1303580
Description
Mind Map by Marcus Danvers, updated more than 1 year ago
|
Created by Marcus Danvers
over 10 years ago
|
|
(3) How far was Nicholas's rule "an
autocracy without an autocrat"? -
His method of control
- Political control
- In 1892 the Govt issued an imperial order calling on the public
to organise voluntary organisation to help with famine reflief.
- The Zemstvas led the way by organising their own
provincial networks to distribute food and medicine.
- From the middle of the 1890s, the Zemstvas battled to expand their activities in
the face of growing bureaucratic oppostion following their work in the 1902 famine
- The liberal semstva men wanted to bring the Tsar
closer to his people and thus strengthen autocracy
- However, rather than co-operate with the zemstvas, the
Minister of Inferior preferred the use of repression
- The zemstvas' budget was cut, publications censored and
elected members of zemstvas' boards were removed or arrested
- From 1902 onwards, the zemstvas were strengthened by
widespread by widespread support from the liberal public.
- In 1892 the Govt issued an imperial order calling on the public
to organise voluntary organisation to help with famine reflief.
- Economic Control
- Russia experienced an "industrial"
boom from 1890s to 1914
- Industrial output trebled in oil and coal
production and quadrupled for iron.
- The development of the Trans-Siberian Railway continued
and railway mileage nearly doubled between 1889-1902
- By 1902, 67% of railway continued and railway track was owned by the
state. In addition to this, foreign investment increased in Russian
industry from 200 million roubles in 1890 to over 900 million in 1900
- Urbanisation developed as more peasants moved from the countryside
to the towns and cities, and a middle class began to emerge
- However, living and working conditions continued to remain at a low, as
did wages. At the same time, the population steadily increased
- In 1897, the first census recorded 126 million in the empire,
by 1901 it was 134.8 million and by 1908, 146.4 million. By
1900, Moscow was the fastest growing city east of New York
- Economic pressure from the state were applied when on 26th Feb/11th
March 1903, collective responsibility of communes for taxes was abolished.
- There were also high taxes on everday consumption such as oil, sugar, vodka and tobacco.
This was increased to force peasants to sell their grain and to indirectly fund industrial
growth. This was seen by the peasants to be the main cause of the famine in 1902
- Russia experienced an "industrial"
boom from 1890s to 1914
- Social control of the peasantry
- Some historians have argued that industrial was achieved at the expense of
agriculture. They claim that investment was channelled into industry rather than
improving cultivation by introducing modern machinery and farming methods
- As a result, agriculture found it increasingly difficult to meet the demands of a rapidly
rising population. However, other historians have challenge this view, arguing that
there was an annual rise of 9% in investment in agriculture between 1891 and 1913.
As a result, grain production increased from 36 to 90 million tonnes over the same
time period. Despite this, famines remained a regular occurrence 1891-1901.
- The Govt did nothing to relieve the burden of redemption payment - the vast majority of
peasants remained heavily mortgaged and therefore poverty stricken. Gentry continued to
exploit the peasants renting land from them in return for money, crop or labour payments.
- A poor harvest led to famine in 1902-3, which combined with an outbreak of cholera and typhus,
killed 1/2 million people by the end of 1892. Figes argues that "the government struggled to deal
with the crisis as best it could. But its bureaucracy was far too slow and clumsy, and the
transport system proved unable to cope. Politically its handling of the crisis was disastrous,
giving rise to the widespread impression of official carelessness and callousness".
- The govt did try and set up relief schemes (e.g. setting up public works
schemes for destitute peasants, removing sick peasants to quarantine
centres) but they were poorly organised and caused peasants unrest.
- Most damagingly, the govt postposted a proposed ban on cereal exports until the middle of August
1892. The govt even denied there was a famine, preferring to speak of a "poor harvest". As a result
of the famine in which there was a rising number of peasants disturbances, peaking in 1902-3.
- Some historians have argued that industrial was achieved at the expense of
agriculture. They claim that investment was channelled into industry rather than
improving cultivation by introducing modern machinery and farming methods
- Physical control
- There was a wave of political terrorism at the turn of the twentieth century. Between 1901 and
1905 the Socialist Revolutionaries carried out 2000 political assassinations (including the
murder of Nicholas's uncle). Not even this could persuade Nicholas to grant democratic reform.
- Witte responded to growing unrest amongst the working class in the cities (there were 13,995 strikes
involving 97000 workers by 1905) by recruiting more police( district police forces were strengthened so
there was one policeman to every 250,000 inhabitants), and by calling out the army with greater frequency.
- For example in 1893 the army was deployed 19 times;
in 1902 it was used to supress unrest 522 times.
- For example in 1893 the army was deployed 19 times;
in 1902 it was used to supress unrest 522 times.
- Witte also declared martial laws in areas of unrest, which gave the army the power to
hold quick trials of arrested strikers and carry out immediate hangings. However, Witte's
repressive policies were criticised, and after the Govt allowed Trade Unions to form
- Students and teachers continued to be a potentially disruptive element with
disturbances breaking out in 1899. The regime responded by expelling students
from university for taking part in disorders and drafting them into the military
- State control of the universities was increasingly tightened for example students were expected to
wear a uniform, and all universities were temporarily closed. Because there were few opportunities
in the govt bureaucracy many students became lawyers and doctors, or joined the zemstvos
- There was a wave of political terrorism at the turn of the twentieth century. Between 1901 and
1905 the Socialist Revolutionaries carried out 2000 political assassinations (including the
murder of Nicholas's uncle). Not even this could persuade Nicholas to grant democratic reform.
- Social control
- Witte's repressive polices were criticised by some in govt. In 1901 the Ministry of the Interior instructed
Zubatov, the Head of the Moscow Security Police to purse a policy of reconciliation. They decided to
offer concession to the workers in the hope of taking away the appeal of the revolutionaries
- They believed it was safer for the regime if it allowed trade unions
to develop under the general control of the police. Between 1901
and 1903 several large unions were allowed to form
- They were allowed to hold meetings, discussion groups and lectures, in the hope that it
would promote the use of non-violent methods to campaign for workers' demands.
Unions organised social clubs and plans were drawn up to introduce workers' welfare
- However, when unions took advantage of the relaxation in repression and organised a series of strikes in the
Ukraine and Caucasus, Zubatov's opponents seized their chance and had him dismissed. Nevertheless, historian
Jermemiah Scheidermann argues that the Trade unions policy was the only coming from govt quarters.
- Censorship remained very tight until 1903, when it was relaxed.
Before than it was so tightly controlled that the govt refused to
allow newspapers to print reports on the 1902 famine.
- In 1904 the Tsar went to war against Japan. It was claimed that the Tsar sought
the war as a convenient way of diverting attention from the problems at home - a
successful war would rally the people behind the Tsar. However, recent evidence
suggests the Tsar and his ministers did not want a war, but triggered one by
refusing to negotiate with Japan over the control of Manchuria and Korea.
- Witte's repressive polices were criticised by some in govt. In 1901 the Ministry of the Interior instructed
Zubatov, the Head of the Moscow Security Police to purse a policy of reconciliation. They decided to
offer concession to the workers in the hope of taking away the appeal of the revolutionaries
Want to create your own Mind Maps for free with GoConqr? Learn more.