Long term causes
- Workers living and working in poor conditions- low wages, high number of deaths and accidents, long hours 11+
- Peasants- very poor (debt- redemption payments), starving (400000 died 1891), disease was wide spread- they moved to cities to become workers
- 1901- poor harvest and increasing rent- led to peasant revolt 1902-3
- Nobility was 1% of population and owned 25% of land- extremely rich
- ordinary people had no say
- superiority of Russians and russification angered national minorities
- Army: officers from nobility and conscripts required 7 years active plus 8 in reserve
- Witte launching Russia into heavy industry age- increased taxes and didn't think of consequences
- Workers strikes
- rapid change
- emerging class of businessmen understood politics and wanted change
- 1900- depression, wages fell, unemployment
- political parties set up- liberals, revolutionaries, SRs, marxists and SDs (mensheviks and bolsheviks)
Short term causes- The Russo Japanese war
- Cause of the war- Russia's expansionist policy in the far east- rich area in resources and markets- wanted control of the ice free port, Port Arthur in Manchuria
- Jan 26th 1904- Japan launched surprise attack on Russian ships and war started
- Japan compromised - russia can have Port Arthur if Japan can have Korea- Russia refused
- Russia under estimated Japan and over estimated own strength
- Disastrous defeats- even less public belief in Tsar and the government
- Japan had a better trained army and navy and were closer to the action
- claimed the Tsar and minister for internal affairs sought war to divert attention from problems at home- war would rally people together
Bloody Sunday- spark
- 9th Jan 1905- a peaceful march
- Priest Gapon organised petition to Tsar and march to Winter Palace- not aggressive in tone
- Petition- 8 hour working day, minimum wage, more dignified treatment, freedom of speech, right to form trade unions, an elected government
- crowd of 50000- 100000 including women and children
- Authorities well informed about march- assumed would disperse by time reached palace
- guards had orders to stop marchers reaching palace- crowds charged at by calvalry, troops open fired, 130 killed, 300 seriously wounded
- strikes broke out in response and in Jan 400000 people on strike
Mutiny of the Potemkin- spark
- Tsar's fate depended on loyalty of the armed forces
- 14th June 1905- crew of battleship Potmekin mutinied
- found they were given rotten meat to eat
- conditions in Russian navy were harsh and moral low following recent naval disasters
- sailded to Odessa where there were strikes daily
- crowds- looting and arson
- crew killed several officers and seized control of ship
- Potemkin threatened to open fire- police and troops had to retreat
- Tsar ordered troops to open fire- killed 2000
- Potemkin escaped in the hope of finding more support- they surrendered ship to Romanian port in exchange for refuge
Tuesday, 24 May 2016
Modernisation: Witte
Witte was Minister of Finance 1893-1903
Why needed to modernise.
- Political- Tsar and leading elite wanted Russia to play a major role on the world stage- but lagged behind western competitors- needed to industrialise
- economic- strong industrial base needed to provide weapons, ships, munitions and other military equipment
- Social- raise the standard of population of Russia
How was it financed by Witte?:
- launched Russia into an age of heavy industry using railways- better communication and movement of people and goods- Trans- siberian railway
- Russia had huge reserves of coal, oil, iron and timber
- Foreign investment- negotiated huge loans- particularly from French- and adopted gold standard- rouble had a fixed gold content- gave strength when exchanging currencies
- increased taxes- peasants unhappy- meant had to sell more grain to pay taxes- allowed Witte to increase grain exports- imposed high tariffs on foreign imported goods to make very expensive and protect the developing industry
Positives
- towns increased in size
- millions moved from countryside to cities to work in factories
- output at least doubled for everything
- production of iron and steel risen from 9 to 76 million poods a year
- remarkable growth in industry
- new class of Russian industrialists, entrepreneurs and business men began to emerge
Negatives
- neglected agriculture - suffered from under investment
- bound to be an increase in social tensions and instability
- a more educated workforce could lead to people challenging the Tsar's government
- growth in middle classes create pressure for political change- most modern industrial countries have a democratic government
- working classes living and working conditions poor
- emphasis on heavy industry meant light industry e.g. textiles suffered
- depended on foreign expertise- shameful
Why needed to modernise.
