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Flashcards - Russia Themes 2 Social & Economic impacts
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AQA A-level history Russia
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a) Great Spurt (Witte)
o Investment diverted from agriculture to industry - created
suspicion in the Russian Elite.
o Income from industry shot from 42 mill roubles in 1893 to 161 mill
Reforms
by 1897.
Abolished Salt Taz (1881) & Poll Tax (1886)
Alexander III b)
Land Captains – i.e. Landowners appointed from 1889 onwards to supervise
a) Economic [4]
the regional councils (Zemstva) that had been intro by A2. Had total authority.
Judges subject to bribery & given advice on sentences. Libraries faced
b) Political [2] restrictions on books. Peasant representation restricted on Zemstvas. Police
centralised & return of the Okhrana.
c) Social [6] c)
Edu – unis lost agency; lower class children banned from edu.
Antisemitism returned.
Russification promoted.
3 pillars – autocracy, orthodoxy, Russian-ness.
1883 – Peasants’ land bank.
Land captains more repressive.
a)
No reforms but the economy was a mess b/c of the recent
abdication & the continuation of the war.
b)
Reforms Political prisoners released
Provisional Government Free elections promised
Dual authority w the Petrograd Soviet.
a) Economic [1] o Soviet order no_1 meant the army were under the
b) Political [4] c)
Petrograd Soviet’s control.
c) Social [2] Freedom of speech, assembly, & right to strike.
Didn’t address any of the issues w war & land.
d) Military [2] d)
Didn’t do anything abt WWI
Couldn’t really make any military reforms b/c the army was
under the control of the Petrograd soviet.
a)
Reutern Reforms (1862-1878) encouraged foreign investment & facilitated the doubling of
industrial output
Railway construction (Trans-siberian railway) - Reutern implemented a 7-fold increase in the
Reforms b)
amount of railway track opened, from 2200 miles in 1862 to 14000 in 1878.
Alexander II
Reduced censorship
Trial of the 50 – executed 50 opposition members
Zemstva (1864) & Dumas (1870)
a) Economic [2]
Juries for criminal cases
Removed restrictions on Jews.
b) Political [5] c)
Edu – promotion of private schools, overhaul of the curriculum, inspection system.
Freed the Decembrists.
c) Social [4] 1861 Emancipation of the serfs (probs to prevent an uprising) - appeared to bring Russia in line
w the West (progressive)
d) Military [3] d)
o But by 1917, peasant access to land was still a big issue
Suspended recruitment in 1856.
e) Problems [2]
Abolished military colonies.
Conscripted every man >20yo (length of service = 15yrs).
e)
The reforms couldn’t have worked b/c there was too much unrest & a huge wave of opposition.
No pop representation & reforms simply didn’t go far enough.
a)
Enormous economic growth.
1897 – the rouble was placed on the gold standard to give
potential investors confidence in the Russian currency.
b)
Reforms October Manifesto.
Nicholas II Fundamental Laws.
c)
Economic [2] Edu – doubled the no_ of primary schools.
Political [2] 1896 – 11hr working day
1903 - Insurance for workers
Social [7] o But only for the workers – wouldn’t work if the
worker died.
Continuation of Russification
Stolypin’s land reforms
Creation on the Kulaks – a new social class.
, a)
State capitalism
War communism
o A combo of State Capitalism & grain requisition.
o Nationalised large enterprises & partial militarisation of labour.
Reforms o Partially successful b/c it helped the Communists win but was v
unpopular & caused unrest.
Lenin New Economic Policy – many saw this as too soft
b)
a) Economic [6]
Introd the 3rd all Russian Congress of Soviets – dominated by the Bolsheviks
Sovnarkom
b) Political [2] c)
Divorce & abortions permitted – improved women’s rights
c) Social [4]
Education open to all – more equality
New Economic Policy (NEP)
d) Military [4]
d)
All titles were abolished (except comrade)
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
o V harsh treaty
o Russia lost lots of land to Germany
o Reparations
a)
Gosplan - The body overseeing economic policy.
Collectivisation (agriculture)
Five Year Plans
o To help Russia keep up w (&overtake) the west – linked to autarky.
o Targets were made by key officials. Commissariats made plans.
Reforms Regional managers implemented them.
o The 1st plan was introd in spring 1929 & ended a yr early.
Stalin o This was allegedly b/c the targets were met ahead of schedule but in
reality it was b/c workers struggled to meet the unrealistic targets.
a) Economic [7] b)
Show trials were used to set an example & show that only Stalin was working for
b) Political [4]
the ppl’s best interest
The Great Terror, purges, & the NKVD
c) Social [3]
Centralised planning.
Propaganda, censorship, repression, & cult of personality.
c)
Dekulakisation & antisemitism
The Great Terror & the NKVD
Very little done on housing - By 1955 most ppl were still in substandard
accommodation
a)
Decentralisation of economy
Cold war, arms race, & space race were v expensive – placed a huge strain on
finances.
Reforms
o Worsened internal opposition.
