From Revolution To War 1905-1914
Economic policy under Stolypin:
• Stolypin was Witte’s successor, appointed in 1906, who he had an intense rivalry with
• Industry went into a recession, with economic growth at 0.5% and inflation at 40%
• There was a large number of strikes, showing the civil unrest
• Mortgage repayments were increasingly high due to the high price of land
• There were famines in 1891 and 1897
• Stolypin announced in 1906-1907 that all outstanding mortgage repayments would be
cancelled, the western field system would be introduced, and a land bank would be made
• He wanted to create an upper class of peasants that would support the Tsar
• He was good at liaising with the duma and was easier to work with than Witte, however he
had too much to do in too little time
The dumas:
• All men over the age of 25 could vote
• Women and soldiers were not allowed to vote
• After the abolition of the first duma, the Vyborg appeal occurred, in which members of the
Duma went to Finland and urged people to avoid taxes and conscription, however the
peasants became violent and they were killed by Stolypin
First duma
• April 1906 - June 1906
• A bicameral system with one side elected and one side appointed
• The Tsar retained his authority as the appointed side could veto any decision of the elected
side
Second duma
• February 1907 - June 1907
• Nicknamed the duma of the people’s wrath
• Filled with member of the social democrats and the social revolutionaries, while the kadets
lost half of their seats
Third duma
• November 1907 - June 1912
• Started some welfare state such as national insurance for workers
• Was more cooperative and allowed reforms to occur such as Stolypin’s land reforms
• The Tsar wanted to keep the Dumas as democracy looked good to foreign allies and he had
rigged the system to get a more favourable result
Fourth duma
• November 1912 - August 1914
• Started to see criticism of the Tsar
• Was dissolved due to the outbreak of war
Economic policy under Stolypin:
• Stolypin was Witte’s successor, appointed in 1906, who he had an intense rivalry with
• Industry went into a recession, with economic growth at 0.5% and inflation at 40%
• There was a large number of strikes, showing the civil unrest
• Mortgage repayments were increasingly high due to the high price of land
• There were famines in 1891 and 1897
• Stolypin announced in 1906-1907 that all outstanding mortgage repayments would be
cancelled, the western field system would be introduced, and a land bank would be made
• He wanted to create an upper class of peasants that would support the Tsar
• He was good at liaising with the duma and was easier to work with than Witte, however he
had too much to do in too little time
The dumas:
• All men over the age of 25 could vote
• Women and soldiers were not allowed to vote
• After the abolition of the first duma, the Vyborg appeal occurred, in which members of the
Duma went to Finland and urged people to avoid taxes and conscription, however the
peasants became violent and they were killed by Stolypin
First duma
• April 1906 - June 1906
• A bicameral system with one side elected and one side appointed
• The Tsar retained his authority as the appointed side could veto any decision of the elected
side
Second duma
• February 1907 - June 1907
• Nicknamed the duma of the people’s wrath
• Filled with member of the social democrats and the social revolutionaries, while the kadets
lost half of their seats
Third duma
• November 1907 - June 1912
• Started some welfare state such as national insurance for workers
• Was more cooperative and allowed reforms to occur such as Stolypin’s land reforms
• The Tsar wanted to keep the Dumas as democracy looked good to foreign allies and he had
rigged the system to get a more favourable result
Fourth duma
• November 1912 - August 1914
• Started to see criticism of the Tsar
• Was dissolved due to the outbreak of war
