Transcript Higher History: Russia

Higher History: Russia
The Structure of Russian Society
Learning Intentions
• This section of the course will cover:
1. How feudalism and autocracy worked in
Tsarist Russia
2. The role of the Tsar
3. The role of the nobility
4. The role of the serfs and peasants
Lesson starter:
• Based on the last lesson, answer the
following:
1. Russia had how many different
nationalities?
2. Give 2 pieces of evidence that Russia
was large
Terminology
• Before beginning this unit, there are
some terms you will have to become
familiar with.
• Autocracy
• Feudalism
• Serf
• Peasant
Match a circle to a square
Serf
People who
worked the land
A system used
throughout Europe
in the middle ages
that involved the
exchange of land for
service of labour
Peasant
Autocracy
People who are in
effect owned by a
Lord and have to
work as required
for him.
Government by a
single person having
unlimited power
Feudalism
Task 2:
• Using the handout given, explain how
feudalism worked in Europe in the middle
ages. I want a section on the role of
• The king
• The nobles
• The peasants
So that was feudalism in medieval
Europe, how did it work in Russia?
• The next section of this lesson will look
at how feudalism worked in Russia
specifically.
The Tsar
• The role of the Tsar was
set out in the
Fundamental Laws
• ‘The Emperor of all the
Russias is an autocratic
and unlimited monarch.
God commands that this
supreme power be
obeyed, our of
conscience as well as
fear’
• Nicholas II 
• THINK- difficulties in
ruling ALONE?
So how did it work?
• Tsars traditionally ruled
with help of Nobility (any
idea what the Nobles
did?)
• Stepped up under this
Tsar, the Russian nobles
were now ‘Lords’ and
their sole role was to
make sure taxes were
paid by peasants.
• BUT- Nobles/Lords had
no political power.
Nineteenth century Russia.
• Russia involved in the
Napoleonic Wars
• So some Nobles
appointed Nobles as
‘Ministers of War’.
The Serfs
• Peasantry over 80%. Serfs until 1861.
• Serfs worked the lands of their Lords.
• Control was absolute (could be bought
and sold even if it meant splitting up
families)
• Task 3: The text on the next slide is from
Catherine the Great in 1767. What does it
tell us about the rights of the Serfs
• Why did the serfs not protest?
Catherine the Great
• Should it so happen that serfs and
peasants should cease to give proper
obedience to their landlords, and should
make bold to submit unlawful petition
complainign about their lords, then both
those who make the complaints and
those who right up the petitions shall be
flogged and deported to Nerchinsk to
penal servitude for life
Nobility
• Why might the Nobles be worried about
these statistics?
1. By the middle of the nineteenth
century, there were twelve Civil Servants
for every thousand people
2. When a noble dies, his land was sub
divided among his sons
So think…
1. Why would the Tsar want Russia to
change?
2. Why would the Nobility want Russia to
change?
3. Why would the Serfs want Russia to
change?
Lesson 2: The Beginnings of
Change: The growth of Russia’s
cities
Who lived in the cities?
• Business classes- 1.5%
• Working classes- 4%
• Generally the cities were backward! The
Tsar imposed penalties on Serf’s being
used in the cities
• THINK- Why did he do this?
• THINK- What negative impact could it
have?
Structure of society?
You have now completed the section
which looks at the Structure of Tsarist
Russia. In essay 1, the question will ask
you to assess the security of the Tsarist
state before 1905. What you have learned
so far would be one part of this essay
(because there’s bits we haven’t done
yet). Spend 10 minutes notetaking on the
Geography, Social Classes and Nature of
Government sections.
Questions
1. Is Tsarist Russia appealing? If so, why? If
not, why not?