God.
      • The Tsar was a metaphoric father to all of his subjects and his title was ‘Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia’
      • Supported by the Russian Orthodox Church that upheld the Tsar’s divine right to rule.
    • 2 key features of autocracy - how it worked under the tsar
      • There was no democracy or parliament. Local government was in the hands of officials appointed by the Tsar.
      • A personal system that depended on the ability of the Tsar - Nicholas II after 1894. His tutor Pobedonostev had hardened his hatred of democracy and support of autocracy
      • Nicholas used his autocracy to rule repressively using harsh penalties, censorship, the Okhrana and the army to control dissent.
    • 2 key features of reason for discontent - peasents
      • 80% of the population were peasants.
      • 1861 serfs granted freedom but had to pay a redemption tax.
      • Poor harvests in 1900 and 1902 meant starvation for many peasants. The government banned the word famine from the newspapers.
    • 2 key features of reasons for discontent - workers
      • St Petersburg and Moscow. Long working hours, low pay and dangerous conditions. Workers lived in over-crowded, dirty barracks where disease spread rapidly.
      • Trade unions were illegal but there were still strikes over pay and conditions.
      • Conditions were made worse by a 1902 industrial slump which led to increased unemployment.
    • 2 key features of the russo-japanese war - events
      • 1904 War broke out with Japan over land in Manchuria.
      • Russia suffered a series of defeats, most significantly at the Battle of Tsushima in May 1905. Russia lost this naval battle because of its old fashioned ships. The Russian fleet was crushed, 5000 men were killed and 5000 captured
    • 2 key features of the russo-japanese war - consequences
      • Defeats such as Tsushima and Port Arthur were humiliating as Japan was perceived to be an inferior Asiatic nation.
      • The war also exacerbated economic problems causing food shortages and unemployment.
      • Defeat also encouraged the revival of liberal opposition who criticised government handling of the campaign.
    • 2 key features of bloody sunday
      • 9th Jan 1905 - 100k working class protesters from the Putilov area of St. Petersburg brought a petition to the Winter palace. 
      • It was a peaceful march.
      • Led by Father Gapon their petition asked for an 8 hour working day, legal trade unions, constitution to guarantee freedoms
    • 2 key features of bloody sunday - response
      • The route was blocked by soldiers. And some of the protesters shouted abuse about military failures in Manchuria.
      • Soldiers fired warning shots and then mounted Cossacks charged the crowd with whips and swords.
      • 100 protesters were killed and hundreds wounded.
      • Strikes broke out in St. Petersburg and it triggered revolution
    • 2 key features of the potemkin mutiny - causes
      • Low morale in the navy due to harsh conditions and brutal punishments and was exacerbated by defeat at the Battle of Tsushima in May 1905.
      • 1903 Potemkin had a crew with revolutionary sympathies and was influenced by socialist ideology.
      • June 1905 seaman Valunchek complained about maggots in the borscht. He was shot by the ship’s captain, Gilyarovsky.
    • 2 key features of the potemkin mutiny - events
      • The crew mutinied. The captain, doctor and several officers were killed and the rest of the officers locked in a cabin.
      • Potemkin hoisted the red flag and formed a ‘people’s committee’ chaired by Matyushenko.
      • Docked in Odessa to meet up with striking workers. Riots spread in Odessa. 
      • Troops crushed the riot. The Potemkin sailed to the Romanian port of Constanta; the crew sank the ship rather than surrender.
    • 2 key features of the october manifesto
      • Oct 1905 Witte persuades Nicholas II to issue the Oct Manifesto to appease the strikers and military mutinies.
      • Promises to create a Duma, freedom of speech, assembly and worship, allow political parties and trade unions
    • 2 key features of the october manifesto - effects

      • Met with jubilation on the streets. General strike in St. Petersburg was called off. 
      • It split the middle classes who wanted reform from many of the workers who supported revolution.
      • Social Democrats were still very critical of the October Manifesto and of the middle classes for abandoning the workers.
    • 2 key features of St petersburg soviet - events in 1905
      • A Soviet is a workers council. In St Petersburg it was set up in October 1905.
      • It was set up to help organise the general strike which had begun in Sept 1905 - started with a walk out by the Moscow printers for better pay and conditions. joined by the railway workers and millions of other workers in a general strike.
      • It was not particularly Communist. It published its own newspaper to keep strikers informed of developments,distributed food supplies, and by its example inspired workers in fifty other cities to set up Soviets of their own.
    • 2 key features of the St. petersburg soviet - long term significance
      • It had longer term significance in organising resistance against the regime
      • The chairperson of the 1905 St Petersburg Soviet was Trotsky, who would go on to be a leading figure in the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917
      • Furthermore, despite being shut down by the government in 1905, the St Petersburg Soviet would inspire other Soviets to be set up throughout Russia and the St Petersburg Soviet would be important in the 1917 revolution. 
    • 2 key features of tsarist repression - police state

