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Russia Pre-Revolution

Russia's pre-revolution history: grand duchy of Moscow, Imperial Russia, Nicholas II's reign, population changes, agriculture, industry, worker conditions, revolution, Bloody Sunday, the Duma, Bolshevik movement, World War I impact.

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Russia Pre-Revolution

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  1. RussiaPre-Revolution History 12 Ms Leslie

  2. Very very beginning • Russia has been around since the 10th century • Mostly made up of Ethnic Slavs who went north escaping the Turkish empire • These migrating Slavs clashed with Mongolians and Tartars

  3. 15th century - Grand Duchy of Moscow established = creation of a strong Tsardom or Czardom • The first Tsars were the likes of Ivan the terrible and Ivan the Great • Took a lot of territory from the Tartars, Kazans and Crimeans

  4. Imperial Russia17-19th Century • A great time for Russia • Grew culturally and territorially • Rulers = Peter the great and Catherine the Great

  5. The People • Mostly illiterate Farmers • Feudal system • Czar Alexander II abolished slavery in the late 19th century • Factories had horrid working conditions

  6. Nicolas II • Started his reign in 1894 • Autocratic and ineffective • Romanov family very wealthy • Population of 165 million • Secret police (OKHRANA) • Censorship of the press • Czar’s word was law

  7. Despite this, the people loved Nicolas II • Believed he was appointed by God • Kept pictures of him in their homes and worshipped him

  8. What was Nicholas II like? • Not very smart • Easily manipulated by his advisors • Relied on his wife for direction • His son, Alexei, was a Hemophiliac • His allowed Rasputin to gain dangerous control of the government.

  9. Population of the 1910’s • 1910- 111 million people • 1914 - 170 million people • Only 40% ethnic Russians • 80% subsistence farmers (not for profit) • Life expectancy = 40 years • Well educated middle class - had the most books per capital in 1913

  10. Most lived on communal farms called Obschina or Mir. • The Obschina organized taxes and aloted land to households • Peasants could not leave the commune • Punishment = exile to Siberia • Agricultural reforms had not caught on eg crop rotation

  11. famine • Lots of famines • 1891 - famine +cholera + typhus = 400,000 dead • 1890 - 64% of conscripts declared unfit to serve

  12. Industry • 5th economic power in the world • Average hard labour work day = 14-18 hours • Child labour common. Start age 4 • Kids worked in cotton mills. Injuries common, rickets, cotton lung • Unions Banned

  13. 1896 the people had enough and rioted in St Petersburg • 1902 street demonstrations • 1901-1907 arson in rural areas common • 1904 a social revolutionary assassinated the minister of the interior

  14. 1905 Rebellion/Revolution • Workers under the leadership of Father Gapon marched on the Winter Palace • Wanted higher wages, 8 hour day, free elections and universal suffrage

  15. Nicolas ordered military to fire on protesters who were only armed with orthodox crosses • This even is called Bloody Sunday (Jan 9) • Popularity for the Tsar starts to wane

  16. Result - creation of the ‘Shildlovski Commission’ to hear grievances of workers by elected representatives • Never actually convened • Gave workers a taste of electoral activity. • In the autumn they elected a soviet in St Petersburg lead by Leon Trotsky

  17. September 1905 - nationwide general strike resulting in communities across Russia creating their own soviets • The Tsar responded with the ‘October Manifesto promising a Duma, Religious freedom, union rights, political parties. • Extremists not appeased, but moderates happy and a full revolution didn’t happen

  18. The Duma • Russian Parliament • Made up of Czar supporters • Czar could dismiss Duma when ever, and did so frequently

  19. The Revolutionary Movement • Started with ideas from the French revolution in the 1830s • 1860’s saw student movements and Nihilists questioning all values • Secret newspapers circulated (no freedom of press) • Tried to organize the peasants but they were happy with not being slaves anymore

  20. Authorities shifted attention from the failings of the government by creating scapegoats and encouraging pogroms • Pogroms - attacks against Jews

  21. Marxism • Came to Russia in the 1880s • Lenin knew revolution would happen in Russia first as it was the weakest capitol state (contrary to Marxism) • 1903 the Russian Marxist movement split in two

  22. Bolsheviks • Professional • Headed by Lenin • extreme

  23. Mensheviks • Moderate • Feared Lenin would become a dictator

  24. WWI and the revolutionary movement • Bolsheviks opposed the war from the start • Lenin exiled in Zurich, Switz. • Most Bolsheviks banished to Siberia

  25. Beginning of the collapse • Not enough equipment for soldiers. 1 in 2 died, 1 in 3 didn’t have a gun • 1917 fuel and food scarce - bread lines • Little transportation • February riots broke out over bread • Police joined rioters and a general strike formed

  26. Army called in and they shot the rioters • Fear of civil war causes Czar to resign and the provisional government is formed • But more on all that later • The end

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