Russia

• Romanov Tsars


  Ruled autocratically since 1613
• Russian Orthodox Church


  • Supported the Tsar's 'divine right' to rule
  • The Tsar was seen as the 'little father' of the Russian people
• Landowning nobility


  • Were the elite (though not necessarily very rich)
• Opposition

  • Exiled / imprisoned
  • Secret police - The Third Section
• Russian Empire


  • Economically backwards
  • Little industry and few railways whilst Western Europe was industrialising rapidly
  • Primitive agricultural methods and low outputs / yields
• Composition of Russian population

  • 90% peasants
  • Most were serfs (slaves)
• the nobility 


  group of wealthy land owners who have a lot of control, make up 1% of the population
• serfs

  basically slaves, 50% of the population
• autocracy 


  the Russian system of government by which the tsar had no limits on his power and was accountable to nobody but god
• Nihilist

  someone who rejects all political or religious authority and current ideas
• Populist

  all political activities or ideas are based on the interests and opinions of the people
• orthodoxy

  orthodox branch of the Christian church which supports Russian monarchy as God's representatives on earth
• nationality

  Russia was made up of around 170 ethnic groups
• constitutional monarchy 


  a monarchy in which power and all other institutions defined by a series of laws
• parliamentry democracy 


  a government where the electorate choose the government and they make the law