Political

• Crimean War:

  • Forced changes in local gov, like the creation of the zemstva which bridged the gap between the peasants and the rest of society. These changes appeared to introduce some democracy to Russian gov
• Russo-Turkish War:

  • Seen as a victory for Pan-Slavism, which boosted the prestige of the Tsar
• Russo-Japanese War:

  • Nich II lifted restrictions on the zemstva that had been imposed by Alex III, but this resulted in demands for reform
  • 1905 Revolution
  • The October Manifesto was published in 1905, which introduced the Duma. But, the Fundamental Laws meant that Nich II kept his autocratic control.
• WW1:

  • Aug 1915: Tsar’s decision to leave the capital and become commander in chief, leaving his wife and Rasputin in charge, was a political mistake, causing his downfall
  • Creation of the Prov Gov
• 1917 Revolutions:

  • Autocratic rule replaced by the Prov Gov and then the Bolsheviks
• Civil War:

  • Foreign intervention during the war 
  • Communist ideology contradicted by NEP
  • Influenced nature of gov in terms of discipline, administration and management
  • Power became more centralised, revolving around the Politburo
• WW2:

  • Structure of gov remained relatively stable 
  • Germany divided into two zones - conferences about this highlighted ideological differences between Russia and other foreign powers, beginning to spark the Cold War
  • Sphere of influence set up - Iron Curtain speech
  • Communist Party membership increased from 3.6 million to 5.8 million
  • Leads to totalitarianism
• Cold War:

  • Minimal impact on the internal function and structure of gov
  • Iron Curtain speech (1946) and Truman doctrine (1947) showed anxiety surrounding Communism
  • Sept 1947: Cominform set up
  • Cuban Missile Crisis almost led to a military conflict
  • Destalinisation presented Russia more favourably to the West by denouncing Stalin’s policies and the idea of ‘peaceful coexistence’