- Political- Tsar and leading elite wanted Russia to play a major role on the world stage- but lagged behind western competitors- needed to industrialise
- economic- strong industrial base needed to provide weapons, ships, munitions and other military equipment
- Social- raise the standard of population of Russia
How was it financed by Witte?:
- launched Russia into an age of heavy industry using railways- better communication and movement of people and goods- Trans- siberian railway
- Russia had huge reserves of coal, oil, iron and timber
- Foreign investment- negotiated huge loans- particularly from French- and adopted gold standard- rouble had a fixed gold content- gave strength when exchanging currencies
- increased taxes- peasants unhappy- meant had to sell more grain to pay taxes- allowed Witte to increase grain exports- imposed high tariffs on foreign imported goods to make very expensive and protect the developing industry
Positives
- towns increased in size
- millions moved from countryside to cities to work in factories
- output at least doubled for everything
- production of iron and steel risen from 9 to 76 million poods a year
- remarkable growth in industry
- new class of Russian industrialists, entrepreneurs and business men began to emerge
Negatives
- neglected agriculture - suffered from under investment
- bound to be an increase in social tensions and instability
- a more educated workforce could lead to people challenging the Tsar's government
- growth in middle classes create pressure for political change- most modern industrial countries have a democratic government
- working classes living and working conditions poor
- emphasis on heavy industry meant light industry e.g. textiles suffered
- depended on foreign expertise- shameful
Monday, 23 May 2016
The Russian People before 1905
The Workers
- 2.5% of population- mostly ex peasants
- bad working conditions and long hours
- disciplined and fined for smallest infraction
- accidents causing death or serious injury common
- very low wages- barely enough to live on
- were militant and caused a big threat
- lots of disease and illness related to conditions of workplace
- bad living conditions- barrack style next to factories- dirty and insanitary
- resented harsh conditions and exploitation
- high literacy rate (57.85%)- understood some politics
- lots of strikes - Putilov engineering works St Petersburg 1905
The Peasants
- 80% of population
- Forced to make redemption payments to government for land- could not afford
- plots too small to make a reasonable living- had to work on estates of the rich to make money
- restrictions from the village commune 'mir'- was democratic but older or richer peasants had more influence- couldn't move freely without permission- punishment was conscription to the army
- strips of land allotted to households based on size- not always fair, led to inefficient agriculture
- agriculture essential to Russia's economy
- strip system outdated- few animals and wooden tools - old fashioned
National Minorities and Russification
- Polish, Latvians, Finish
- resented Russian control and russification
- Russians got important jobs
- Minorities had to pay large sums of money to the Imperial Treasury
- Emphasis on Russian superiority angered minorities- saw as an attack on their way of life and culture- unfair and discriminative
- Made non-russians speak the Russian language and adopt Russian customs- language used in schools, law courts, regional govs- forbidden to teach in own language
- Jews forced to live in the Pale of Settlement- suffered anti-semitism and had social, political and economic restrictions
- not much of a threat- Tsar easily suppressed them in 19th century uprisings and protests
Political Parties
The liberals:
- main beliefs: civil rights, freedom of individuals, free election, parliamentary democracy, limitations to Tsars power, self determination for national minorities
- didn't have large popular base- main support was middle class- intelligentsia, lawyers, doctors, professionals, teachers
- used reform rather than violent action- newspaper articles, meetings and reform banquets
- set up town councils to run own affairs
The revolutionaries:
- wanted to make their own form of socialism
- believed peasants could make own form of socialism and avoid capitalism and evils of industrialisation
- used peaceful propaganda and went to live with peasants to persuade them- when rejected in 1879 they turned to terrorism
- support from students and young people and well to do intellectuals
The Marxists:
- believed in action- organised strikes in factories
- saw no hope in revolutionary movement, liked Theories of Karl Marx
- supported by Russian intellectuals
The socialist revolutionaries:
- Believed in revolution of the peasants, for the Tsar to be replaced by a democratic republic and land to be taken and divided equally between the peasants
