Imperial RussiaImperial Russia
Russian Empire in last half of Russian Empire in last half of nineteenth century - vast expanse of nineteenth century - vast expanse of land; Siberia rich in natural land; Siberia rich in natural resourcesresources
1891 Trans Siberian Railway1891 Trans Siberian Railway
1891 widespread famine - “Golodnyi 1891 widespread famine - “Golodnyi Khleb” Peasant conditions extreme - Khleb” Peasant conditions extreme - high taxes; speculators export grainhigh taxes; speculators export grain
little organized rebellionlittle organized rebellion
Alexander IIIAlexander IIITsar - autocratic regime; Tsar - autocratic regime; Alexander - rejected any Alexander - rejected any form of constitutionalism; form of constitutionalism;
““Father to all the Father to all the Russians”Russians”
anti-semitic anti-semitic
his father assassinated by his father assassinated by the People’s Will, March the People’s Will, March 18811881
supported new military supported new military alliance with France in alliance with France in 18831883
Russian PeasantsRussian Peasants
Russia in 1890’s - 80% of Russia in 1890’s - 80% of peasants lived in tiny villagespeasants lived in tiny villages
short lifespanshort lifespan
peasants - “Narod” - dark peasants - “Narod” - dark peoplepeople
intermarriage - genetic intermarriage - genetic disordersdisorders
““izby” - cottage - dark, filthyizby” - cottage - dark, filthy
ikons, vermin, ikons, vermin, “cockroaches”?“cockroaches”?
PeasantsPeasantsvillage communes - insufficient village communes - insufficient land to support familiesland to support families
low technology; inefficient low technology; inefficient farmingfarming
bad diet - high mortality rate; bad diet - high mortality rate; vodkavodka
incessant laborincessant labor
superstitious, fatalistic, superstitious, fatalistic, ignorant, and illiterateignorant, and illiterate
Tsar viewed as “little Father”Tsar viewed as “little Father”
Peasants and Peasants and IntelligentsiaIntelligentsia
educated Russians ignorant educated Russians ignorant of realities of peasant lifeof realities of peasant life
Turgenev - revealed grim Turgenev - revealed grim lives of peasantslives of peasants
1874 - young radicals go into 1874 - young radicals go into the countryside; many the countryside; many believe village commune believe village commune would be the basis for a new would be the basis for a new socialist societysocialist society
1891 - experts carry out 1891 - experts carry out research on peasant life and research on peasant life and suggest solutionssuggest solutions
Industrialization Industrialization by early twentieth century Russia by early twentieth century Russia had expanded its heavy industry had expanded its heavy industry
Sergei Witte - 1892 finance Sergei Witte - 1892 finance ministerminister
proletariat lived and worked in proletariat lived and worked in dire conditionsdire conditions
workers - long hours, low wages, workers - long hours, low wages, child laborchild labor
emergence of intelligentsia emergence of intelligentsia among the working class - among the working class - adopted puritan lifestyleadopted puritan lifestyle
Russian MarxismRussian Marxism1883 - Plekhanov establishes first 1883 - Plekhanov establishes first Marxist groupMarxist group
Plekhanov criticizes terrorist Plekhanov criticizes terrorist approach of “People’s Will” - need to approach of “People’s Will” - need to educate the masseseducate the masses
workers viewed as source of workers viewed as source of revolution, not peasantsrevolution, not peasants
Plekhanov helped prepare the way Plekhanov helped prepare the way for Leninfor Lenin
Plekhanov in exile in SwitzerlandPlekhanov in exile in Switzerland
LeninLenin
Lenin - expelled from university; Lenin - expelled from university; later studied law; convinced later studied law; convinced Marxist; his brother executedMarxist; his brother executed
1895 - arrested for political 1895 - arrested for political activities and exiled to Siberia. activities and exiled to Siberia. Wrote “Development of Wrote “Development of Capitalism in Russia”Capitalism in Russia”
1896 - widespread strike action 1896 - widespread strike action
1898 - Russian Social Democratic 1898 - Russian Social Democratic and Labor Party founded in Minskand Labor Party founded in Minsk
Lenin’s Political Lenin’s Political PhilosophyPhilosophy
newspaper founded newspaper founded “Iskra” - The Spark; Lenin “Iskra” - The Spark; Lenin and Plekhanov disagree and Plekhanov disagree on political strategyon political strategy
1902 - Lenin writes “What 1902 - Lenin writes “What is to be Done?”is to be Done?”
Lenin believed party must Lenin believed party must consist of professional consist of professional revolutionaries, an elite revolutionaries, an elite conspiratorial groupconspiratorial group
the party would guide the party would guide the working class to the working class to victoryvictory
1903 Brussels Congress 1903 Brussels Congress - party split between - party split between Mensheviks and Mensheviks and BolsheviksBolsheviks
Lenin authoritarian Lenin authoritarian approach to party approach to party disciplinediscipline
Russo-Japanese WarRusso-Japanese War
changes in nineteenth changes in nineteenth century warfare - century warfare - repeating rifles, long- repeating rifles, long- range artillery, range artillery, railroads and costs - railroads and costs - placed Russia at a placed Russia at a disadvantagedisadvantage
building of the TSR building of the TSR increased Russia’s increased Russia’s involvement in the involvement in the affairs of the Far East - affairs of the Far East - China, Korea and JapanChina, Korea and Japan
Russian Russian involvement in involvement in Manchuria and Manchuria and Korea led to Korea led to conflict with conflict with JapanJapan
Japan in the late Japan in the late nineteenth nineteenth century had century had modernized her modernized her economy and economy and militarymilitary
Japan short of natural Japan short of natural resources - oil, ironresources - oil, iron
Japan had already Japan had already defeated China in 1894defeated China in 1894
minister Witte had minister Witte had warned against a war warned against a war with Japanwith Japan
Nicholas II decides on Nicholas II decides on war - “ little short-tailed war - “ little short-tailed monkeys”monkeys”
Japanese fleet attack Japanese fleet attack Port Arthur - January Port Arthur - January 19041904
patriotic outpouring in patriotic outpouring in support of the warsupport of the war
Russian navy - ships and Russian navy - ships and tactics lead to catastrophe tactics lead to catastrophe
Japanese lay siege to Port Japanese lay siege to Port Arthur - Russians finally Arthur - Russians finally surrenderedsurrendered
war continued until August war continued until August 1905, when peace terms 1905, when peace terms were finally agreedwere finally agreed
Nicholas II humiliated by Nicholas II humiliated by defeat defeat