National Minorities, Empire & Satellite States (1855-1964)

Question 1

What is Russification?

Answer 1

The Process whereby Non-Russian regions were drawn more easily into the Empire.

Question 2

Name two methods of how Russification was achieved

Answer 2

• Erasing the national language for Russian
• Banning Religious Practices
• Stripping culture and customs from the minorities.

Question 3

During which event of 1863 is it often seen as the starting point of ‘Russification’?

Answer 3

The Polish Revolt of 1863

Question 4

Under Alexander II & III which regions were russified the most?

Answer 4

Ukraine, Baltic Provinces & The Caucuses

Question 5

What is the fundamental differences between the Tsarist & Communist Eras when it came to Russification?

Answer 5

The Communists aimed to create a federal system of government. (Each national minority would have a certain amount of autonomy)

Question 6

In what year was the USSR formally established (This would be the start of the Communist Era of an Empire)

Answer 6

1924

Question 7

When was the Stalin Constitution & name one area that was added to give it full republic status.

Answer 7

1936

Kirghizia & Tajikistan

Question 8

Force was often used to those within the Empire - Which group was targeted as collaborators in 1941

Answer 8

The Crimean Tartars & Volga Germans

The former were deported from their lands.

Question 9

Russo Finnish Relations: What was given to the Finnish people in 1863?

Answer 9

A separate Finnish Parliament.

Question 10

Russo Finnish Relations: Who was appointed as governor general in Finland from 1898 and hated by many of the Young Finns?

Answer 10

Nikolei Bobrikov

Question 11

Russo Finnish Relations: Name one way that Finland lost autonomy under Nicholas II & Bobrikov.

Answer 11

• a separate Finnish Army was disbanded.
• State Secretariat was abolished
• Russian became the main language

Question 12

Russo Finnish Relations: Why was 1905 an important year for Finland?

Answer 12

Finland was given full autonomy but this was quashed by Stolypin as part of the crackdown after the 1905 Revolution.

Question 13

Russo Finnish Relations: When did Finland get their independence?

Answer 13

1918 with the Treaty of Brest Litovsk

Question 14

Russo Finnish Relations: How did Stalin in the 1930’s try to control Finland more in its relations.

Answer 14

Stalin hindered merchant shipping in the 1930’s
Embarked on the Winter War with Finland

Question 15

Russo Finnish Relations: What was the situation for the Finns during the Cold War?

Answer 15

Signed the Treaty of Friendship Co-operation & Mutual Assistance in 1948.
Khrushchev kind of left them alone, not part of the Warsaw Pact or NATO.

Question 16

Russo Polish Relations: What were Poles demanding in 1863 & which sections of society were the most vocal.

Answer 16

The Youth
They wanted greater independence (if not that then more autonomy from Russia)

Question 17

Russo Polish Relations: Who took over the running of Poland after the Revolt of 1863?

Answer 17

Dimitri Milyutin (The very same man overseeing the military reforms within Russia)

Question 18

Russo Polish Relations: Name three things that he did to ensure stability within Poland.

Answer 18

Hundreds of members of the Polish nobility were exiled to Siberia; their estates were transferred to incoming Russian officials who were to take over
the duties of the nobles.

Polish peasants were emancipated and gained even more favourable terms than their Russian counterparts had done in 1861. They gained freehold
rights to allotted lands and paid for this through a reformed taxation system.

The latter resulted in all landowners paying tax (not just peasants) to compensate those who had property redistributed.

Rural district councils were set up (similar to the Zemstva) and were to contain members from all sections of Polish society

Question 19

Russo Polish Relations: Name two consequences of the actions of Milyutin.

Answer 19

The level of nationalism diminished along with the level of autonomy that the Poles had experienced before the revolt.

Poland officially became the ‘Vistula region’ of Russia.

Russian became the official language of administration and governance. It was taught in schools to ensure that its role was consolidated.

The Catholic Church was not allowed to communicate with the Vatican, in an attempt to diminish its authority; it was believed that a number of bishops had been sympathetic to the rebels.

Question 20

Russo Polish Relations: Why was World War I a turning point for the Poles?

Answer 20

Poland was free from Russian rule, although official independence was not granted until 1918 with the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk.

Question 21

Russo Polish Relations: What justification did Lenin give for why he wanted/did invade the Polish regions.

Answer 21

He believed that he would be able to free the workers from their tyranny and this would spread throughout the whole of Europe.

Question 22

Russo Polish Relations: What was the Anti-Comintern Alliance

Answer 22

This was a pact made by countries such as Germany that Russia was a threat.

This meant that the USSR saw more of an interest in Poland as a buffer state or a useful interest.

Question 23

Russo Polish Relations: What is the name of the massacre that took place in 1941 that saw the murder of 4231 Polish officers?

Answer 23

Katyn Massacre

Question 24

Russo Polish Relations: What was the NLC, set up towards the end of the Second World War?

Answer 24

National Liberation Committee - Set up to oppose the London Poles, the Polish Government in Exile. This was supported by the Stalinist Government.

Question 25

Russo Polish Relations: What was the name of the Political Party in Poland that demonstrated by 1948 that Poland was a one party state?