1959 – 7-year plan - aimed for a larger chemical industry, substitution of oil & gas
Khrushchev b)
for coal, & more emphasis on agriculture, esp in the eastern areas.
a) Economic [4]
Destalinisation
Released political prisoners
Relaxed censorship
b) Political [4] But these policies were reversed during the Hungarian uprising when they wanted
to leave the Warsaw Pact.
c) Social [3] c)
Education made free
d) Military [2]
Virgin land scheme
Doubled the housing stock as part of his 7 yr plan
d)
1963 hotline - allowed direct communication between Moscow & Washington DC
1963 Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
a)
Partially successful (2)
Focused on railway + foreign investment
Reform
Reform - Reutern reforms
Success - encouraged foreign investment, doubled industrial output, 7-fold increase in the amnt
Why were some Russian rulers more
of railway tracks between 1862-78
Why? – too much unrest & opposition from groups like the People’s Will (assassinated A2)
b)
successful than others in improving the
Partially successful (1)
Focused on railway + foreign investment
life of Russians from 1855-1964? [25]
Reform - Great Spurt (Witte) - investment diverted from agriculture to industry
Success – industry shot from 42 mill roubles in 1893 to 161 mill by 1897 – improved the life of
urban, but not agricultural
Economic reforms Why? – liberal reforms created suspicion in the Russian elite, but Witte was not dismissed until
1903 so he had time to enact change.
a) Alexander II [5] c)
Not Successful (3)
b) Alexander III [5]
Focused on autarky (less foreign involvement)
Reform – 5-year plans. Targets were made by key officials. Commissariats made plans. Regional
managers implemented them.
c) Stalin [5] Success - The 1st plan was introd in spring 1929 & ended a yr early. This was allegedly b/c the
targets were met ahead of schedule but in reality it was b/c workers struggled to meet
unrealistic targets – workers were exploited.
Why? – ideology – sacrifice is ok for the greater good. Linked to concerns abt national security.
, a)
Minimally successful (2)
Focused more on freedom & the serfdom
Reform
Reform – 1861 Emancipation
Success – provided freedom to the serfs & some became kulaks but led to issues abt land
Why were some Russian rulers more
distribution & serfs weren’t educated on how to manage a plot of land independently.
Why? – opposition to emancipation meant it was diff to make further reforms to complete the
project.
successful than others in improving the b)
Not successful (3)
life of Russians from 1855-1964? [25]
Focused a lot on education
Reform - unis lost agency; lower class children banned from education.
Success – restricted the social mobility of the lower classes & the freedom of ppl in uni.
Economic reforms Why? – motivated by ideology (autocracy) & the need to keep control after his father’s
assassination (uneducated ppl don’t complain abt their repression).
a) Alexander II [5] c)
Successful (1)
b) Alexander III [5]
Focused a lot on education
Reforms – education became open to all – 1919 Decree on Illiteracy required to all illiterate ppl
between 8-50yo to learn to read & write - Lenin believed that ending illiteracy was crucial to
c) Lenin [5]
building socialism.
Success – gave ppl more understanding of their situation, meaning they had more control over
their lives & a “better” voice
Why? –V little opposition to this b/c his propaganda linked education to bread, peace, land.
a)
Not successful (3)
Restricted the political field
Reform
Reform - Fundamental laws reversed the liberal policies of the Oct Manifesto
Success – meant that the supposed voice that the Dumas gave the ppl was redundant
Why were some Russian rulers more
b)
Why? – ideology – N2 still believed in autocracy & wanted to maintain authority
successful than others in improving the
Briefly Successful (2)
Widened the political field
Reform - Free elections promised & dual authority w Petrograd Soviet - decentralisation
life of Russians from 1855-1964? [25] Success – gave the common ppl a voice & a chance to control the political trajectory of
the country, but short-lived b/c of the Oct rev
Political reforms
c)
Why? – opposition – the October Rev meant their promises couldn’t be fulfilled.
a) Nicholas II [5]
Largely successful (1)
Widened the political field
Reform – destalinisation, incl releasing political prisoners, less censorship & propaganda
b) Provisional Government [5] Success – gave ppl more freedom & less fear of repression, also allowed for détente,
which indirectly helped the ppl (cold war drained the economy).
c) Khrushchev [5] Why? –v little opposition & when there was, it was dealt w well – e.g. The Anti-Party
Group (opposed de-Stalinization) to remove Khrushchev from power in 1957.
Khrushchev's allies portrayed the Anti-Party Group as brutal supporters of Stalin’s
repression.
a)
SDs formed in 1898
Opposition from parties They were also influenced by Marxist ideals.
B/c most workers didn’t have the time to engage w Marxist theories,
Alexander III they focused on getting better pay & working conditions.
a) Details [3] b)
They split in 1905 into Bolsheviks & Mensheviks b/c of
b) Were they a threat? [1] disagreements over how to achieve their goals.
c)
Nicholas II The SRs developed from the Populists.
Spoke for agrarian peasants, demanding socialisation of land & a
c) Details [2] more federal gov.
d) Were they a threat? [2] d)
The 1905 Oct Manifesto placated many in the SR, which became
the Rural R Wing.
However, many weren’t satisfied & they split off as the urban L
wing, who killed 2000 ppl & had a lot of peasant support.
a)
1863 Polish Rebellion / Jan Uprising
Rev against Russian rule in Poland where workers played a key part.
Opposition from workers Triggered by decisions to bring conscription forward to January, which meant
Polish activists would have to fight in the Russian army.
1863, there were 35,000 Poles under arms facing a Russian Army of 145,000
Alexander II in the Polish Kingdom.
b)
a) Details [4] Was the longest-lasting insurgency in partitioned Poland, lasting till 1864
because it spread to Lithuania, Latvia, etc.
b) Were they a threat? [1] c)
1885 Morozov dye works
Alexander III 8000 workers demanded restoration of 1881 pay levels.
Lenin said it “made a very great impression on the government”.
c) Details [3] d)
Supressed on Jan 17 after 10 days.
d) Were they a threat? [3] Protestors were publicly tried, which revealed the terrible conditions in the
factories. As a result, they were acquitted, but still exiled.
This fuelled further strikes, eventually forcing the gov to pass a law on fines
in 1886.
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