Industrial developments 1881-94: Nikolai Bunge and Ivan Vyshnegradsky

Question 1

When was Nikolai Bunge the Minister of Fianance?

Answer 1

1881-87

Question 2

When was the Nobles Land Bank put in place? what did this do?

Answer 2

1885: out in place to help nobles with legal costs associated with land transfers.

Question 3

When was the Peasant Land Bank infiltrated? What did this do?

Answer 3

1885: Designed to provide loans to allow peasants to buy more land; also held land to sell.

Question 4

What is a con of the Peasant Lank Bank?

Answer 4

Only involved in 20% of peasant land purchases.

Question 5

What taxes were implanted to help shift the balance from direct to indirect taxes under Bunge? (what years as well)

Answer 5

1881: Salt tax abolished
1886: Poll Tax abolished.

Question 6

When was Russia’s first labor laws implemented? what did this do? (three)

Answer 6

1882: Russia’s first factory inspectorate set up

1881: Regulations controlling the employment of child and female labor

1886: Law to establish factory boards to arbitrate in industrial disputes.

Question 7

Under Nikolai Bunge, what did he shift in railways?

Answer 7

State ownership was prioritized instead of private.

Question 8

How many miles of railway was there by 1885?

Answer 8

17,000

Question 9

What were Bunge’s aims?

Answer 9

Controlling expenditure in order to overcome to budget deficit - greater financial stability and attracting foreign investment.

Making peasants more efficient producers of crop would help ensuring financial stability.

Question 10

How many stock companies were there in 1880s as opposed to 1870s?

Answer 10

350 vs 250

Question 11

Why did Bunge resign?

Answer 11

He couldn’t avoid further borrowing which led to an imbalance in the budget and further instability of the rouble.
He was accused of incompetence and resigned.

Question 12

What year’s was Ivan Vyshnegradsky Minister of Finance?

Answer 12

1887-92

Question 13

What did Vyshnegradsky’s policies focus on?

Answer 13

Balancing the books and the massive increase in state debt.

Question 14

Successes of Vyshnegradkys policies?

Answer 14

Russia’s gold reserves almost doubled

Ensured redemption payments were made

Increased direct taxes.

Question 15

What was the protectionist policy under Nikolai Bunge?

Answer 15

Tariffs gradually imposed on imported goods.

Designed to make home produced goods cheaper, so more attractive.

Question 16

What policy did Vyshnegradsky continue that originated under Bunge?

Answer 16

Protectionist policy of gradually increasing tariffs on imports.

Question 17

What was the 1891 Tarif Act?

Answer 17

Increased duties to protect Russian iron, industrial machinery and cotton industries.
By 1891 import tariffs reached 33%

Question 18

How did Vyshnegradky ensure foreign investment?

Answer 18

First series of French loans were negotiated in 1888.

Drive to export more grain, cereals were the only commodity that Russia produced and was in demand abroad - ensured this via Grain Requisitioning.

Question 19

What statistics support the increase of grain exports?

Answer 19

Between 1881 and 1891 grain export increased by 18%.

Question 20

Failures of Vyshnegradsky’s policies?

Answer 20

Peasantry suffered from indirect taxation and alongside more expensive good due to tariff tax.

Grain requisitioning left peasant families with no stores to fall back on and thus led to the 1891-2 Famine.

Question 21

What caused the 1891-2 Famine? What did it entail?

Answer 21

Bad harvests in 1891, effects made worse by Vyshnegradky’s policies.

Famine accompanied by outbreaks of Cholera and Typhoid

Up to 1.5 million died.

Question 22

How many died in the 1891-2 Famine?

Answer 22

1.5 million.