Russia 1848-1914

The Bear

Alexander II

I.

Alexander II

(1855-1881) • Perhaps the most liberal ruler prior to 20 th century • Russian conditions – 90 % Russians lived on farms – Serfdom still a problem • Uprisings • Poor production – Serfs bought/sold – Serve military 25 yr terms

• • Emancipation Act (Edict) 1861 –Alexander II abolished Serfdom –Most Russians unaffected • Lived in

Mirs

(highly regulated communes) • Collective ownership

Zemstvos

established in 1864 –Local assemblies –Step toward political participation –Lords, however, controlled

Zemstvos

• Judicial system improved • Censorship relaxed (not removed) • Liberal education programs • Put on Gold Standard • Growth of Industry helped spread popularity of Marxism!

• Railroads and Industry –1860-1880 RR built: 1,250 miles to 15,500 miles • Domestic manufacturing –Suburbs grew around Moscow and St Petersburg –Modern factory workers –Strengthen military: Expansion South & East

Critics of Alexander II’s reign • Alexander became increasingly conservative (realism replaced romanticism) • Radical populist movement advocated utopian agrarian society •

Intelligentsia

and

Nihilism

grew • Alexander II assassinated in 1881

Intelligentsia and Nihilism

• Intelligentsia –Hostile group of intellectuals –Believed they should take over Russia • Nihilism –Intellectual philosophy • Science only is real • No spiritual ‘meaning’ to life • Said society should be torn down and rebuild

Alexander III

II.

Alexander III

(1881-1894) • Most reactionary czar of 19 th century • Slogan: –Autocracy, Orthodoxy, Russification” • Encouraged anti-Semitism –

Pogroms

initiated: resulted in persecution of Jews –Zionism was Jewish reaction (Herzel led: Jewish home in Holy Land

Count Witte oversaw Industrialization • Brought West Tech & built factories • Rise in Russian middle class (small #’s) • More railroads (35,000 miles by 1900) –Trans-Siberian Railway biggest rail line • Moscow to Vladivostok (5,000 miles) • By 1900 became 4 th in steel industry (US, Germany, Britain, Russia) • ½ World’s petroleum supply

Nicholas II

III.

Nicholas II

(1894-1917) • Russo-Japanese War (1904-05) –Sphere of influence in Manchuria –Sought Korea –Japan moved to stop Russia expansionism –Japanese defeated Russians • Very Humiliating!

• Russia turned away from Asia

• Revolution of 1905 –Poor economy –Russo-Jap war hurt –“Bloody Sunday” Jan 1905 • 200,000 worker/peasants march to Winter Palace • Czar not in town • Fires shot; many killed –General Strike and troop mutinies –Czar forced to make concessions

• Duma created –Assembly serving as advisory board to Czar –Freedom of speech, assembly, and press –Czar could veto • Revolutionaries politically divided –Unable to agree • Propertied classes benefit at expense of workers

• Brief mild economic recovery 1907 1914 • Peter Stolypin make reforms –Agrarian reforms –Broke down collective village ownership –Encouraged enterprising peasants • Post 1911, Nicholas II’s court dominated by Gregorii Rasputin –Caused doubt about Czar’s ability to rule