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Tsarist and Communist Russia - Coggle Diagram
Tsarist and Communist Russia
Russia Autocracy in 1855
Political Context
Russia was an autocratic empire
Had a Tsar ( Nicholas I )
"The emporer of all of Russias is an Autocratic and Unlimited monarch; God ordains that all must bow to his supreme power."
Tsar was head of the Orthodox Church
Tsar was regarded as God on Earth
Imperial Edicts were the law of the Land
Ministers were chosen by the Tsar himself - nothing could be done without the Tsars approval
The military was made up of Conscripted Serfs
They had to serve for 25 years
Made to live in a military colony
The army and the naval forces absorbed 45% of the governments annual spending
Higher ranks of the army were reserved for nobles who had bought their way in
Tsar had control over the Cossacks - acted like a bodyguard to the Tsar and as Police Reinforcements
Country developed into a police state
Prevented free speech, freedom of the press and international travel
Political meetings and strikes were forbidden
Every level of government had censorship
Police ensured censorship was enforced
Social and Economic Context
Russian economy was based on rural areas and serfdom
Much of Russian Territory was inhospitable
Comprised of tundras, forests, and barren countrysides
Size of the country and the climate placed strains on economic deevlopment
Lack of development also came down to Russia's commitment to a serf based economy
Inhibited development
Serfs were poor
Most managed to survive on the crops they produced
Often starved in the winter
However they still had to pay taxes to the government
Russia was divided between the Elite and The Serfs
Russia at this time had no middle class
Small number of professionals
These were the intelligentsia - often sons of nobles
Legal barriers prevented social climbing
The impact of the Crimean War
1853 - Nicholas I sent a Russian Army to Moldavia and Wallachia
Provoked the Turks into declaring war in October
Russians were stronger, however Britain and France joined the war on the side of Turkey
Russians were defeated in 1854
1855 - Alexander II came into power
Alexander II, the Tsar Reformer
Emancipation of the Serfs
Announced the decision to Emancipate the serfs in 1861
Set Russia on a path of Reform
Aimed to strengthen social and political stability
Followed by a series of reforms in other areas
Judiciary
Equality before the law was established - accused was presumed innocent until proven guilty
Criminal cases heard before barristers and a Jury, judges were appointed by the tsar
Justices of Peace established - elected every 3 years by the Zemstva
Courts were opened to the public
National Trials reported in government newspapers
The Army
Milyutin believed that the Army had to be modernised
Believed that a free population would provide a drastic improvement in military operations
Milyutin reorganised the military to make it less expensive
Conscription made compulsory for all classes from age 21, length of service was reduced
Punishments were less severe
Military colonies were abandoned
Modern Weaponry introduced
New command structure established
Military colleges set up to provide better training for the non nobles
Literacy within the army was improved
Local Governments
Zemstva was established
these were given power to improve public services, develop industrial projects and administer poor relief
Power of the Zemstva was strictly limited
No control over state and local taxes
Provincial governors continued to appoint officials and could overturn zemstvo decisions
Dumas established 1870 (town councils)
Education
Abolition of Serfdom increased need for basic literacy and numeracy
Alexander Golovnin was the minister of education
Universities were able to govern for themselves and appoint their own staff
Increase in universities led to an increase of radical and militant thinkers
Reponsibility for schooling was transferred from the Church to the Zemstva
Primary and Secondary Education was extended
Modern schools established at secondary level for those who did not want the typical classical education established in gimnazi
Schools declared as open for all regardless of class and sex
Censorship
Censorship was relaxed
Restrictions on Publishers reduced
Publications permitted with government approval
Foreign Travels were less restricted
Restored some of the rights of Poland and the Catholic Church
1858 - 59, Alexander II toured the countryside making pro emancipation speeches
The edict was ready in 1861 and only applied to the privately owned serfs until 1866
Granted them freedom and an allotment of land
Landowners received government compensation
Freed serfs had to pay money to the government for 49 years - "redemption payments"
There was a 2 year period of temporary obligation before freedom was granted
15% of peasants remained temporarily obligated to their landlords until 1881.
Serfs had to stay in Peasant communes until redemption payments had been completed
The Mirs were responsible for land distribution, controlling the farming and collecting / paying the peasants taxes
Volosts established to supervise the Mirs
Results of Emancipation
Many peasants felt cheated, land allocations were rarely fair
Resentment of Kulaks led to violent outbreaks in the countryside
What stayed the same?
