Topic One

• Autocracy


  System of government where power is concentrated in the hands of one person, the autocrat, who rules according to their own will
• Three pillars of autocracy promoted by Nicholas I


  • Orthodoxy
  • Autocracy
  • Nationalism
• Orthodoxy


  The tsar was the defender of the faith, and the church was the defender of the tsar
• Autocracy


  Paternalism towards the tsar (the tsar was the father towards the nation, and everyone was obedient)
• Nationalism


  Russianism and the encouragement for a completely unified Russia
• Pobedonostev


  Tutor to Alexander III and Nicholas II, Chief of the Orthodox church from 1880, His book 'Reflections of a Russian statesman' states human nature is inherently lazy and selfish, and that democracy is the biggest lie of our time
• Alexander II


  • Willing reformer, introduced the 1864 Zemstvas and emancipated the serfs in 1861, but continued to stick to strong autocratic rule, especially after first assassination attempt
• Alexander III


  • Ruled with a reactionary rule with Pobedonestev's teachings acting as a basis for maintenance of a strong regime with lack of significant reforms, enforced Russification to maintain ideological control over nationalities
• Nicholas II


  • Forced to reform after 1905 Russo-Japanese war and devastating loss, the October Manifesto 1905 could be considered a significant weakening of autocracy, but the 1906 passing of the Fundamental Laws cushioned this
• Lenin - Marxist Leninist Dictatorship


  Ideologically he wanted to destroy the tsarist superstructure and replace it with an egalitarian society, justified his rule using the labour theory of value following tsarist moves towards capitalism
• War Communism


  Forced nationalisation of large companies and requisitioning of grain to attempt to change the superstructure of society
• NEP


  Made concessions to win the backing of moderate Bolsheviks like Bukharin, but resulted in lack of support from radicals like Trotsky
• What is to be done (1902)


  Lenin suggested revolutionaries should bypass the implementation of a national assembly and develop a government led by a central committee, which would govern the workers until they were ready to take over
• Stalin - Totalitarianism


  • Built on a base laid by Lenin, believed Lenin was on a course to do the same before he died by establishing the Cheka and Central Committee, implemented a command economy, centralised planning committee and collectivisation to fully change the superstructure of society, cult of personality placed total control over economy, politics and society under one person achieved through propaganda and aggressive repression
• Khrushchev - Destalinisation


  • 20th party congress secret speech (1956) announced that Krupskaya declared it was not Lenin's wish that Stalin was to be leader, Stalin was not prepared for the Second World War and that Stalin had committed crimes against the Russian people, released 8-9 million political prisoners from the Gulags, eased censorship and removed the cult of personality
• Central administration under the Tsars


  Tsars used a council of ministers to make laws, imperial council of the state advising the tsar on legal matters, committee of ministers and the senate which was a supreme court
• Nicholas II October Manifesto in 1905


  • Removed the committee of ministers and created a state council and Duma, and elected lower chamber, however the Fundamental Laws of 1906 restricted the Duma's power
• Significant Dumas


  • First Duma (April-June 1906) was dissolved by the tsar, Third Duma (November 1907 to June 1912) was the first and only Duma to last a full five year term, Stolypin restricted the voting franchise helping to create a pro-tsarist government
• Communist central administration


  Used the All Russian Congress of Soviets and the Central Executive Committee, the Sovnarkom were the top of the government structure, the Central Committee and the Politburo topped the party structure, with the Sovnarkom answerable to the Politburo
• Stalin's 1936 constitution


  • Introduced the Supreme Soviet of the USSR as the main law making body and expanded the Soviet of Nationalities which represented regional groups, and expanded powers of the SSRs, everyone was able to vote introducing universal suffrage, Article 126 stated the CPSU would remain the 'nucleus of all public and state institutions'
• Nomenklatura system


  A list of key roles in government and party that only central committee could appoint, increased bureaucracy in the party
• Local government under the Tsars


  • Emancipation of the serfs in 1861 reduced the political power of the nobility, 1864 Zemstva's introduced this encouraged democracy in an autocracy, a turning point, and granted some power back to the nobility
• Local government under the Communists


  • Zemstva and Duma was abolished after 1917 and local government became predominantly comprised of Soviets (workers councils)
• Judicial changes under the Tsars


  • 1864 Legal reforms under Alexander II, Alexander III introduced land captains in 1889 to encourage control of the peasantry and revolutionaries following Alexander II's assassination
• Judicial changes under the Communists


  • 1921 New criminal code legalised the use of terror to deter crime, part of the idea of revolutionary justice, Khrushchev reversed this with his 1958 new criminal code, relaxing censorship and releasing 8-9 million prisoners from Gulags
• Continuity between Tsarist and Communist systems


  • Both had unconstrained power (authoritarian)
  • Reforms made little impact in changing the system
  • 1936 constitution and the reinforcing of the 1906 Fundamental Laws after October Manifesto
  • Both gave the illusion of democracy
  • Dumas and democratic centralism
• Changes between Tsarist and Communist systems

  • Soviet government revolved around communist party where Tsarist was centralised around a person
  • Soviet central government claimed authority was bottom-up through Soviets and Tsars was top-down
  • Tsarist regime was reactionary only reforming when under threat
  • Communist reforms were not
• Opposition under the Tsars


  • Narodniks, People's Will, SRs, SDs, Kadets/Octobrists, Peasants, Workers - all were too divided and faced a powerful state with strong repression, the working class was limited, meaning there was no working class consciousness, peasants were too conservative and didn't understand radical ideas
• Opposition under the Provisional Government


  • Bolsheviks gained the support of the Petrograd garrison (MRC), membership had grown to 250,000 by 1917, they now had military provision
• Opposition under the Communists


  • Left wing Bolsheviks like Trotsky felt Lenin had betrayed the revolution
• There was no working class consciousness, peasants were too conservative and didn't understand radical ideas
• Groups


  • Peasants
  • Workers
• Emancipation edict


  Freed peasants from serfdom
• Peasants revolted


  Because of unhappiness with terms of emancipation
• Land captains


  Introduced by Alexander III to reduce peasant revolts
• Peasant revolts


  • Black Earth Region Revolts (1906)
• Stolypin introduced repression


  To reduce peasant strikes, also abolished redemption payments which suggests the revolts had an element of effectiveness
• During WW1 peasants seized land from landowners in the biggest land grab in history
• Worker unrest


  • Bloody Sunday Strikes
  • 1912 Lena Goldfied strike
  • 1917 Pulitov strikes
• Bloody Sunday strikes


  Repressed with the army, but did result in the October Manifesto