      • The police and the courts were given excessive powers because of autocracy.
      • Censorship of books and newspapers prevented radical ideas from being published.
      • Opponents were exiled to Siberia - Lenin and Stalin got their aliases here.
      • Factory workers could sack striking workers
      • The Okhrana or secret police were used extensively.
    • 2 key features of tsarist repression - stolypin
      • Repression increased under Stolypin after the 1905 revolution and Nicholas became known as ‘Nicholas the Bloody’
      • Military courts could sentence and hang offenders on the spot - stolypin's necktie. 60K opponents were killed or sent into exile. Internal passports required.
    • 2 key features of fundamental laws- why it was issued
      • Nicholas had issued the October Manifesto and created a Duma to stop the 1905 Revolution.
      • However, he did not want a limit on his autocratic powers and believed he was an absolute ruler.
      • By 1906 he was sufficiently back in control in Russia to limit the powers of the Duma through the Fundamental Laws.
    • 2 key features of fundamental laws - terms
      • The Tsar could veto any Duma legislation and could pass any law he wanted when the Dumas was not sitting (Article 87). Only the Tsar could make changes to Article 87.
      • The Tsar could dismiss the Duma at any time.
      • The Tsar kept control of the armed forces and foreign policy and could choose all government ministers.
    • 2 key features of the first duma - make up

      • 468 seats. Kadets were the biggest party with 185 seats. Followed by the Trudoviks with 94.
      • Left-wing revolutionary parties like the Mensheviks, Bolsheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries boycotted it.
      • Very anti-government in tone as the Trudoviks were very left-wing.
    • 2 key features of the first duma - what it achieved
      • Main demand was land reform and redistribution from landlords. Kadets supported this.
      • Kadets also asked for the State Council to be abolished and the government to answer directly to the Duma.
      • Fierce debates on the above.
      • Dissolved by the Tsar after 10 weeks because of the demands for land reform.
    • 2 key features of the dumas - parties
      • The First Duma was dominated by the Kadets as the Social Democrats and Socialist revolutionaries boycotted it.
      • The  Second Duma was more radical with over 200 deputies from the left.
      • The Third and Fourth Duma’s were more moderate after Stolypin made changes to the electoral system. The Rightist parties like the Octobrists dominated.
    • 2 key features of the dumas - achievements
      • The First Duma achieved little but did discuss civil rights, land reform and amnesty for political prisoners.
      • The Second Duma was known as the Duma of National Anger because of its radical demands.
      • The Third Duma was most effective and passed land reform and a law on universal education.
      • Fourth Duma was interrupted by the war.
    • 2 key features of the growth of opposition groups - social democrats
      • Formed in 1898.
      • Followed the ideas of Karl Marx
      • 1903 split into
      • Mensheviks - revolution should happen slowly after a long period of industrialisation, Were significant in the 1905 St. Petersburg Soviet.
      • Bolsheviks - wanted a workers revolution quickly. Led by Lenin
      • By 1914 had influence in the trade union movement - particularly after lena Goldfields
      • By 1914 their newspaper Pravda had a circulation of 40k
    • 2 key features of the growth of opposition groups - social revolutionaries
      • Followed socialist theory, appealed to the peasants. Sometimes called the ‘Peasant's Party’
      • They had assassinated Alexander II in 1881
      • Their terrorist wing called for rural terror against landlords and advocated violence and arson
      • In 1908 it was exposed that they were infiltrated by double agents like Envo Azef.
    • 2 key features of stolypin's land reforms - what it was
      • Attempt to modernise agriculture and create a new class of peasant landowners. Called ‘Wager on the Strong’
      • Peasants could leave the Mir and buy land - a land bank was set up to help with this.
      • Schemes were set up to help resettle peasants in Siberia which had been opened up by the Trans-Siberian Railway.
    • 2 key features of stolypin's land reforms - how successful it was
      • 1905-1917 - 3.5 million peasants moved to Siberia. Also successful in the west, particularly in the Ukraine and Belorussia.
      • However, by 1914 only 10% of farmers had left the Mir.
      • Those who left were called Stolypin Separators and were seen as traitors.
    • 2 key features of the lena goldfield strikes - causes
      • There was a revival of militancy from 1912.
      • Striking workers at Lena Goldfields protested about degrading working conditions, low wages, 14 hour working day.
      • Triggered by a gang protesting about rotten horsemeat that they were supposed to eat.
    • 2 key features of the lena goldfield strikes - the strike
      • There was a revival of militancy from 1912.
      • Striking workers at Lena Goldfields protested about degrading working conditions, low wages, 14 hour working day.
      • Triggered by a gang protesting about rotten horsemeat that they were supposed to eat and strikes.
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