criticisms of Wittes policies

Question 1

the interest rates to service foreign debt were ?

Answer 1

very high and a major drain on resources

Question 2

by 1900, how much of the budget was used to pay off foreign debt?

Answer 2

20%- 10 x as much as was spent on education

Question 3

witte prioritised heavy industry over light industry. what did this mean?

Answer 3

smaller,sophisticated machine tool and electrical reduced the need for imports + helped modernise manufacturing not developed sufficiently

Question 4

Witte neglected agriculture which?

Answer 4

suffered from under-investment

Question 5

witte prioritised industrial development over?

Answer 5

welfare of the population

Question 6

rapid industrialisation meant?

Answer 6

working + living conditions for workers in towns and cities were appalling
-created social discontent,strikes and general unrest
-Witte did little to alleviate these conditions

Question 7

he failed to develop a market in consumer products which would have made life more tolerable for ordinary people. High tariffs on foreign industrial commodities made?

Answer 7

many goods very expensive for Russians to buy, especially agricultural machinery