How far do you agree that the survival of the Tsarist system, in the
years 1894-1906, owed more to the weaknesses of its opponents than
to government policies?
Intro:
From 1894-1906 the Tsarist System survived mainly due to the weakness of its
opponents and their inability to act without either the support of the peasantry, or
to act in conjunction with each other. Furthermore, there lack of support for each
opposition group meant that the impact of opposition was weak.
However, the weakness of opposition to Tsarism and Tsarist policies are inextricably
linked, as the repression from the Okhrana, as well as the legal limitations against
political parties was also very influential on the survival of Tsarism, whilst the
October Manifesto and the Fundamental Laws also helped to ensure the survival of
Tsarism.
Peasantry’s weakness
The actions of any opposition to Tsarism were very limited, as key groups such as the
SRs and Mensheviks were powerless to oppose Tsarism without the support of the
peasantry, which they could not successfully mobilise. The peasantry’s lack of
education and the high illiteracy rate meant that the traditional propaganda
methods of the revolutionary parties such as using newspapers and pamphlets were
limited and meant that their actions were confined to small acts of violence and
anarchism. Assassinations such as von Plehve the Tsar’s Minister of the Interior, as
well as Bogolepov the Tsar’s Education Minister. Although these actions may have
seemed extreme, their impact and the impact of the strikes organised by
revolutionary parties was limited. Therefore it is clear that the weakness of the
opposition to Tsarism limited their effect. The loosely organised Populists and
Socialist Revolutionaries (SRs) were unable to mobilise the scattered peasant
population into a viable opposition force; moderate-extremist divisions also
weakened the SRs.
The Tsarist regime had support from sections of the population, particularly among
the conservative nobility, military, and bureaucracy. These groups benefited from
the existing order and were hesitant to support radical change. The regime relied on
their loyalty and cooperation to maintain control.
The obstacles in the way of organising the peasantry politically and welding it into a
coherent political force were immense. Russia’s peasantry, over 80% of the
population, was scattered thinly across a vast land area, living in 750,000 rural
settlements. In addition, the country’s transport network was primitive and
communication between settlements was poor
Levels of literacy in Russia were low. The 1897 census suggested that only 21% of the
population could read. In these circumstances, one standard technique of political
agitation – the distribution of pamphlets, newspapers and other forms of written
propaganda – was of limited value.
Lack of support
