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The nature of autocratic rule (The Tsarist principles of autocracy,…
The nature of autocratic rule
The Tsarist principles of autocracy, nationality and Orthodoxy
Nicholas II had total power within the Russian Empire. The Tsar was assisted by the cabinet, the Senate and the State Council. These were merely advisory; had no power independent of the Tsar
The Tsar's power was not constrained by constitutional checks. Therefore:
The Tsar's power was not limited by law
Russia subjects had no right to free speech or a fair trial because these rights would effectively limit the Tsar's power
Autocracy led to the development of a corrupt government, and a society that depended on the state.
Corruption
was widespread because government officials claimed to be representatives of the Tsar, and therefore acted as if they had absolute power.
Tsarist autocracy also limited the growth of
Limited civil society
. Nicholas II's government outlawed some groups such as trade unions, and persecuted religious groups which could have played a role in the generating civil society
The Tsar's isolation
The Tsars refused to recognise Russia's problems, and his advisers were unwilling to contradict him. As a result, the Tsar had little understanding of the poverty in Russia, or of the government's corruption.
Between 1894 and 1905 Nicholas II used Russification to control the Russian Empire. Russification meant the aggression promotion of Russian culture and the forceful suppression of other national cultures.
Russification was a response to the development of nationalist feeling in various parts of the Empire, which the Tsar believed threatened the unity of the Empire.
Russification took a variety of forms:
The imposition of Russian as the official language of government and the justice system in the government of the Baltic states
The promotion of Russian culture through primary schools
The suppression of non-Russian cultures
Establishing Russian-language universities such as Iur'ev University in Estonia
Indeed, in the late nineteenth century there had been considerable growth of nationalism in the Ukraine, Finland, Georgia and Poland
Russification was counterproductive. It led to a backlash among groups who had been loyal to the Empire. Indeed, cultural persecution turned the Finns, the Armenians and the people of the Baltic against the Tsar:
The nationalism in Poland and the Baltic stated became a powerful anti-government force, which would later feed into the 1905 revolution
In Russia, nationalism led to anti-Polish, anti-Finish and anti-Semitic feeling, which sometimes led to violence against minority communities living in Russia
Russification in Finland
Russification had a major impact on Finland. In 1899 General Nicholas Bobrikov, the governor general of Finland, abolished the Finnish legal system and replaced it with Russian law. He also effectively abolished the Finnish parliament and the Finnish army
In 1903 'Temporary Regulation', which had been introduced in 1881 in Russia, were extended to Finland, giving the Okhrana wide-ranging powers. The result was widespread unrest. Bobrikov was assassinated in 1904 and the Finns played an active part in the 1905 Revolution.
Orthodoxy, anti-semitism and the Okhrana
Tsarism relied on Orthodoxy, anti-Semitism and the Okhrana, as well as Russification to control the Russian people.
Promoting Orthodoxy
Konstantin Pobedonostev advised the Tsar to promote Orthodoxy as an essential part of Russian identity. Consequently, between 1894 and 1902 Nicholas introduced the following measures:
The number of parish clergy increased by around 60 per cent
There was a tenfold increase in church schools, and the number of students they educated increased around 15 times.
Orthodox missionaries were sent to establish new churches in the Baltic states where Protestantism was popular
As a result the number of people converting to Orthodoxy doubled in the period 1881 to 1902. Nonetheless, in urban areas, there was a decline in Orthodox Church attendance.
Persecuting other faiths
No Christian Churches other than the Orthodox Church were allowed to proselytise
Catholic, Protestant and Islamic schools were closed down and replaced by schools run by the Russian government
The Russian government confiscated the property of the Armenian Church
Anti-Semitism
Aggressive Russification and the promotion of Orthodoxy led to increased anti-Semitism
Education
Educational opportunities for Jewish students were limited by the enforcement of quotas. Jews could make up no more than:
ten per cent of students at universities within the Pale of Jewish Settlement
three per cent in Russia's major cities, Moscow and St Petersburg
Residency
There were also restrictions on where Jews could live. The May Laws, introduced in 1882, banned Jews from living in Russia's rural areas - the law was finally repealed in 1905.
In some cities, such as Moscow and Kiev, campaigns were organised to expel Jews from cities.