Russia 1894-1941

• 80% of Russia's population was peasants
• Nicholas II was the last Tsar of Russia until him and his family were assassinated in July 1918 by a Bolshevik mob
• Russia was an autocracy - ruled by one person (Tsar) who made all decisions without consulting anyone else
• Tsar Nicholas II abdicated in March 1917 and the Provisional Government took over
• The Duma had no real power as it could not pass laws or make important decisions, but only advise the Tsar on what to do.
• In February 1917, the Tsar dismissed the Duma because he did not like their advice about how to deal with the war
• Witte was tasked into modernising Russia's industry to catch up with the Western European powers
• Pobedonostsev kept Russia looking backwards politically, religiously and culturally. He wanted Autocracy, Orthodoxy and Nationality.
• Witte put a tax on good, such as vodka, salt and petrol. This hit the peasants particularly hard.
• Opposition

  • Liberals
  • Populists
  • SR's (Social Revolutionaries)
  • SD's (Social Democrats)- Bolsheviks (Lenin) + Mensheviks (Martor)
• The Russo-Japanese War Feb 1904-1905

  
  

  Purpose: Outcome:

  For Japan to surrender Port Arthur Russia lost despite being

  the bigger country
• The Bloody Sunday Massacre took place when troops opened fire on protestors killing hundreds of people including women and children
• 1905 Revolution events

  • Russo-Japanese War
  • Bloody Sunday
  • The mutiny on Battleship Potemkin
  • The signing of the October Manifesto
• The trial of the Anti-Soviet Trotskyist Centre (show trial 2) 1937

  • Radek
  • Pyatakov
  • Sokolnikov
• The trial of the Twenty-One (show trial 3) 1938

  • Bukharin
  • Rykov
  • Yagoda
• Trotsky was murdered in 1940 by an ice axe
• Leaders of Russia

  • Tsar Nicholas II
  • Lenin
  • Stalin
• The Trial of the Sixteen (show trial 1) 1936

  • Kamenev
  • Zinoviev
• Proletariat: The exploited industrial workers who would triumph in the last great class struggle.
• Bourgeoisie: The middle class, the owners of capital who exploited the workers.
• Duma: The Russian parliament, which existed from 1906-1917
• The Octobrists: were moderates who were basically loyal to the Tsar and his government. They were mainly drawn from the larger commercial, industrial and landowning interests.

  Leaders:

  • Guchkov
  • Rodzianko

  They may not have wanted the overthrow of tsardom, but they were very willing to point out its failings.
• The Kadets: were liberals who wanted constitutional reform and an end to autocracy.

  Leaders:

  • Milyukov
  • Rodichev
• The Kadet Programme:

  • An All-Russian Constituent Assembly.
  • Full equality and civil rights for all citizens.
  • The ending of censorship.
  • The abolition of the mortgage repayments on land.
  • The recognition of trade unions and the right to strike.
  • The introduction of universal, free education.
• Secret Police names in different periods of time:

  • Okhrana 1881-1917
  • Cheka 5th Dec 1917-6th Feb 1922
  • GPU 1922-1923
  • OGPU 1923-1934
  • NKVD 10th July 1934-15th Mar 1946
• Kronstadt rebellion 1921

  • Many rebels escaped across the ice into Finland; many were killed in the fighting, and many who survived were executed or sent to prison camps.
  • It was crushed by 18th March 1921.
• Tambov Rebellion

  • Much of the peasant army was destroyed by large Red Army reinforcements using chemical weapons in the summer of 1921.
  • 240,000 people were killed.