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Opposition - Coggle Diagram
Opposition
Significant events
Impact of Alexander ll's assasination: It was limited as the People's Will who killed Alexander were hunted down + the Loris-Melikov proposal for a national zemstvo ended
Impact of 1905 revolution: Led to sweeping political reform w/ the introduction of October Maifesto + Duma BUT was restricted by the Fundamental laws + brutal revenge for Stolypin who used a method of fear + repression after the revolution for those who led the movements
Impact of 1917 revolutions: Began by Putilov Steel Works strike + did succeed, as the Tsar abdicated, due to the army abandoning the army
Impact of Kornilov coup/affair: Led to the collapse of Prov. Gov. legitimacy as they were threatened by their own people who came back from the front line of the war - General Kornilov attempted to gain control of the Prov. Gov. which led to the Petrograd Soviet having to step in and help
Impact of Kronstdadt Mutiny: Soviet sailors and civilians rebelled against the Bolshevik gov. (Lenin) due to economic policies + food shortages which led to Lenin changing the policy of War communism to NEP - 1000 ex-Bolshevik soldiers were massacred
The impact of the Leningrad affair: Stalin's belief that members of the Leningrad party were trying to take the credit for the success of WW2 - purged around 200 party officials
The impact of the Doctor's plot: a theoretical plan to murder Stalin by Jewish doctors who had been blamed fro the death of leading communist Zhadanov
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Social opposition
Peasants, Tsars
- Opposition came in the form of rioting - 2 issues that caused this were: disappointment at land distribution or food production policies that affected their living conditions
- Alex ll faced huge peasant rioting (~10,000) after Emancipation failed to give them reasonable land shares + gave them huge redemption payments eg The Bezdna peasant revolt - unhappy with redemption payments, refused to work on their land or pay payments to landlords
- Nicholas ll - continues failure of distributing land fairly after 1905 revolution led to large outbreaks of attacks on landowners in the Black Earth regions - initially dealt with harshly by Stolypin but a number of reforms were put in place to try pacify demands eg Wager on the Strong where redemption payments were removed + the attempt at eliminating the Mir
Peasants, Prov.Gov.:
- Saw 1000s of peasant land seizures due to their failure to redistribute land after the hope of the February revolution.
- Government policies that affected their ability to produce and profit from food also led to unrest
Peasants, Communists:
- Lenin/Civil war - peasants rioted as an attempt to better their position + seize power that was supposedly theirs - they initially supported the Bolsheviks eg Chapayev who led peasants to fight against the Whites (Green Armies) however peasants were also found supporting the White armies due to the Bolshevik's policy of grain requisitioning, an integral part of their policy of War communism + in response Lenin introduced the NEP to appease peasants + prevent further peasant opposition
- Stalin''s policy of collectivisation + dekulakisation ignited peasant unrest who used tactics such as the the killing of 25% of nation's cattle, sheep + goats in 1930 leading to famines where ~ 4 and 7 million died - led to temporary halt of process in 1930. The mir (peasant council) was dismantled in 1930 which gave peasants less political agency
- Krushchev faced little peasant unrest but his agricultural policies eg Virgin Land Scheme wasn't successful led to food shortages
Workers, Tsar:
- Opposition due to wanting to improve their working + living conditions by forcing the gov. to do so mainly through strikes - late 1800s due to rapid industrialisation led to more urban workers
- Alexander lll had to ban strikes after the 1885 Morozov dye works who wanted to improve conditions + pay - 8,000 workers involved
- Nicholas ll - Sympathy strikes took place after Bloody Sunday, 1905 leading to banning on strike activity
- Nicholas ll - Despite the ban strike activity increased in 1912 due to poor conditions + lack of wage improvement leading to the Lena Goldfields which was met with extreme force leading to 200 deaths
- Feb 1917 - Putilov work strikes in St Petersburg - over 100,000 engaged in protest + was key in sparking Feb revolution which overthrew the Tsarist regime
Workers, Communists:
- Lenin treated the urban workers ruthlessly eg he ordered the Cheka to shoot any absentees ftom the factories on Christmas day 1918, believing religion was the opium of the masses
- Some urban workers rebelled against Soviet rule - political reasoning- eg Kronstadt rebellion, against Bolshevik economic policies, food shortages, political oppression + violence by naval officials - ~ 3000 killed
* Stalin - did not face clear protest by workers due to the 'Great Terror' that accompanied his Five Year plans BUT in 1940s there was a rise in worker suicides due to unmanageable workloads + pressures suggesting indirect opposition to their difficult conditions
- Krushchev faced a workers revolt at Novocherkaask in 1962 protesting against food shortages + rising food prices leading to ~ 20 deaths
Impact of worker opposition: Did have some success as the working day decreased from 11 and a half hours in 1897 to 7 hours in 1960s + minimum wage introduced in 1956
National minorities:
- The Polish revolt in 1863 was put down brutally after a years fighting although they gained independence with the Treaty of Versailles + defeated Russia in 1920 - taken in as part of the satellite states in 1945
- The Ukranians suffered heavily during the Stalinist era due to their opposition to collectivisation with around 5 million dying in a famine between 1932-34
- Aggressive policies of Russification + anti-semitism by Alex lll used to stop national opposition but led to increased revolutionary action by Latvians + Jews pushed towards Zionism + Marxism
Cause of opposition to Russian rulers:
- Caused by poor treatment of the peasantry or working classes - Social opposition
- Independence movements from peasants
- Lack of political freedom - Political opposition
- Failure to meet expectations following reform
- Political differences - Internal opposition