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Challenges facing Tsarist Russia - Coggle Diagram
Challenges facing Tsarist Russia
Peasants
82% of population
harboured a raft of grievances dating back to their emancipation in 1861
forced to pay for land by making redemption payments to the government
many could not afford this and fell into debt
plots they were on were often too small to make a reasonable living
exacerbated in second half of nineteenth century when a huge increase in population put even greater pressure on the land
always a threat of a peasant uprising, which made the tsarist regime unstable
these usually took place when harvests were bad and the peasants were starving and had nothing to lose
also subject to restrictions placed on them by 'mir'
egalitarian institution in which strips of land were allotted to a household according to its size and this could be reviewed if the size changed
the mir could be very restrictive, as allotting was not very efficient, and peasants could not move from place to place without the mir's permission
many peasants still using outdated strip system of farming with a few animals and antiquated tools
led to subsistence farming
Urban workers
by 1900, they made up 2.5% of the population, only 3 mil.
most workers were ex-peasants
working conditions were grim
long hours, 11 hrs plus a day
harsh environment where workers were disciplined and fined for smallest infractions
accidents, death or serious injury were common, and there was a high rate of disease and illness
low wages
they resented deeply the harsh conditions, seeing themselves as slaves rather than workers
exploitation was especially bad in small workshops not subject to government legislation
had a high literacy rate (57.8%) compared to peasantry, able to read political literature and articulate their views, more receptive to revolutionary ideas
the large complexes and factories made it easier to organise politically and create unity of purpose and action for strikes
National Minorities and Russification
many of the nationalities in Russian empire resented Russian control
especially Russification introduced by Alexander III and carried on by Nicholas II
Russians got important jobs
Russian used in schools, law courts and regional government
emphasis on superiority of Russian way of life infuriated national minorities
Religious discrimination
Jews forced to live in ghettos and suffered from pogroms
churches all resented government intervention in religious practices
during 19th century, there were a number of uprisings and protests from national groups seeking greater political freedom
tended to occur in one region at a time
easy for government to suppress
drove many minorities into the ranks of the revolutionaries, eg. many Jews found in revolutionary groups, and in 1897 they formed their own 'Bund' or union
Political Opposition
substantial political opposition had grown towards tsarism during the later part of the 19th century.
Liberals
wanted civil rights and freedom of the individual, the rule of law, free elections, parliamentary democracy and limitation of tsar's powers and self determination for national minorities
Methods - reform rather than violent action - political channels through zemstva, articles in newspapers, meetings and reform banqets
Support - did not have large popular base and had few active supporters outside two main cities. Main support came from middle class intelligentsia
Revolutionaries (Populism and People's Will)
in the later part of the 19th century, the main revolutionary movement was populism
they believed in 'going to the people'
life should be based around co-operation and sharing in peasant communes on a fairly small scale
after going to the peasants in the 1870s, they failed to connect with them, as the peasants had nothing in common with the populists
1879 - People's Will formed - most spectacular success was the assassination of Alexander II. this prompted a fierce reaction from the regime and led to a period of repression
The People's Will and Populism helped to create a revolutionary tradition and more directly gave birth to the SR party
SRs
never well coordinated or centrally controlled
placed central hope on revolution
peasants would lead this and overthrow tsarist government
used agitation and terrorism as a method, including assassination of government officials
peasants provided a large popular base but by 1905, industrial workers formed 50% of membership
Marxists
no hope of a revolutionary movement among peasantry, so turned to Karl Marx
the scientific nature of Marxism appealed to them
believed in action and became key to organizing strikes in factories