2. The Russo Japanese war 1904-05 changed the lives of peasants more then any other war in the period
1855-64, how far do you agree?
Introduction- describe the nature of the Russian peasantry throughout the period, mentioning how their
situation in 1855 compared to that in 1964. Mention the main conflicts that will be discussed and give a
brief overview of how they changed/didn’t change the lives of the Russian peasants.
P1- disagree with the statement, comparing the changes brought by the Russo Japanese war (reforms
under the October manifesto) with the changes brought about by the Crimean war, focus on how the
entire system of serfdom was overhauled in response to the Crimean war, comparing this with the lack
of change after manifesto promises were abandoned and the fundamental laws were put in place,
compare the position of the peasants at the start of each war with their position after it and the reforms
that came with it.
P2- agree with the statement, compare the changes brought about by the Russo Japanese war with the
lack of changes seen after the Second World War, discuss how WWII and the success in it convinced
Stalin that his brutal collectivization policies were effective and drove him away from change and toward
a conviction not to change, compare this with the changes the tsar was forced to make after the Russo
Japanese war.
P3- disagree with the statement, compare the changes brought about by the First World War (which
saw the complete transformation of the government) with the very limited changes brought about by
the October manifesto, which was caused by the Russo Japanese war. Point out how the whole nature
of peasant existence changed owing to the change in government brought about by WWI, the switch
from privately owned to publicly owned land, the changes under war communism. Also compare the
limited changes brought by the Russo Japanese wars to the changes subsequently brought by the civil
war, which led to the abandonment of war communism in favor of the more capitalist-style NEP.
Conclusion- conclude with a disagreement with the statement, pointing out the limited nature of
changes brought by the Russo Japanese war, which had little effect on the peasants. Compare this with
the war I think brought the most change- WWI and mention how this changed the entire nature of what
it meant to be a peasant, also mention the great changes brought by the Crimean war.
The period 1855-1964 saw the lives of Russian’s peasants transformed, they went from being seen as
sub-human serfs, owned by their masters and the state to independent farmers who owned their own
lands, to being viewed as the center of the revolution which would overthrow the tsar. It is largely the
case that it was war which led to the greatest changes in their lifestyles and the way in which they were
regarded by the state, as the state scrambled to control its population during and after great
humiliations, such as in the aftermath of the Russo Japanese war, which saw some change in the way in
which peasants were regarded, however, there is a strong argument in favor of other conflicts such as
the monumental and cataclysmic First World War, transforming the lives of peasants far more then the
Russo Japanese war did.
The Russo Japanese war was a short lived and ill judged attempt by Nicholas II to stamp Russian rule
upon the lands of Manchuria in the Chinese region, lands which japan also wanted. The war was a
resounding failure, seeing Russia being humiliatingly defeated by a so called ‘inferior race’ with the
entire Russian fleet being destroyed by the Japanese in under one day. The war stirred up great unrest
throughout the country, combining with the bloody Sunday massacre and worker displeasure at poor
conditions to bring about the revolution of 1905, which saw demonstrations and mass strikes across the
country and was only quelled with the tsar’s October manifesto, which introduced measures such as
freedom of speech and association and put an end to the much lamented redemption payments that
the peasants had been saddled with since the emancipation of 1861. That said, the transformations to
