2N Russia: Revolution & Dictatorship 1917 - 1953
UNIT 1: Dissent & Revolution [1917]
1.1 - The Condition of Russia in 1917
1832 ❖ Nicholas I issued fundamental empire laws
➢ Article 1 of Fundamental Laws “an autocratic and unlimited government”
1848 ❖ ‘The Communist Manifesto’ ~ “The history of all hitherto existing societies is the history of class struggle”
1861 ❖ Emancipation of the serfs - manifesto declaring their full rights as free citizens: to marry without consent,
own property and own a business = 23m
1866 ❖ Railway boom under Witte - 1866: 3k ~ 1891: 19,510 ~ 1913: 43,850 + Trans-Siberian
1879 ❖ The People’s Will wanted to murder the ruling class = 400 dead
1881 ❖ Alexander II made it a criminal offence to oppose Tsarist government
❖ The People’s Will assassinated Tsar Alexander II
❖ Consequences of assassination ~ hardened stance to opposition, police strengthened, social/political
reforms halted, undermined tsarist regime as vulnerable, organised revs
1883 ❖ 1883-1914: grain prod by 2.1%/1.1mT per year = Russia became largest cereal exporter BUT focus on
grain production for export led to livestock failure to keep pace with the population increase
1884 ❖ Nicholas II governed in autocratic way = highly resistant to reform: gov censorship on published book and
journals
1891 ❖ 1891-1913: investment in agricultural machinery rose at annual rate of 9%
1892 ❖ Serge Witte appointed Finance Minister + took policies to create 1880s industrial boom
1896 ❖ (May) During coronation celebrations = crowd crush ~ 1400 killed + 600 injured in Khodynka Field -
Nicholas was followed by public outrage for his apparent lack of concern
❖ Textile workers in St Petersburg mounted massive strikes
❖ Dmitri Shipov banned setting up “all Zemstvo organisations”
1897 ❖ Anti-semitism drove many Jews into ranks of revs + formed their own ‘Bund’ (union)
1898 ❖ Nearly 300k sent to Siberia - Tsarist Russia was oppressive/intolerant regime
1899 ❖ State bought ⅔ metallurgical production, controlled 70% railways + brought foreign experts to help kick
start Russian industry eg. Donbass: metallurgical industry + Baku: oil
❖ 1899-1901: student disturbance prompted closure of universities
1900 ❖ Trans-Siberian Railway: 9228 km (longest) - journey (Moscow - Vladivostok) = 1 week
❖ Recession eg. 1903: only 23/35 Donbass blast furnaces worked
1901 ❖ Victor Chernov became the leader of the Social Revolutionaries [SRs]
❖ Sergei Zubatov’s programme (repression alone insufficient, WC content) Chris Read: “Zubatv’s unions
became a cover for radicals and blew up in the face of their sponsors” v Jeremiah Scheidermann: only
coherent labour policy from government
❖ Poor harvest against backdrop of increasing rent which later led to 1902/1903: peasant revolt
❖ 1901-1905: LW SRs in charge = 2000 political deaths EG.Tsar’s Grand Uncle Duke Sergei
1902 ❖ Lenin’s ‘What Is To Be Done?’ = criticised Menshevik George Plekhanov’s ‘economism’ policy +
suggested a highly centralised, small disciplined party of professional revolutionaries (vanguard of WC to
incite rev consciousness) + ‘regular permanent troops’
© 2024 Grades Express
UNIT 1: Dissent & Revolution [1917]
1.1 - The Condition of Russia in 1917
1832 ❖ Nicholas I issued fundamental empire laws
➢ Article 1 of Fundamental Laws “an autocratic and unlimited government”
1848 ❖ ‘The Communist Manifesto’ ~ “The history of all hitherto existing societies is the history of class struggle”
1861 ❖ Emancipation of the serfs - manifesto declaring their full rights as free citizens: to marry without consent,
own property and own a business = 23m
1866 ❖ Railway boom under Witte - 1866: 3k ~ 1891: 19,510 ~ 1913: 43,850 + Trans-Siberian
1879 ❖ The People’s Will wanted to murder the ruling class = 400 dead
1881 ❖ Alexander II made it a criminal offence to oppose Tsarist government
❖ The People’s Will assassinated Tsar Alexander II
❖ Consequences of assassination ~ hardened stance to opposition, police strengthened, social/political
reforms halted, undermined tsarist regime as vulnerable, organised revs
1883 ❖ 1883-1914: grain prod by 2.1%/1.1mT per year = Russia became largest cereal exporter BUT focus on
grain production for export led to livestock failure to keep pace with the population increase
1884 ❖ Nicholas II governed in autocratic way = highly resistant to reform: gov censorship on published book and
journals
1891 ❖ 1891-1913: investment in agricultural machinery rose at annual rate of 9%
1892 ❖ Serge Witte appointed Finance Minister + took policies to create 1880s industrial boom
1896 ❖ (May) During coronation celebrations = crowd crush ~ 1400 killed + 600 injured in Khodynka Field -
Nicholas was followed by public outrage for his apparent lack of concern
❖ Textile workers in St Petersburg mounted massive strikes
❖ Dmitri Shipov banned setting up “all Zemstvo organisations”
1897 ❖ Anti-semitism drove many Jews into ranks of revs + formed their own ‘Bund’ (union)
1898 ❖ Nearly 300k sent to Siberia - Tsarist Russia was oppressive/intolerant regime
1899 ❖ State bought ⅔ metallurgical production, controlled 70% railways + brought foreign experts to help kick
start Russian industry eg. Donbass: metallurgical industry + Baku: oil
❖ 1899-1901: student disturbance prompted closure of universities
1900 ❖ Trans-Siberian Railway: 9228 km (longest) - journey (Moscow - Vladivostok) = 1 week
❖ Recession eg. 1903: only 23/35 Donbass blast furnaces worked
1901 ❖ Victor Chernov became the leader of the Social Revolutionaries [SRs]
❖ Sergei Zubatov’s programme (repression alone insufficient, WC content) Chris Read: “Zubatv’s unions
became a cover for radicals and blew up in the face of their sponsors” v Jeremiah Scheidermann: only
coherent labour policy from government
❖ Poor harvest against backdrop of increasing rent which later led to 1902/1903: peasant revolt
❖ 1901-1905: LW SRs in charge = 2000 political deaths EG.Tsar’s Grand Uncle Duke Sergei
1902 ❖ Lenin’s ‘What Is To Be Done?’ = criticised Menshevik George Plekhanov’s ‘economism’ policy +
suggested a highly centralised, small disciplined party of professional revolutionaries (vanguard of WC to
incite rev consciousness) + ‘regular permanent troops’
© 2024 Grades Express
