Social Developemnts To 1914

Question 1

Population in 1867 vs 1914

Answer 1

Russians urban population quadrupled from 7 million to 28 million

Question 2

What was Russias population made up of by 1914 ?

Answer 2

Three quarters of the population of St Petersburg were peasants by brith and half the city’s population arrived in the previous 20 years

Question 3

Conditions of workers

Answer 3

Conditions in the towns were grim with workers often living in barrack like buildings provided by the factory owners which where over crowded and lacked sanitation

Question 4

Job conditions for workers

Answer 4

Rents were high and some people slept in the factories or on the streets, wages varied but generally failed to keep life with inflation

Question 5

Decrees between 1855-1912 with intentions of improving conditions

Answer 5

• reducing working hours
• enforcing the use of contracts
• banning the employment of children under 12
• providing sickness and accident insurance
• increasing educational provision

Question 6

What was spreading through towns and cities

Answer 6

Political discontent, strike activity was escalating in 1912 and 1914 with over 3000 stoppages

Question 7

What did stolypins reforms fail to do ?

Answer 7

• although the kulak class prospered life became harsher for the poorer peasants
• Many had to leave their farms and look for seasonal farming work or industrial employment
• commune remained at the heart of rural life
• living standards varied
• despite health care improvements, many peasants were classified unfit for military service
• not enough teachers and by 1914 still around 60% illiteracy

Question 8

Negative changes in the lived of the nobles

Answer 8

• some nobles struggled to meet debts
• some nobles priced unable to adapt to more modern business practices in managing their estates

Question 9

Little changes in the lives of the nobles

Answer 9

• taxes were not redistributed so for most nobles their income and way of life remained largely unchanged
• nobles rationed influence in government office, provincial governorships the military and the zemstva

Question 10

Positive changes in the lives of nobles

Answer 10

• some did well out of land distribution consolidating the best land for themselves at minimum cost and thus increasing income
• some prospered by turning to industrial enterprises and financial speculation

Question 11

How did the middle layer increase its influence

Answer 11

As the demand for managers and professionals grew

Question 12

When did social mobility start to occur ?

Answer 12

As nobles sons chose to join the business world or peastants so. Rose to become middle managers or factory managers

Question 13

What was happening in urban areas with the workers and peasantry

Answer 13

Former peasants lost their former identity instead they associated with others with whom they lived and worked sharing grievances and becoming targets for political agitators

Question 14

What cultural changes had occurred?

Answer 14

• new opportunities for women, education or for independence though factory work
• improvements in education had reduced illiteracy
• books and publications increased
• censorship relaxed

Question 15

What Russian culture remained the same ?

Answer 15

• Orthodox Church continued to influence both government and community
• outpouring of patriotism and support for the Tsar when war broke out and all social groups rallied to defend the Russian mother land