russia unit 1 Flashcards
(17 cards)
The nature of Alexander III as tsar
- crowned in 1881
- Alexander’s tutor and procurator of the holy synod encouraged the Tsar to revert his fathers reforms.
Alexander II was brought up with a strong sense of commitment to his duty which he believed was to reinforce and maintain strong autocracy and lead Russia with God’s direction alone. - so scared of revolutionary activity that he refused to live in the winter palace and instead lived in a fortress in Gatchina.
We see these ideals expressed in the
- public hanging of the conspirators involved in his fathers assassination.
- And the 1881 manifesto of unshakable autocracy declaring his intention to maintain absolute power.
- Issued a law on exceptional measure which declared if necessary a commander in chief could be appointed to take control of a locality using military and arbitrary (unrestrained) powers of imprisonment.
what is a reactionary
opposition to social reform or progress
what are delegates
a person sent to represent someone else
municipality
a town or district with a local governor
Konstatin Pobedonostev
- chosen as tutor for tsar in 1865
- nicknamed the black Tsar
- probably wrote the manifesto of unshakable autocracy
- over procurator of the holy Synod from 1880 so he was the highest church official.
How did Alexander III reassert autocracy ?
- Loris Melikov constitution abandoned.
- Liberal minister like Dmitry Milyutin reigned and Alexander began to rely heavily on conservatives such as Nikolai Ignatiev who replaces Dmitry Tolstoy as internal minister.
- Arrested 150 people’s will members and publicly hanged those responsible for his fathers death.
- Established the department of police in 1881 to supervise the Okhrana. The dep of police was responsible to the ministry of internal affairs so that its activities could be monitored.
- Used spies and counter spies to monitor anti Tsarism.
- In 1882 an area of the empire could be deemed an area of subversion and members and members of the region could be arrested, sent on exile or imprisoned solely on suspicion alone. The arrested has do legal rights or legal representation.
- In 1885 closed court session were established without a jury and held in secret. Replacing the open show trials.
- In 1889 Alexander III introduced land captains to replace local magistrates. Local magistrates would handled minor criminal cases and civil cases. Now land captains having replaced magistrates were appointed from the nobility with the duty of managing peasant communes and maintaining order in the country side. They had the authority to override zemstva elections and decisions, flog peasants and overturn decisions made by the local courts.
- in 1890 reduced the peasant vote on the zemstvo. Additionally the zemstva were placed under central government control.
- Liberal ministers removed from judiciary and central government.
ANALYSIS
in placing the zemstva under gov control this channelled the zemstva efforts away from political discussion into discussions regarding the social services, education, health and matters central government interest thus further pushing for centralisation of government and hindering minimising democracy.
particularism
arrears
Chauvinism
reactionary
concern for the immediate locality or area of personal interest. the exclusive connection and treatment of individuals within a group, where insiders are given preferential treatment and support while outsiders are excluded.
Money that is owed that should have been paid earlier.
exaggerated belief in national superiority and glory.
Opposition to reform
Other JUDICIAL reforms by Alexander III / JUDICIAL revert reforms from alexander II
- In 1885 minister of justices powers increased e.g. judges could be dismissed by justice minister and powers given to hold closed court sessions.
- In 1887 the educational and land qualifications required for jurors were raised.
- In 1889 the ministry appointed town judges and volost courts in the countryside were put under the jurisdiction of the land captains meanwhile volost courts in towns were under the jurisdiction of judges.
- Right to appeal to higher courts lessened
under land captains.
ANALYSIS - We see how the judicial system was centralising judicial power in the hands of the government and making the judicial system subservient to the central gov.
What education reforms did Alexander III make.
- Delyanov was made education minister in 1882
- Delyanov in 1894 established a new university charter which made the appointment of chancellors, professors and deans based on religious, moral and patriotic orientation. identity as opposed academic grounds.
- Gathering in groups of more than 5 was inhibited.
- Primary education for lower class was restricted. And the Orthodox church took charge of primary education
- woman could no longer attend uni.
ANALYSIS - here we see how Alexander III aims to supress emergence of liberal thought and opposition amongst the intelligentsia and educated class.
- However education received did increase in 1884 but only 21% percent of the population were literate by the 1897 consensus census.
- Education values were dubious as it led to Limited economic modernisation as western ideal regarding labour and industrialisation were shunned so Russian economy was stagnant with Russia GDP just over 20 percent of Britain’s GDP.
- illegal political movements continued in 1890s from the socialist revolutionaries and RSDWP.
Alexander III changes in censorship
Dmitry Tolstoy established a government committee in 1882 that enforced strict censorship laws like…
1, Newspapers could be closed down and
subject to a life ban
2, All literary publications had to be
approved by government.
3, censors increased
4, Library’s and reading room were
restricted in the books they could stock.
5, Russification was enforced on all
theatre, art and culture.
ANALYSIS - no more absorption of liberalism or expansion of political ideologies.
Alexander III not weakening autocracy reforms.
1 In 1881 Alexander III reduced the
redemption payment fee.
2 Got rid of arrears for ex serfs in 37
provinces
3 in May 1885 Poll tax was abolished and
replaced with inheritance tax.
4 Introduction of right to appeal to higher
courts
5 In 1883 peasant land banks established
HOWEVER THESE HAD LIMITED
FUNDING AND THE INTREST RATES TO
NOBLES LAND BANKS WERE FAR
LOWER.