- methods included terrorism and assassination of government officials
- support from peasants, workers and some intellectuals
The social democrats:
- accepted main beliefs of marxism but were split over role of party
- supported by working class
- split into Bolsheviks and Mensheviks
- Bolsheviks
- believed party should be small and under centralised leadership- harder to inflitrate
- wanted to lead workers to revolution
- used terrorism
- support from younger more militant peasants and workers
- Mensheviks
- believed should take in anyone who wished to join
- more democratic- encouraged trade unions to help get better conditions
- thought workers could develop a class and revolutionary consciousness until ready for revolution
- support from other types of workers, members of the intelligentsia and non-Russians
- 2.5% of population- mostly ex peasants
- bad working conditions and long hours
- disciplined and fined for smallest infraction
- accidents causing death or serious injury common
- very low wages- barely enough to live on
- were militant and caused a big threat
- lots of disease and illness related to conditions of workplace
- bad living conditions- barrack style next to factories- dirty and insanitary
- resented harsh conditions and exploitation
- high literacy rate (57.85%)- understood some politics
- lots of strikes - Putilov engineering works St Petersburg 1905
The Peasants
- 80% of population
- Forced to make redemption payments to government for land- could not afford
- plots too small to make a reasonable living- had to work on estates of the rich to make money
- restrictions from the village commune 'mir'- was democratic but older or richer peasants had more influence- couldn't move freely without permission- punishment was conscription to the army
- strips of land allotted to households based on size- not always fair, led to inefficient agriculture
- agriculture essential to Russia's economy
- strip system outdated- few animals and wooden tools - old fashioned
National Minorities and Russification
- Polish, Latvians, Finish
- resented Russian control and russification
- Russians got important jobs
- Minorities had to pay large sums of money to the Imperial Treasury
- Emphasis on Russian superiority angered minorities- saw as an attack on their way of life and culture- unfair and discriminative
- Made non-russians speak the Russian language and adopt Russian customs- language used in schools, law courts, regional govs- forbidden to teach in own language
- Jews forced to live in the Pale of Settlement- suffered anti-semitism and had social, political and economic restrictions
- not much of a threat- Tsar easily suppressed them in 19th century uprisings and protests
Political Parties
The liberals:
- main beliefs: civil rights, freedom of individuals, free election, parliamentary democracy, limitations to Tsars power, self determination for national minorities
- didn't have large popular base- main support was middle class- intelligentsia, lawyers, doctors, professionals, teachers
- used reform rather than violent action- newspaper articles, meetings and reform banquets
- set up town councils to run own affairs
The revolutionaries:
- wanted to make their own form of socialism
- believed peasants could make own form of socialism and avoid capitalism and evils of industrialisation
- used peaceful propaganda and went to live with peasants to persuade them- when rejected in 1879 they turned to terrorism
- support from students and young people and well to do intellectuals
The Marxists:
- believed in action- organised strikes in factories
- saw no hope in revolutionary movement, liked Theories of Karl Marx
- supported by Russian intellectuals
The socialist revolutionaries:
- Believed in revolution of the peasants, for the Tsar to be replaced by a democratic republic and land to be taken and divided equally between the peasants
- methods included terrorism and assassination of government officials
- support from peasants, workers and some intellectuals
The social democrats:
- accepted main beliefs of marxism but were split over role of party
- supported by working class
- split into Bolsheviks and Mensheviks
- Bolsheviks
- believed party should be small and under centralised leadership- harder to inflitrate
- wanted to lead workers to revolution
- used terrorism
- support from younger more militant peasants and workers
- Mensheviks
- believed should take in anyone who wished to join
- more democratic- encouraged trade unions to help get better conditions
- thought workers could develop a class and revolutionary consciousness until ready for revolution
- support from other types of workers, members of the intelligentsia and non-Russians
Saturday, 7 May 2016
Stalin: How he become leader.