Answer 25

PPR - Polish Workers Party

Question 26

Russo Polish Relations: In what year did Poland become recognised as the 'People's Republic of Poland'

Answer 26

1952

Question 27

Russo Polish Relations: What was the name of the Polish leader that took control of the country from 1956

Answer 27

Wladyslaw Gomulka

Question 28

Baltic States: Name the three Baltic States

Answer 28

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania.

Question 29

Baltic States: Why was Russia & USSR so interested in this region?

Answer 29

It was rich in raw materials and essential to a range of industrial activities.

Question 30

Baltic States: Why was WWII a significant turning point with regards to these states?

Answer 30

They were annexed to the federal system (1936 Constitution) Many people were deported from these states for fear of collaboration with the Nazi Regime.

Question 31

Ukraine: How did Alexander II clamp down on National Identity?

Answer 31

Two decrees were passed which forbade the publication and import of books written in Ukrainian. (1863/1876)

Question 32

Ukraine: What war saw the Ukrainians gain independence and which war saw them swallowed back up into the Empire?

Answer 32

Independence - World War One Reverted into Empire - Civil War

Question 33

Ukraine: Why was Ukraine such a heavy focus for so many leaders of Russia/USSR?

Answer 33

The country was seen as the breadbasket for Russia/USSR. It was an important grain-producing area.

Question 34

Ukraine: Name two results of Soviet control of Ukraine between 1929-1953.

Answer 34

- Dekulakisation was widespread under Stalin - Collectivisation Programme was driven hard into Ukraine and was opposed by many peasants there - Deportations, murders and purges took place, especially during WW2 where they were singled out as collaborators.

Question 35

Caucasians: Name two religious groups that were populating this region of the Empire.

Answer 35

The Armenians and Georgians were Christians, and the Azeris, Chechens, Ossetians and Abkhazians were Muslims.

Question 36

Caucasians: Why was Russification quite easy to achieve in this region

Answer 36

Illiteracy

Question 37

Caucasians: How did the countries in these regions fare under the 1936 Constitution?

Answer 37

Georgia did gain full republican status. (Yet other nations there was no such guarantee)

Question 38

Expansion in Central Asia: Why did Russia/USSR want to expand in this area?

Answer 38

Attempts to turn Central Asia into a kind of colony that would provide Russia with raw materials for industry (especially cotton textiles) Attempts to spread Russian influence over the Far East, especially eastern China, Japan and Korea.

Question 39

Expansion in Central Asia: Name two areas of expansion

Answer 39

Kazakhstan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Azerbaijan.

Question 40

Expansion in Central Asia: True or False - Force was the dominant method of control in this region to get the citizens under control

Answer 40

False - Force was used by the Tsarist Regime, evident that by 1880 they had taken major control. Whereas under the Communists it was done through more peaceful means (Constitutions)

Question 41

Expansion in Central Asia: When were the Steppe Statutes

Answer 41

1891

Question 42

Expansion in Central Asia: What was the policy of Stolypin in 1910?

Answer 42

Migration to Central Asia.

Question 43

Expansion in Central Asia: Name one way that the Muslim population from this region was accepted or assimilated.

Answer 43

The Duma did have Muslim representation to some degree in 1907 (Though this was short lived and disbanded)

Question 44

Expansion in Central Asia: What was the name of the directive from Khrushchev that aimed to de-stalinise this region of the USSR?

Answer 44

‘On the Rehabilitation of Deported Peoples’

Question 45

Expansion in Far East: What important Rail Link connected up the Western reaches of Russia with the Far East?

Answer 45

Trans-Siberian Railway (1903)

Question 46

Expansion in Far East: In 1897 which warm water port was leased to Russia?

Answer 46

Port Arthur

Question 47

Expansion in Far East: Which conflict went disastrous for Russia and demonstrated the competition it had with a near by nation?

Answer 47

Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)

Question 48

Expansion in Far East: How far did the Leninist/Stalinist regime support the KMT?

Answer 48

They supported the KMT as the only viable option.

Question 49

Expansion in Far East: When did jurisdiction of Port Arthur end for the USSR?

Answer 49

1953 - On the Death of Stalin.

Question 50

WW1 Treaty 1918: Why did the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk divide the party

Answer 50

Lenin: Wanted surrender at any price Trotsky: Wanted to employ delay tactics in the hope it would see and end to the war first before a treaty.

Question 51

WW1 Treaty 1918: How much did Russia lose in the signing of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk?

Answer 51

a third of agricultural land a third of all railway track a third of the population of the Soviet Republic (about 55 million people) two-thirds of coalmines and half of heavy industry (iron and steel) nearly all available oil and most cotton textile production.

Question 52

WW1 Treaty 1918: Name two consequence of the treaty

Answer 52

The departure of Bukharin and the Left SRs from the Soviet government meant that the Bolsheviks were in sole control of Russia. The Cheka was used to arrest and punish hoarders of grain. The Bolsheviks argued that harsh treatment of certain groups in society, especially kulaks, was needed if the population as a whole was to avoid famine. The treaty had exacerbated the problem of food shortages; this was due to the loss of Ukraine, a major food-producing area. Opponents of the Bolsheviks used the crisis of food shortages to gain support.