opposition Flashcards
system of government (28 cards)
1
Q
1905 revolution
A
- a spontaneous uprising rather than driven by a single opposition group: nevertheless forced Tsarist regime to make concessions
- legalisation of trade Unions created more opportunities for opposition for organised labour.
- SR and SD - weakened due to ideological divisions and the fact that their leaders were exiled.
- from 1912 onwards a bit of growth in support for Bolsheviks but still limited.
2
Q
development of opposition after 1905
A
- increase trade union membership
- Lena Goldfields Massacre 1912
- Trade Union opposition most successful in cities (St. Petersburg)
3
Q
slogan used for workers after 1905
A
‘Peace, Bread, Land’
4
Q
The Zemstva - war time opposition to the Tsar
A
- in July 1914 the tsarist government set up ‘military zones’ where all civilian authority was suspended and the military assumed command
- opposed by liberal zemstva who regarded the government as sensitive to the needs of the people
- believed civilians had a major part to play in running the war
5
Q
The Progressive Bloc of the Duma - war time opposition to the Tsar
A
- demanded that the tsar changed his ministers and established a ‘government of public confidence’
- effectively asking for a constitutional monarchy, in which they would have a dominant voice
- Nicholas was not prepared to contemplate such a move.
6
Q
winter 1917
A
- streets of Petrograd were tense
- frustrations of the unemployed, starving and desperate
7
Q
14th February 1917
A
- 100,000 workers from 58 factories strike in Petrograd
8
Q
23rd February 1917
- International Women’s Day
A
- 90,000 workers go on strike and 50 factories close
- these workers join a traditional march for women through Petrograd
- around 240,000 out on streets
9
Q
24th February 1917
A
- 200,000 workers out on strike
- crowds overturn tsarist statues, wave red flags, wear red rosettes, shout slogans calling for an end of tsarism
10
Q
25th February 1917
A
- 250,000 people (half of capital’s workforce) on strike, and Petrograd at a standstill
- chief Shalfeev dragged from his horse and beaten whilst trying to control masses
- a band of civilians killed by soldiers on the Nevski Prospekt
11
Q
26th February 1917
A
- Duma President sends out a telegram to Tsar explaining state of Petrograd
- his only response was to tell the Duma to stop meeting
12
Q
27th February 1917
A
- Tsar orders major- general Khabalov to restore order by military force. Soldiers ordered onto streets and 40 demonstrators in city centre are killed.
- a mutiny begins the Volynskii regiment where 66,000 soldiers mutiny and join protestors with 40,000 rifles
- revolutionaries set up the Petrograd Soviet (intends to take over govt. and organise food supplies for city)
13
Q
28th February 1917
A
- Nicholas leaves military HQ at Mogilëv and starts making way back to Petrograd
- sends telegram to Duma President offerring to share power with Duma but he is too late
14
Q
opposition to Provisional Government
A
- frustration with govt. policies and food shortages came to a head in the July Days (3-5th July 1917) when rioting and protests broke out
- as a result, many Bolsheviks were imprisoned or exiled but when General Kornilov proposed tough sanctions.
- in august Kerensky asked the Petrograd Soviet for help, including arming the Bolsheviks, fearful of right wing uprising.
- was not until late 1917 that the Bolshevik were considered a significant threat.
15
Q
success of opposition before 1917
A
- assassination of Alex II
- threat of peasant uprisings led to Emancipation of Serfs - but there were redemption payments
16
Q
failure of opposition before 1917
A
- militant groups were unsuccessful e.g. The People’s Will - force is met with force
- opposition was mostly unsuccessful until Nicholas II
17
Q
opposition during the Civil War
A
- stemmed from opposition to the Bolsheviks signing the Treaty of Brest Litovsk
- the reds - Bolsheviks
- the greens - the peasants
- the whites - everyone else - unsuccessful as they all wanted different things
18
Q
internal opposition to Lenin
A
- the signing of the treaty of Brest-Litovsk was opposed by the left (especially Trotsky)
- the adoption of war communism during the Civil War was considered harsh by some party members
- introduction of the NEP heightened tensions and widened divisions.
19
Q
internal opposition to Stalin
A
- the communist party was very unpopular by early 1930s, and rapid industrialisation, collectivisation and the famine had all contributed to this
- implementation of first Five Year Plan difficult because of a lack of cooperation at local level
- signs of growing discontent at the top of the party. Ryutin circulated a 200 page document to the party central committee which was very critical of Stalin.
20
Q
Feb 1934 - internal opposition to Stalin
A
- Seventeeth Party congress.
- those at the top tried to slow the pace of economic change bur Stalin did not agree and this led to split at the top of the Politburo.
21
Q
2nd December 1934 - internal opposition to Stalin
A
- murder of Kirov which paved the way for large scale purge of the Leningrad Communist Party
- purges and show trials followed an key opponents within the party e.g. Zinoviev and Kamenev were executed.
22
Q
The Doctor’s Plot
A
- in 1951 to 1953, a group of mostly Jewish doctors from Moscow were accused of a conspiracy to assassinate soviet leaders
- this was later accompanied by publications of antisemitic character in the media which talked about the threats of Zionism and condemned Jewish surnames
- many doctors, both Jewish and non-Jewish were dismissed from their jobs, arrested and tortured.
23
Q
opposition under Khrushchev - magazines
A
- dissident magazines were established
- Ginzburg arrested and sent to labour camps for demanding reforms
24
Q
opposition under Khrushchev - publishing
A
- tamizdat - evading soviet censorship by publishing abroad
- samizdat - duplicating material to illegally run a press at night
25
Khrushchev - opposition from within the party
- his rise to power saw a struggle between those believing in liberal reform (e.g. Bulganin)
26
Khrushchev - opposition from workers and peasants
- even after various efforts to reform, Russia remained an again society. Most people were still peasants and they had very specific reasons to oppose the regime.
- the industrial development of Russia under Khrushchev led to an increasing number of workers who found that their situation and experiences made various opposition groups and their ideas appealing and their industrial setting led to various levels of opposition to the government
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