Russia unit 1 again Flashcards
(5 cards)
Nicholas as Tsar
LAND
Russia was vast and expansive covering 1/6 of worlds total landmass but many areas inhospitable ad frozen. Vast reserved of coal, iron and wood but in impenetrable places. Lots of grassland and open plains regions eg black earth region had lots of fertile soil.
- But communication was poor due to lack of paved road and St Petersburg railways only opened in 1851.
- People living around Moscow conquered the people around them leading to vast nationalaties of over 100 diff nationalities in late 1870s Russians were only 1/2 the population
ORGANISATION OF POWER
- Worked closely with over procurator (highest church official) and holy synod (group of Bishops).
- Tsar worked with the main advisory body being the imperial council 35 to 60 nobles that advised the tsar.
- Gov minister that handled specific gov departments.
- The bureaucracy acted to enact the Tsar’s decrees. Consisted of ranked civil servants. From minor states positions like tax collection to running a post office each position had its own uniforms and formality
- Orders were passed down no provisions for suggestions to pass up from lower ranks.
- tsar had to his disposal an arms of 2.5 million CONSCRIPTED SERFS. forced to serve for 25 years in military colonies under harsh regime. army took up 45 percent of gov spending.
- Higher ranks of the military were prestigous posts for nobles that bough and sold their commisions.
- special military class called the mounted cossacks, known for skilled horseman ship and strong military traditions. They were provided with arms and supplies and would act as police reinforcements or the tsars personal body guards.
- The police state enacted censorship and prevented freedom of speech. And prevented political strikes and and meetings.
- The secret state security was run by the third section of the imperial council and its agents had the power to carry out raids, exile and carry out surveillance on others. Greatly feared institution.
- Nicholas chose repressions due to December 1825 uprising against his rule.
Russia economic situation
- When alexander II came to throne in 1855 Britain, Belgium and France had been industrialised already.
- Village to town dwellers was 11:1 meanwhile in Britain it was 2 :1
- Economic backwardness caused by Russian climate that strained agriculture during the winter months where fertile land would freeze over and Russia vast reserves of coal, oil and fuel were impenetrable due to lack of paved roads and railways.
First St Peterburg railway built in 1855. - 3/4 of nobles only had 100 serfs which was not enough to generate wealth on their lands so they lived in poverty.
- Some middle class merchants but lack industrialisation meant there weren’t many.
- Land owning aristocracy, Tsarist government and military all reliant on serfs inhibiting wage earners, markets and entrepreneurs.
- relying on the 23 million serfs in 1850s wasn’t viable or productive as serfs used unproductive communal patterns of farming and there was little incentive or opportunity for them to develop into wage earners.
- Lack of internal market as people would trade with each other for what they need.
- Around 80-70 percent of landowning elites were in debt.
- Tax burden was real as government relied on tax for 30 percent of ordinary gov income.
- Overall taxes hit hard peasantry, rent paid by state serfs, dues, urban workers and tradesmen provided 90 percent of impertial finance.
Crimean war what it meant for nich
In June 1853 Nich sent toops to Moldovia and Wallachia provoking Turks into declaring war.
- 500,000 casualties.
- Lack of transport, inadequate army determination, cholera outbreak and outdated tech supplemented loss. EG 1 for every 2 muskets for soldiers.
- Russians defeated in Baclava in 1855 and the fortress of Sebastopol had fallen to enemies.
- War caused exports to fall by nearly half due to naval blockades.
- Peasant uprisings increased
- Paris treaty of 1856 was humiliating.
Alexander II reforms - EMANCIPATION
- Emacipated 51 million serfs in 1861.
- Emancipation could be state directed manipulation to strengthen autocracy.
NOT MANIPULATION
- Tsar was a natural lib who’s views shaped by Vasily zhukovsky. And progressive circle of nobles called Part of St Petersburg.
- Between 1840 and 44 outbreaks were fewer than 30 but this doubled after war.
- IN 1858 -59 Alex made pro emacipation speeches.
Milyutin bros
Nikolia M - Influential voice in ministry of internal affairs and a slavophile that shaped the emancipation edict.
Dmitry M - Military scholar that analysed defeat at crimea. And minister of war in 1861. pleaded for emancipation to “strengthen state and restore dignity.