Agriculture was still dominating the Russian Economy
Agriculture still had problems relating to Geography and Technology
Nobility was still dominant
Peasant society didn't change much
Illiteracy, religious teaching and other factors worked against progress
What Changed?
Emancipation Edict marked a turning point in governmentP
Patterns of land ownership changed
Labour force was more mobile
Substantial increase in Grain exports
Social change perpetuated by military, educational and government reforms
Key People
Dmitry Milyutin - Trained in Military academy, Alexander II's Minister for War
Nikolai Milyutin - Favored reform in the Slavophile Tradition, responsible for the Drafting of the Emancipation Edict, supported establishment of the Zemstva
The Autocracy of Alexander II and III
1866 - Assassination attempt threatened the tsars confidence
Alexander II's son had died in 1865
He was less inclined to resist from the conservatives
Alexander II changed and reshuffled his government
Dmitry Tolstoy as Minister for Education (1866)
Reduced the powers of the Zemstva over education
1871, Only students from a Gimnazya could access University education
Traditional curriculums were reinforced in universities
Shuvalov as head of the Secret Police
Increased perseuction of "lesser" ethnic communities
Searches and arrests increased
Konstantin Pahlen as Minister of Justice
Ensured the judicial system made an example of criminals
Introduced "Open show trials" as a deterrent
Loris Melikov constitution
Loris Melikov appointed Minister of internal Affairs
Removed the salt tax
Released political prisoners
Relaxed Censorship
Lifted restrictions of the Zemstva
Abolished the secret police, its powers given to regular police
Okhrana Created
Alexander signed the constitution and was killed by a bomb the same day
Alexander III
Tutored by Pobedonostsev
Publicly hanged the people behind his fathers Assassination
Created the Manifesto of the Unshakeable Autocracy
Enforced a State Appointed Land Captain
Had the power to override elections to the Zemtsvo and to disregard their decisions
Made responsible for law enforcement
Could ignore the normal judicial process + overturn court judgements
Abandoned Loris Mekilov Proposals
Reforming ministers resigned
Political Authority in Action
Russification
Problems posed by ethnic minorities
Diverse population posed a continual challenge for tsarist autocracy
Polish Nationalism caused rebellions in the 1830's
Alexander II and Ethnic Minorities
Didn't engage in persecution of Ethnic minorities
Used consessions to keep control
Russification under Alexander III
Destruction of Non Russian cultures occurred in Poland and Finland
Uprisings were suppressed across Eastern Europe
Results of Russification
1888 - Mass disturbance across 61 of 92 Provinces and districts
Growth of Opposition
Alexander II's relaxation of Censorship brought a growth in Radical Thinking
Increase of Oppression during Alex II's later years and the reign of Alex III reinforced the peoples discontent
Moderate Liberal Opposition
Split into Two categories
Westerners
Supported ideas of the west
The Zemstva seemed to support Western ideals
Hoped to reform the autocracy so the Tsar would listen to the people
Slavophiles
Wanted a Russian path to a better future
The famine of 91-92 pushed the need for a change to the Tsarist System
Radical Opposition
Happened mainly amongst the younger generation
Radical Thinkers
Chernyshevsky
Author of Radical Journals and the book "What is to be done?")
Herzen
Editor of The Bell
Produced abroad and smuggled into Russia
Advocated for a Peasant based social Structure
Called on followers to "go to the people"
Tchaikovsky Circle
Set up in St Petersberg
Printed, Published and Distributed revolutionary literature
Sought for social revolution rather than political
Narodniks
Believed in going to the people
Tried to persuade the peasantry that the future lied in them
Advances were shattered by peasant hostility
Land And Liberty
Set up in 1877
Continued the Narodnik tradition
Some carried out political assasinations
Split into two groups
The Black Repartition
Organised by Plekhanov
Worked peacefully among the peasants
Published radical materials in hopes of stimulating social change without resorting to violence
Weakened by arrests in 1880 - Plehkanov turned to Marxism
The Peoples Will
Led by Mikhailov
Successfully planted a spy in the Tsars Secret Police
Bigger than the Black Repartition
Bakunin
Both anarchist and Socialist
Believed that private ownership should be replaced by Collective ownership
Income should be based on number of hours worked
Helped to introduce Marxism into Russia, translated The Communist Manifesto into Russian
Worked with Nechaev - Produced the Catechism of a Revolutionary