Chapter 5 Emergence of new ideas and opposition • The Tchaikovsky circle – Marxist - named after • The People’s Will – ably led by Aleksandr
• Some of intelligentsia sought the ‘truth’ through most prominent member, Nikolai Tchaikovsky, Mikhailov who successfully planted a spy in
philosophical ideas such as nihilism or anarchism set up 1868-69 – no more than 100 people. Tsar’s Third Section to keep group informed of
but most fell into one of 2 categories: Literary society organizing printing, publishing secret activities of secret police. Bigger group
Westernisers who wanted to catch up with the + distribution of scientific + revolutionary that Black Repartition + advocated violent
West, + the Slavophiles who favoured a superior literature, incl first vol of Das Kapital. It sought methods, assassinating govt. officials. In 1879, it
Russian path to a better future – should preserve social, not political rev. From 1872, it began was declared that Tsar had to be removed –
culture + heritage organising workers with intention of sending after a no. of unsuccessful attempts against Tsar
• Zemstva goo for westernizing liberal opposition, them to work among peasants in countryside Alexander II’s life, their aim was achieved in
hoped to reform autocracy so Tsar would rule in • The Narodniks – populists – 1874 – Pyotr March 1881
conjunction with subjects. Attractions of Lavrov encouraged 2000 men+women, mainly
slavophiles diminished in 1890s as country from intelligentsia to go to countryside + • After Tsar’s assassination, security stepped up –
moved forward in industrialization – this split the persuade peasants the future of rev. depended ended populist movement
intelligentsia – some were attracted to Marxist on development of peasant commune. Some • Self-education circles such as Muscovite Society
theory + drawn to socialism, some maintained dressed like peasants but didn’t work, too of Translators and Publishers which translated
more moderate, liberal stance deep-rooted loyalty to Tsar + religious. Around and reproduced writings of foreign socialists,
• 1891-92 famine – tsarist govt left zemstvo largely 1600 arrested; second attempt in 1876 but continued underground + contact with radicals in
responsible for relief work – increased more arrests + show trials 1877-8. Immediate exile + in west was maintained
convictions that tsarist system had to change. By failure but helped take opposition away from • From Switzerland, Georgi Plekhanov established
mid-1890s there were renewed zemstvo-led calls underground meeting rooms + helped make Emancipation of Labour group in 1883 which not
for a national body to advise govt govt more aware only translated and arranged for Marxist tracts to
• Radical Opposition – June 1862, series of fires • Land and Liberty – Populist - 1877 – members be smuggled into Russia but it demonstrated
destroyed over 2000 shops – Young Russia held sought work in peasant communes as doctors, Marxism was fully applicable to Russia. Had
responsible – group of students who thought rev teachers etc. but in a less obstructive manner. limited impact at time + its German contact,
was only way forward. ‘The Orginisation’ was set Some carried out political assassinations incl Deich, who was responsible for smuggling
up, 1863, by students at Moscow uni + more calls General Mezemstev, head of Third Section in materials into Russia, was arrested by German
for reform made 1878. Some talk between group + zemstvo to police (advised by Tsarist agents) in 1884. But,
• Mikhail Bakunin was both socialist + anarchist. try + put more pressure on autocracy for Plekhanov’s development of the two-stage
He translated Karl Marx's ‘The Communist constitutional reform – Tsarist govt failed to revolutionary strategy was vital in advancing
manifesto’ into Russian in 1869; first volume of respond Marxism in Russia – in Socialism and the Political
Marx’s ‘Das Kapital’ was published in Russia in • In 1879 it split into 2 groups: Black Repartition Struggle (1883) and Our Differences (1885)
1872. Marxist reaching proved attractive – organized by Georgi Plekhanov from St Plekhanov argued Russian revolutionaries had to
intellectually but in 1870s its message seemed accept inevitability of Marx’s stages of
Petersburg – wanted to share black soil
largely irrelevant to a predominantly rural development – Russia had to pass through
provinces of Russia among peasants. Work
country with hardly any proletariat + fewer capitalist phase + revolutionaries should focus
peacefully among peasants + published radical
bourgeoisie work among Russian workers in cities. He said
materials in hope of stimulating social change
• In 1869, Bakunin + Sergei Nechaev, a student revolutionary leaders’ first tasks were to
without resorting to violence. Weakened by
radical activist (populist) who fled illegally from cooperate with bourgeoisie to fight autocracy
arrests in 1880-81 when it ceased to exist as a
Russia after calling on St Petersburg students to • In 1886, students in St Petersburg tried to reform
separate organization. Plekhanov + some early
assassinate the Tsar, wrote a manifesto the People’s Will and in march 1887 a group who
leaders turned to Marxism + he was exiled in made bombs to kill Alexander III were arrested. 2
‘Catechism of a Revolutionary’ , saying to be 1880 + settled in Geneva where he studied
merciless in pursuit of revolution months later, 5 of them were hanged
Marxism – co-founded Emancipation of Labour
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