Russia - 16 Markers Flashcards
(32 cards)
Russia 1905 (Peasant Unrest)
85 percent of the population are peasants
Famines killed thousands
Russains were shocked by how badly these were dealt with
Famine was banned from all Russian newspapers
Russia 1905 (Urban workers discontented)
8-hour working days and organised trade unions
More rights and freedom and law
Signed by 150000
Huge factories were overcrowded, dirty barracks and viruses and diseases spreads quickly.
Russia 1905 (Military problems)
Potemkin Mutiny
Maggots in the food
Threatened officers who would not eat
Revolt
Riots were spread throughout the city / Nicholas II ordered the army to shoot the crowds
1000 killed
Showed the power of Tsar
Russia 1905 (Bloody Sunday)
Massacre of unarmed protestors
Father Gapon and protestors were bringing a petition to the Tsar
Warning shots were fired in the crowds
Over 100 protestors were killed and wounded
This united people in anger and disgust at the actions of the Tsar
Survive the Tsar (Repression()
Extreme violence was used to get back control of the country.
Newspapers were shut down and trade unions were closed.
Revolutionist were rounded up and put in prison
Failed to stop peasant riots only urban riots
Survive the Tsar (October Manifesto)
October Manifesto split those wanting a reform from those wanting wide scale revolution / this reduced pressure on the Tsar and split the movement
- this created new rights : freedom of speech, freedom of religion and formed trade unions.
- Duma formed from this
- New laws being created
Survive the Tsar (Divided Opposition)S
They are not unified
Most of the unrest was spontaneous
People in the city wanted cheaper bread
Peasants wanted more land
Workers wanted more pay and easier working conditions
Survive the Tsar (Reforms)
Land reforms
Was extremely complex
14 percent of peasants took up the reform
Stolypin was not successful on breaking up communes and creating individual farms
His political aim of preventing unrest
Peasant communes organised riots
Tsar Abdicate (Social and economic problems)
17 billion roubles was used on the war
25 percent of government tax was made from vodka
The countries debt skyrocketed
15 million men were sent to fight
500 factories had to close because of a lack of workers
Not enough raw resources so 150000 lost their jobs
No food focused all on army
Tsar Abdicate (Military discontent)
Soldiers learnt about the shooting of more than 50 people by trainee soldiers
They were shocked and decided to disobey orders of the officers
They broke out political prisoners
Tsar Abdicate (Political)
The duma became a centre of opposition
Tsarina was seen as German and was a spy
Rasputin had a influence of the Tsarina and was frowned by the public
Rumours were made of a affair
Tsar Abdicate (Tsar’s mistakes/poor leadership)
The Tsar had left petrograd and so was not in control of the situation
Nicholas could only rely on the information that was sent to him
Bolshevik Success (Mistakes of Provisional Government)
Continuing the war which caused more social and economic problems
They constantly delayed elections and made it look as though they wanted to keep their power
Kept delaying reforms / land was not being distributed
More freedom / this meant that many could openly criticise the PG
Kornilov revolt weakened Kerensky and the PG
Army and navy lost discipline
Peasants were seizing land
Bolshevik Success (Weaknesses of Provisional Government)
Dual control meant that many areas of government listened to the Soviets such as the railway system and post service/ this lead to food transportation difficulties
Soviets had a ‘Order number 1’ means that military matters were in their control
They were not elected and happened under the Tsar this weakened authority if the PG
Bolshevik success (Role of Lenin)
He decided the right time to begin the revolution.
The revolution faced little opposition which shows the perfect timing
He developed the strategy for success/ some thought that the Bolsheviks that they should join other socialist parties
Bolshevik Success (Role of Trotsky)
Gave validation to the movement
Soviets overtaking rather than Bolshevik part
Managed the military power etc
Civil war win ( Red military strengths and role of Trotsky)
Strong organisation skills and very ruthless way if operating
Created the red army
It was based on adding more volunteers
People were given rifles and guns / they had little military training
He recruited the tsar’s old army
Discipline was extremely tough and hard / they executed soldiers who did not hear
Deserters were also executed
Propaganda garners support
Civil war win (White weaknesses and mistakes)
There was a divided union
-Siberia / Admiral Kolchak
- Estonia / General Yudenich
- General Denikin / Ex- Kadets
- Samara / supporters of the Constituent assembly
No overall white leader
White attacks were not well organised
White leaders did not like one another
They were based outside of Russia / very hard to get supplies etc
Civil war win (Bolshevik policy of War Communism in towns and countryside)
War communism
- Unable to sell crops and were given to the army
- Factories with more than 10 workers were nationalised
- Workers were put under control and there was labour conscription which meant people were forced to work
- Workers had to move city to city
War Communism (The Reds needed control of the food supply)
Food shortages were rampant in 1917
Lost land in treaty of Brest - Litovsk
The peasants had enough to feed themselves but not the city there was no point in selling when hoarding was better as the money could not be used
1 million tonnes of grain was Collected in 1918 but this rose to 6 million in 1920
War Communism (The Reds needed control over industry)
The economy was in a bad condition and was only functioning at 60 percent capacity in comparison to before.
Banks were not lending money to factories
Lost 40 percent of industrial areas
Workforce numbers were dropping
Bolsheviks used propaganda in order to convince people to work but it failed when discipline was used
War Communism (Ideological reasons)
they believed this was the way a communist state should be run
No one should profit from buying or selling the country as a whole should improve
Move towards a communist system and economy
Money was replaced with tokens and exchanges occurred
Emergency measures not really ideological just simply a reason to downplay the issues and problems they were having
Why NEP Food shortages and peasant unrest()
5 million dying from starvation and disease
20 million people affected
- 1 million tonnes - 1913
- 1 million tonnes - 1921
Production fallen 37 percent
Peasants hid their grain stores
Farm animals requisitioned
No more animals to move ploughs
Decided to kill their animals and their land was seized
Why NEP (Discontented workers)
Black market used to survive
70 percent of food was eaten black market
Prices extremely high
Factory workers decreased by half
