Opposition to Alexander II's rule Flashcards
(12 cards)
Where did moderate opposition come from?
The intelligentsia, the educated, wealthier proportion of society. They were small in number and concentrated in European cities
What did the intelligentsia want?
They had liberal aims and wanted to modernise Russia’s government along the lines of a constitutional democracy
What was the position of the intelligentsia?
They had a strong position in the zemstva but continued to pressure the Tsar for a bigger role in government
What did the St Petersburg zemstva suggest?
That they convened with other zemstvo, like a national assembly, but this was rejected by Alexander II
What were the populists?
They were radical revolutionaries known as populists, or narodniks, who believed educating and politicising the peasantry was the key to change through anarchy and collectivism
What were the populists influenced by?
Left wing political philosophies like Marxism, Nihilism and anarchism
What did the populists establish?
Secret societies like the Tchaikovsky Circle and Land and Liberty
What did the populists opposition involve?
They printed and distributed revolutionary literature, they infiltrated factories and took part in strikes as well as organising student protests in St Petersburg
When did the group split?
In 1897 they split into a more militant faction called The People’s Will who used terrorism, political assassination and direct action
What prevented the growth of widespread opposition?
The threat of harsh law and order imposed by the army and the police
Why was the populist movement in the countryside limited?
Peasants feared outsiders so often reported the members
Describe Alexander II’s assassination
He was assassinated by the People’s Will on their seventeenth attempt in 1881
