Origins and nature of Russian empire

• Russia


  • World's largest nation in 1900
  • Spanning over 10,000 kilometres in length
  • Occupying 1/6th of the earth's land surface
• Siberia


  • One of the world's coldest areas to live in
  • Temperatures ranging from -50 to -60 degrees for 6 months of the year
• Southern frontiers


  • Endure searing heat from deserts
• Travel from Western Europe to Vladivostok

  1. Took 12 days by train in 1900

  2. Took 12 days by train in 1916
• The travel time presented problems in regards to transport
• Russia's natural resources


  • Coal
  • Excellent farming of corn in Ukraine
  • Oil near the Caspian Sea
  • Minerals such as copper, iron ore, gold and nickel
• Russia's natural resources would assist Russia in becoming an industrial power
• Invaders of Russia


  • Vikings (10th century)
  • Mongols (13th century)
  • Napoleon (1812)
• Population of Russia in 1897

  • 126 million people
  • 68 million were Russian
  • Rest were from about a hundred different ethnic groups speaking dozens of languages and following a variety of religious beliefs
• This bred a feeling of insecurity and led to the belief that Russia needed strong, centralised rule to protect itself from outside enemies
• Autocracy


  An all-powerful monarch unwilling to share their power or have any limits placed on their rule
• Romanovs


  Ruled Russia since 1613
• Nicholas II


  • Became Tsar (King) of Russia in 1894
  • Believed he ruled by 'divine' right
• All Tsars or Tsarinas were the national heads of the Russian Orthodox Church and any criticism of either the church or the state was considered treason
• The people of Russia had no politicians representing them and had no influence over what decisions were made in their nation
• Classes in Russia


  • Tsar, ruling family and ruling class (0.5% of population)
  • Gentry class (10% of population)
  • Middle class or bourgeoisie (2% of population)
  • Working class or proletariat (4% of population)
  • Peasants or serfs (80-85% of population)
• Tsar, ruling family and ruling class

  • Held all political power
  • Lived in luxury, isolated from the problems of the rest of the nation
• Gentry class


  • Nobel landlords, leading figures in the church, the military and the imperial government
  • Formed roughly 10% of the population
  • Lived in luxury and paid little to no tax
  • Had little political power
• Middle class or bourgeoisie

  • Included leading businessmen (Bankers, Factory owners) and educated intellectuals
  • Formed 2% of the population
  • Lived educated and comfortably
  • Were small and powerless due to Russia's limited economic growth and Russia's isolation from intellectual movements such as the Enlightenment movement in the 18th century
• Working class or proletariat

  • Formed 4% of the population due to Russia's lack of industrial and urban development
  • Experienced a squalid, miserable and unhealthy existence
  • Lived in slums and worked in dangerous factories and mines
• Peasants or serfs


  • Formed around 80%-85% of the population
  • In 1861 Tsar Alexander gave the serfs freedom from lords, but this didn't improve their lives as many were given poor amounts of land to farm
  • Lived in hardship, had low life expectancy, frequent famine and illiteracy
  • Were poor and powerless