Detailed revision notes for the years in Russia for History A-level. These notes helped me get an A* for History A-level. Sourced from my class notes, AQA history textbooks, and reliable online websites. These notes are all you need to get A* Russian History essays and will make revising way easie...
Key
AII = Alexander II/ AIII = Alexander III/ NII = Nicholas II
SR’s = Socialist Revolutionaries
SD’s = Social Democrats
B’s = Bolsheviks
M’s = Mensheviks
L = Lenin
Nicholas II like as a ruler
o Accepted inheritance as God-given + set out to rule in ‘Romanov way’- asserting against demands of growing
reform movement.
o Tutored by Pobedonostsev- taught any signs of weakness would be indications of cowardice/failure.
o Committed to Orthodoxy- ensured Church maintained powerful influence.
o Continued Russification + support for ‘Black hundreds’ (Right-Wing + anti-Semitic).
o No more popular with ethnic minorities then Alexander III.
Increased unrest after 1894
o Russia society became more politicized after Great Famine (1891-1892).
Over-bureaucratic government failed to cope- Zemstva left to provide relief work- bred scorn/despair.
o Greater public mistrust of others + firmer belief in power of ordinary people played role in nation’s affairs.
o New outbursts of trouble in Russian unis.
E.g. 1901- squadron of Cossacks charged at students in St Petersburg- killed 13 + 1500 students imprisoned.
o 1902-1907 widespread disturbances in towns and countryside.
Arson in rural countryside- ‘years of the red cockerel’.
Unrest worst in central Russia provinces where landlord/peasant relationship still traditional.
Spread to Georgia, Ukraine and Poland.
Peasants set fire to landlord’s barns/destroyed grain/seized woodlands/physically attacked.
Regime + opposition
o Stolypin (Tsar’s minister) dealt with disturbances with ferocity- aggravated situation further.
Peasants flogged, arrested, exiled or shot in 1000s.
o 1901-Obukhov factory (St Petersburg)- violent clashes between armed police + whip-carrying Cossacks.
o 1900- chief of Okhrana in Moscow (Zubatov) organised own police sponsored Trade Union with approval of
governor General of Moscow (Grand Duke Sergei)- attempt to control proliferation of illegal unions.
Aimed to provide official channels for complaints to be heard to prevent workings joining radical socialists.
Experiment lasted till 1903- Zubatov dismissed + exiled after 1 of his unions involved in Odessa General Strike.
Another union on Zubatov model- Assembly of St Peterburg Factory Workers 1904- Father Gapon.
Approved by Plehve (NII’s Minister of Internal affairs) + had support of Orthodox Church.
Impact of Russo-Japanese war
o Embarrassing defeat to Asiatic power added to view Tsarist government was incompetent.
Expectations high thus disappointment greater.
Russia fielded largest forces ever assembled in their history with no victory.
Press coverage of war unprecedented- defeats high profile humiliating.
Autocracy based on military power, yet Russia was defeated by supposedly racially inferior people.
o Different situation from Crimean War- 3 substantial opposition movements:
Middle class Zemstvo Liberals, Marxists + SRs- ready to take advantage of any sign of weakness by autocracy.
Previous wars didn’t lead to revolution/give rise to such pressure from below for change.
o Tsar had to agree to humiliating peace treaty (Treaty of Portsmouth) with Japanese after destruction of Baltic
Fleet.
After treaty many troops had to walk home- some didn't survive journey.
Defeat led to Potemkin mutiny June 1905.
o Liberals pressed for National Assembly.
NII maintained it was his God-given power + refused to change system but expanded rights of Zemstva.
o Resources diverted to war had lessened the already limited supply of grain + fuel.
o 1904 Plehve assassinated in a terrorist bomb attack.
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