His past:
- 1922 - General Secretary
- A member of the orguburo and secretariat- gave him enormous power over policy and personnel of the party
- His rivals underestimated him
- The ban on factions in 1921 meant he could control the votes at party congresses
Lenin's Funeral:
- Tricked Trotsky into not turning up to make him look bad and disloyal
- Set himself up as Lenin's disciple and made himself look good
Lenin's Secret Testament:
- Was given to the central committee May 1924 just before the 13th Party congress
- if it had been read out it would have ended Stalin's career
- It said that Stalin was too rude, suggested replacing him with someone more tolerant and loyal and it also said that he wouldn't know how to use authority with restraint
- Zinoviev and Kamenev did not want it read out either- wasn't flattering about them since they had opposed Lenin in 1917
- thought Stalin presented no real threat and needed his help against Trotsky
- they thought the testament might help Trotsky
Trotsky:
- 13th Party congress 1924 was criticised for becoming too bureaucratic and less democratic
- despite his brilliant speeches was easily defeated in votes- congress full of Stalin's supporters
- could have appealed to his supporters but approved the ban on factions (1921) and did not want to cause splits in the party
Left-wing's problems (radical):
-1924 Zinoviev and Kamenev mounted campaign against Trotsky- questioned his loyalty since he had opposed Lenin before 1917
- Trotsky criticised them for unwillingness to back Lenin in October Revolution 1917
- Stalin stayed out of it and let them tear themselves apart- appeared anxious to maintain unity
- Zinoviev and Kamenev let Stalin bring more of his supporters into key positions.
Knocking out the right wing (liberals):
- 1928- Stalin turned against the NEP and attacked the right wing
- now advocated rapid industrialisation and use of force to make peasants co operate
- Bukharin mounted a strong defence of NEP but was outvoted in congress in 1929 by Stalin supporters
- Bukharin, Rykov and Tomsky removed from politburo
Stalin was now the undisputed leader.
Stalin was in the centre between being a radical (left wing) and a liberal (right wing)
- 1922 - General Secretary
- A member of the orguburo and secretariat- gave him enormous power over policy and personnel of the party
- His rivals underestimated him
- The ban on factions in 1921 meant he could control the votes at party congresses
Lenin's Funeral:
- Tricked Trotsky into not turning up to make him look bad and disloyal
- Set himself up as Lenin's disciple and made himself look good
Lenin's Secret Testament:
- Was given to the central committee May 1924 just before the 13th Party congress
- if it had been read out it would have ended Stalin's career
- It said that Stalin was too rude, suggested replacing him with someone more tolerant and loyal and it also said that he wouldn't know how to use authority with restraint
- Zinoviev and Kamenev did not want it read out either- wasn't flattering about them since they had opposed Lenin in 1917
- thought Stalin presented no real threat and needed his help against Trotsky
- they thought the testament might help Trotsky
Trotsky:
- 13th Party congress 1924 was criticised for becoming too bureaucratic and less democratic
- despite his brilliant speeches was easily defeated in votes- congress full of Stalin's supporters
- could have appealed to his supporters but approved the ban on factions (1921) and did not want to cause splits in the party
Left-wing's problems (radical):
-1924 Zinoviev and Kamenev mounted campaign against Trotsky- questioned his loyalty since he had opposed Lenin before 1917
- Trotsky criticised them for unwillingness to back Lenin in October Revolution 1917
- Stalin stayed out of it and let them tear themselves apart- appeared anxious to maintain unity
- Zinoviev and Kamenev let Stalin bring more of his supporters into key positions.
Knocking out the right wing (liberals):
- 1928- Stalin turned against the NEP and attacked the right wing
- now advocated rapid industrialisation and use of force to make peasants co operate
- Bukharin mounted a strong defence of NEP but was outvoted in congress in 1929 by Stalin supporters
- Bukharin, Rykov and Tomsky removed from politburo
Stalin was now the undisputed leader.
Stalin was in the centre between being a radical (left wing) and a liberal (right wing)
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