Witte's reforms Flashcards
When did Witte put Russia on The Gold Standard? What did this mean in economic terms?
- It meant that The Rouble was convertible on demand into gold, which boosted international confidence in The Rouble and reassured potential investors that they would not loose money due to the fluctuations in currency exchange rates.
This meant that between 1897 and 1900; Russia received
₽144 million in foreign investment.
When was The Trans-Siberian railway completed? How big was it?
It was finally opened to traffic in 1905 and fully completed in 1916. It ran 700km across the empire.
What did Witte do to resolve the lack of skilled workers? Were his measures effective?
Witte was instrumental in the creation of more that 100 technical school and 3 institutes of technology. Despite this, most people still did not have access to a good education and the 1897 census demonstrated that only 1/3rd of the population were literate.
What did Witte do in terms of tariff reform?
He retained the high import duties imposed by Vyshenegradsky in 1891. These tariffs protected developing Russian industry from low-price foreign competition.. and also meant that the landowning class greatly disliked Witte!
Identify the statistics for economic growth under Witte.
During the 1890s, the economy grew at 8% per year.
Identify the statistics for industrial production under Witte.
Production rose under Witte, for instance, between 1890 and 1900, coal production rose from 6 million tonnes in 1890, to 16.2 million tonnes in 1900. Despite this impressive growth, this was still only 1/10th of Britain’s coal output.
By 1913, industry still only contributed 20% of the national income.
“Russia paid off most of it’s debts under Witte.” - True or False?
False. Russia was more in debt than any other European country. By 1914, Russia owed ₽8 Billion.
“Witte did not greatly improve agriculture.” - True or False?
True. Most of his reforms focused on industrialisation rather than improving the agricultural sector. Before Witte came to power, only 1/2 of agricultural land produced a surplus which could be sold. Witte did not really directly try to improve this situation.
Broadly speaking, how did Witte’s reforms lead to the 1905 revolution?
Witte’s arch-rival, Plehve, (head of The Okhrana) warned him that Witte’s policies were dangerous because they lead to population growth in urban areas, which he saw as hotbeds of radicalism and unrest… Perhaps Witte should have listened to him! Poor living conditions in the towns and cities in addition to heavy taxation upon the peasantry caused more opposition to Tsarism to emerge. Strikes became more commonplace, and discontent with the Tsar was beginning to take hold.
Why is Lenin’s brother important?
Lenin’s brother Alexsander was executed in 1887, for his role in the assassination attempt of Alexander III, an event which contributed directly to the radicalisation of Lenin himself.
