Russia19th century

1796: Catherine the Great died Alexander I becomes tsar

Very conservative ruler Established the Holy Alliance with Prussia and

Austria Tight control to keep liberal ideas from

spreading in Russia

Conservatism in Russia

Nicholas I (ruled from 1825-1855)

Also a conservative ruler Decembrist Revolt (1825)

Revolt led by army officer who were demanding reform

Nicholas responds by brutally crushing the rebellion

Tight censorship, political opponents arrested, secret police expanded, etc.

Conservatism in Russia

Anti-western sentiment hindered Russia’s

industry Refusal to adopt new technologies Continued to rely on serfs to do labor

Russian economic development was also hindered by the lack of a strong middle class and sub-par transportation systems

Conservatism in Russia

Russia had been pursuing policies of

expansion for a couple hundred years Conflict with Ottoman Empire over lands in the

Black Sea region Crimean War leads to a humiliating defeat

for Russia

Russian Expansion

Following Russia’s defeat in the Crimean War,

demands for reform began again. Alexander II (ruled 1855-1881) began to

initiate reform Emancipation of Serfs in 1861 Former serfs were given land (known as mir)

but no political rights. They were also still tied to the land until they were able to repay debt owed for the land they were given.

Reforms of Alexander II

Alexander II also created local government councils

Zemstvos in villages Dumas in urban areas

Zemstvos and Dumas were in charge of local policies Road building, education, etc.

Alexander II also increased recruitment into the army and implemented education policies for soldiers

He did NOT, however, attempt to expand political rights to the lower classes

Reforms of Alexander II

Lack of a strong middle class hindered Russia’s

industrial development. Russian government began to push for

industrialization Trans-Siberian Railroad helped to stimulate

the Russian economy by improving transportation By the 1880’s, factories were being constructed

in major cities (Moscow, St. Petersburg) Russia, however, remained a predominantly

agricultural, rural society

Industrialization in Russia

Nationalism became a destabilizing force in

Russia Russia was multi-ethnic with numerous different

nationalities and cultures living under one government

Intelligentsia (educated professionals) began to voice radical ideas on political reform

Unrest...again

Nihilists: called for reform

Rejected the materialism of the west Saw the Russia people as a revolutionary force Used literature to try and bring change Often advocated violent revolution.

Anarchists: rejected the need for a state/government Micheal Makunin famous anarchist

Unrest…again

Marxism became a popular ideology Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov…aka Lenin was a

major supporter of Marxist ideas Author of What is to be Done?, a pamphlet that

circulated among radical intelligentsia in the early-1900’s

Lenin believed that Russia was a prime location for a revolution.

His followers became known as Bolsheviks

Unrest…again

1881: Alexander II was assassinated

Killed by a group of radicals known as “People’s Will”

Hoped that the death of the tsar would spark a popular revolution…did not happen

Alexander III assumed throne after his father’s murder Ruled from 1881-1894 Responds to his father’s assassination with

force

Assassination of the Tsar

Alexander III began to crack down on

opposition Professors and teachers were put under tight

government control to prevent them from teaching liberal ideas

Many critics of the government fled into exile

Alexander III’s Empire

Alexander III implemented a policy known as

Russification Banned use of languages other than Russian in

schools Placed restrictions on non-Orthodox religions

Ex: Jews These policies caused unrest to grow among

the intelligentsia as well as various ethnic groups living in the Russian empire

Russification

1904-1905: Russia went to war with Japan

See pages 719-721 for additional information Japan wins Russia shocked by defeat

Again, the people demand reforms.

Russo-Japanese War

Popular uprising against the tsar

Refer to pages 721-722 for more information Thousands of people marched on the tsar’s

Winter Palace demanding reform Troops fired on the crowd “Bloody Sunday”

News of the massacre spread, leading to anti-government demonstrations

Revolution of 1905

Nicholas II (ruled from 1894-1917) agreed to a few

reforms New constitution as well as the election of a parliament

(Duma) Forgive redemption payments that former serfs were

required to pay in return for communal lands (mir) Relaxation of Russification policies

These reforms, however, did not satisfy the most radical of the intelligentsia Revolutionary ideas continued to thrive….especially those

of the Bolsheviks

Revolution of 1905