The Growth of opposition to tasrists rule

• • relaxation in censorship during Alex II reign meant that a lot of radical ideas were spread due to literature being more widespread.
  • Additionally, the widespread improving education system which encouraged people to be more independently minded.
  • Intelligentsia challenging ideas of tsar in the zemstva
  • Freedom of speech in courts after judicial reforms

  Why did new ideas and opposition emerge
• • There were few literate and educated Russians so this group is bound to be small
  • It's influence grew with reforms and economic changes
  • This is because they not only had the education but the wealth, time and interest to be invested in political and economic matters.
  • Many travelled abroad and saw the effect of their politics and social policies.

  Moderate Liberal opposition
• Belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated.

  Nihilism
• The belief in self-governed institutions such as the State which is considered to be unnecessary.

  Anarchism:
• Russia had a unique culture and heritage centred on prevailing peasant society and principles of Orthodox Church which shoul be preserved as the country modernised.

  Slavophiles:
• Believed that Russia should abandon Slavic traditions and adopt Western values such as economic and military reform and to civilise society through representative assemblies, reducing authority of Orthodox church and establishing civil liberties.

  Westernisers
• It was a home for their voices and encouraged decision-making members to think more in their way. They hoped to reform autocracy so that the Tsar would listen to and rule with his subjects and not alienate them. 


  Why was the zemstva significant for the Westernisers
• • He was prepared to give them national influence so when they demanded that there is a need for a central body to co-ordinate regional councils, Alex II denied this.
  • Near the end of the 70s he did agree to the LM constitution which would have increased representation. 


  How did Alex II limit the zemstva
• • Their powers were reduced from 1889-1890 but after the 90s socialism started to rise due to a move towards industrialisation.
  • This split the intelligentsia who supported this and others still wanted to reform the tsardom. 


  How did Alex III limit the zemstva
• It left the zemstva largely responsible for relief work and that the tsarists system had to change and provided proof that it needed a reform.

  After the famine, Russia became more organised in opposition which led to the unity of many different people form different backgrounds to encroach onto the tsar.

  How did the 1891-92 famine affect opposition
• They were the far more radical side of opposition

  • June 1862:
  • Fires across St Petersburg destroyed over 2,000 shops and Young Russia was blamed for this and a commission was set up that didn't really result in anything.
  • 1863: The Organisation
  • students at Moscow university who called for more reforms to be made.

  Youth opposition
• Set up in 1868-69 in St Petersburg which was a liberal society that set up printing, publishing and dispersion of scientific and revolutionary literature including Das Kapital by Karl Marx. It had no more than 100 ppl spread across major cities and wanted a social revolution. From 1872 they started to organise workers with the intention of sending them to work undercover with peasants in the countryside.

  Tchaikovsky Circle