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Prepare for a-level History exam with class and exam notes on the russian revolution
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HISTORY NOTES - THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION 1894-1921INTRODUCTION
Russia had a unique character and was in many ways different from the rest. It
was a world where great literature, music and ballet, mixed strangely with
torture, flogging, drunkenness and corruption - Winston Churchill commented
during WWII that Russia ‘is a riddle wrapped up in a mystery of an enigma’. A
clue to the existence of these extreme is the size of the country stretching In
the 19th century from the Artic to the Black Sea, and form the Baltic to the
Pacific. — the hugeness of the country led to problems in communication and
then in turn led to backwardness compared to its European counterparts. - it
was backward in the way it was ruled, in its expansionist foreign policy.
The first influential Tsar was Peter I the Great - ( 1689-1725 ) - His aim was to
Westernise Russia and bring greater culture and political power. In order to do
this, he travelled through Europe and worked in shipyards to improve his
knowledge of ship building. He was intelligent and bright. He had no problem
carrying and executing himself and also had his son killed. ( Peter II revolted
against his father and was treated like all revolutionaries ). Most important of
all, Peter II would not have continued Peter’s reforms.
Peter carried a successful war against Sweden in order to get access to the
Baltic Sea — he gained the Baltic part and built a city there to honour his name
— St. Petersburg. He also tried to break certain tradition that Russia had - long
beards, oriental seclusion fo women. On his death Russia had an efficient
army , effective navy and an efficient civil sense. He was succeeded by his
second wife, Kathrine I.
On his death, Peter was succeeded by his 2nd wife, Catherine - Catherine I and
she in turn, Is succeeded by her daughter ( and Peters) - Elizabeth I — an
exceptional ruler who enlarged Russia during the seven years war. Elizabeth
was succeeded by her nephew, Peter III who proved so unpopular that he was
removed by a palace coup In 1862 — His wife, the German Catherine becomes
Catherine II, the Great.
Catherine II = she is known as an Enlightened Despot. During her reign a
number of reforms took place in government, law and education. Above all,
She is remembered for er foreign policy.
I. She gained Poland by partitioning it 3 times and
II. Made war on the Ottoman Empire - gained the crimean and various other
areas, her ambitions are shown in the naming of her grandsons Henry,
Alexander and Constantine
One of Russians’s aims in foreign policy wast to gain a warm water port. - ie.:
have access to the Mediterranean - thus, it needed to destroy the Ottoman
Empire, the Sick man of Europe. The British, on the other hand, did not want
Russia in the Mediterranean and always supported financially and military the
Ottoman Empire and the involvement of the Great Powers became what is
known as the Eastern Question - Russia supported the Orthodox Christians and
Britain the Ottomans.
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,Alexander I - the grand son of Catherine, he was a complicated character but
was to a great extend responsible for the defeat of Napoleon
Nicholas I - Nicholas was a dynamic Tsar, with an active foreign policy. - He
supported Orthodox Christians and helped the Greeks gain their independence,
in the Great War of Independence.
However, he was a reactionary, and faed many peasant revolts during his
reign. His reign ended during the Crimean War and he was succeeded by his
son who was determined to change Russia and modernise it.
Alexander II, the Tsar Liberator - 1855-1881
He was one of the most significant Tsars of Russia. He aimed at bringing reform
form above and issued the Edict of Emancipation - with this, serfs, were freed
and given land. - He also made a number of other reforms with the aim of
modernising Russia. He was murdered by extremists groups — as a result, his
son and grandson became reactionaries.
Alexander III 1881-1884
He was a reactionary, but was also known as ‘The Peasant Tsar\, because he
tried to Improve the lives of peasants. He was a strong autocrat.
Nicholas II 1884-1917
He inherited a Russia with a number of problems. - Weak and easily influenced.
He was forced to abdicated - the last Romanov and was murdered by the
Bolsheviks. — he Is now a Saint.!
HOW STABLE WAS RUSSIA IN 1884?
-How was it ruled?/How was society structured?
The reign of Nicholas the second was one of disaster. It begun and ended In
tragedy. On his coronation hundreds of people died when they rushed to get
free beer. Nicholas begun his reign by stating that ‘ I will preserve the principle
of autocracy as firmly as my father’. - Nicholas however was weak and lacked
the Iron will of his father. ( compare with Luis.)
He was an autocrat without the character of one and could certainly not handle
a vast empire with many problems. He also faced a personal tragedy since his
heir, Alexei, had haemophilia.
HOW WAS RUSSIA RULED?
Russia as an autocracy - Nicholas II had absolute power and was surrounded by
a privileged, wealthy aristocracy. — ‘Autocracy, Aristocracy, Orthodoxy.’ These
were the main pillars of rule. - There were no parliament and no ay to voice
discontent. —Revolutionary groups emerged - Peasant/Tsar and
aristocrats/army/church/
Agriculture as backwards and because of industrialisation a large working class
emerged. - they were overworked, underpaid, and lived in appalling conditions.
In Russia, there ere a number of minorities that were treated badly —
therefore, there were long term problems which Nicholas inherited.
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, ECONOMIC STRUCTURE
-Agricultural was backward - profit went to landowners and peasants paid high
taxes.
-wheat was exported butt profits again benefitted the landowners
Russia was beginning to industrialise and it began constructing a railway
network but because it was so vast, railways were still sparsely spread
-Corrupt tax collection
-Tsar Nicholas was not really interested in modernisation. - the vast majority of
peasants loved him -‘Little Papa’.
THE TSARISTS POLITICAL SYSTEM
• The Tsar was absolute. - He promised to ‘maintain the principle of autocracy’
• He appointed and dismissed Ministers who dependent on their Tsar for their
positions. They rarely gave good advice they mostly told him what he wanted
to hear, although he did have to exceptional Ministers : Sergei Witte and
Piotre Stolypin.
• Two bodies existed - State Council appointed by Nicholas (- offered advice he
wanted to hear) / Senate - appointed by the Tsar which oversaw the operation
of the law.
• The OKHRANA , the secret police had many power - network of spies etc.
• The Orthodox Church was powerful (Autocracy, Aristocracy,Orthodoxy) and its
leading official - Knonstantin Pobedonostev was very influential.
• Russia was an autocracy and an Inefficient one.
• Alexander II had created the Zamstva (zemstovs), to run local government
but those did not operate the way he had envisioned.
HOW STABLE WAS RUSSIA IN 1894
Russia would undergo 3 revolutions in the period we are studying. - the 1905
Revolution (The dress Rehearsal) , and two other revolutions in 1917. In this
chapter we will investigate cases of discontent and very Important events like
WWI. First we look at how stable Russia was on the succession of Nicholas II.
INSTABILITY
-succession - the heir to the throne had haemophilia
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