6 Factory legislation introduced between
1882 - 85 that ensured factory
inspections of wages, working
conditions and firing. HOWEVER THERE WERE LITTLE INSPECTORS AVAILABLE
Problems posed by ethnic minorities
Tsarist Russia was a multinational empire with over 100 diff ethnic groups. The Slavs comprised 2/3 of the Russian empire population the remainder being a mixture of different nationalities, langes and religions. Within the empire the different nationalities challenged the development of a national ideology as the different nationalities would assert their own national identity leading to uprisings and rebellions.
- Polish rebellions in 1830
- In 1840 a Finnish pressure group was set
up - Local language newspaper founded in Baltic region
- In 1845 a short lived secret Ukrainian political society called the brotherhood of saint Cyril of Methodius provoked national consciousness that sough to separate the Ukrainian Slavs from their Russian counterparts.
Alexander II policys and nature towards ethnic minorities
Alexander II was more concerned over control of the ethnic minorities that matters of racial superiority
- In times of rebellion when ethnic
minorities would begin to articulate autonomy Tsar would shut these attempts down. Seen in the 1963 Polish Rebellion in which the poles managed to create their own national government consisting of 200 000 poles. where Alexander II sent his own brother Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich to supress the rebellion. After fierce guerilla warfare the war ended in the rebellion being soundly crushed with 15000 casualties.
2, Aimed to gain control through making concession that made the ethnic minorities more inclined remain obedient to the empire.
- Decree in 1864 and 1875 Enabling Latvians and Estonians to practise Lutheranism as opposed to Orthodoxy.
- Finns could make their own parliament in 1864.
- However the Tsar’s minister were against giving the national minorities more autonomy leading to the prohibition of the Ukrainian language in publications or performances in 1876.
Ethnic Minorities under Alexander III and the Russification.
Alexander III and Pobedonostev sought to enagage in cultural Russification merging all of the Tsar’s subjects under a singular Russian identity.
1, in Finland the parliament was reorganised to decrease Finnish political influence.
2, Russian became main lang so trial and Russian gov conducted in Russian.
3, Polish national bank closed in 1885.
4, All Unis and schools the teaching of all subject EXCEPT POLISH taught in Russian.
6, Polish literature studied using Russian translation. And administration of Poland changed to curb independance.
7, Even in the Baltic regions which was initially specially protected by Alexander III’s predecessors was changed.
- Between 1885 - 89 the Russian language was the only language used in state offices, judicial systems and the police force.
German uni called Dorpar changed into Lurev uni in 1889.
- Russification extended as far as Ukraine and Belorussia. Where in 1884 theatres in 5 Ukraine Provinces were closed down.
Suppression - Conscripts from national areas dispersed to suppress uprising.
Uprisings such as Georgia in 1892 and Bashkira in 1884.
Religion- Adherence to Orthodox church encouraged with 37000 Lutherans converting due to Orthodox favourable laws eg In Poland catholic monasteries were closed down and non Catholics were encouraged to move there and catholic priests influence was curbed.
- In Asia the all-Russian Orthodox Missionary society worked to convert heathens and Muslims through forced mass baptisms.
- non orthodox churched banned from making new places of worship and public exhibition of faith like dress etc was forbidden for non orthodox ppl.
- Trying to convert a member of the Orthodox church was made punishable by exile to Siberia.
Result of Russification
- In June 1888 the department of police estimated 332 cases of mass disturbance in 61 of 92 provinces and districts. And in 51 cases the military were employed.
- Well educated Finns, Poles and Baltic Germans in the West of the Empire petitioned for more liberties.
- Secret publications of local language books continued.
- Some Ethnic Schools that did survive like Polish national schools survived and fanned flames of resentment to the tsar.
Antisemitism
- Jews suffered most under Russia’s intense nationalism. There were 5 million Jews in Russia confined to the pale of settlement Now consisting of 20 percent of European Russia constraining regions such as Ukraine, Poland and Moldova. Jews were rarely allowed to live outside the pale.
ALEXANDER II - Anti Semitism was widely popular due to teaching of Orthodox church. Particularly towards the poorer that were…. - confined to the pale of settlement
- Not allowed to hire Christian servants
- Not allowed to build synagogues near
Orthodox churches. - Not allowed to print official document in Hebrew
But Alexander made concessions for the more useful Jewish merchants of the first guild and uni graduates. They could trade and reside anywhere in the empire and obtain legal documents to work anywhere in the empire.
However after the Polish Rebellion of 1963 liberalisation halted and influential newspapers and antisemitic literature arose. like a book forecasting Jewish takeover and Christian enslavement was printed out at gov expense at distributed to local government.
As a result Jewish schools were closed and the town government was reorganised in 1870 to limit the participation of Jewish citizens as no jew could become mayor and Jewish representation on town councils could nowhere exceed 1/3 of the total.
Under Alexander III’s reign the existence of Jews went from uncomfortable to unbearable. Pobedonostev popularised the phrase “beat the yids save Russia” arguing 1/3 should emigrate another third die and another third assmilate/ convert. And alexander III wrote in the margin of a document arguing for a reduction in Jewish document that the “jews have crucified our master.” Also convinced by Right wing magazines that the jews orchestrated the bombing of tsar alexander II.
