Russification

• Russification is attempting to suppress the local characteristics of regions within the empire and spread the characteristics of the Tsar's subjects
• 55% of Russia's population belonged to other racial groups
• in the 1897 census the total population of Russia was 125 million
• To repress the Poles after the Polish revolt in 1863: the Polish roman catholic church was seized 1864, Russia replaced Polish to be the new administrative language and Russians replaced poles in high ranks, Warsaw university was shut 1869
• Groups which were disloyal: Poles, tarters and Georgians
• Policies towards Finland caused resentment as they had been loyal to Russia and were treated badly
• Policies to Finland: Russian language introduced more and more, Disadvantageous trade tariffs introduced, Finnish absorbed into Russian empire 1815 and suspension of Finnish constitution
• Policies towards Armenia: confiscation of Armenian church and suppression of language
• Policies towards Baltic Germans: reconstruction of the great orthodox cathedral in Riga (1885), increasing population of students at University of Dorpat- Russian domination
• The use of propaganda which associated Jews with Polish revolt and assassination of Alexander II, used Jews as scapegoats for popular discontent
• 215 pogroms between May 1881 and 1905
• in 1905 500 Jews were killed
• Tolstoy's policies to jews: no Jewish settlers allowed in rural areas, Jews forbidden to trade on Christian holy days (put them behind non-Jewish), strict quotas for Jews in schools and attendance never rose beyond 10%
• in 1886 in Kiev and 1891 in Moscow all 'legal' Jews were expelled
• options for jews other than emigration: militant nationalism, joining the Zionist movement or revolutionary agitation
• The emancipation of the Polish peasants was very advantageous which created nationalism and negatism towards Russia
• Turned Finland against Russia
• Russia now needs large standing army for all of these countries
• no revolutionary uprisings; worked in short term
• Propaganda worked against Jews as they were excluded from societu
• 10% students Jewish
• Warsaw granted it's own archbishop and medical school
• Finland had own currency and parliament 1863 and constitution 1865
• Jews can settle beyond the pale
• 1876 All Ukrainian books to be removed from schools
• 1864 Catholic churches property confiscated