19 th century russia
DESCRIPTION
19 th century Russia. Red: 1800 Pink: Additions to 1900. Red: 1800 Pink: Additions to 1900. Ethnicities of Russian Empire. Great RussiansUkrainiansPoles White RussiansJewsKirghiz TartarsFinnsGermans LatviansBashkirsLithuanians ArmeniansRoumaniansEstonians - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
19th century Russia
• Red: 1800 Pink: Additions to 1900
Red: 1800 Pink: Additions to 1900
Ethnicities of Russian EmpireGreat Russians Ukrainians PolesWhite Russians Jews KirghizTartars Finns GermansLatvians Bashkirs LithuaniansArmenians Roumanians EstoniansMordvinians Georgians TadzhiksTurkmens And many other smaller groups
• Ethnic Russians made up less than HALF of the total population!
How was Russia Ruled?
• Unlimited or absolute monarchy
• Nobility served the crown
• Nobility also ran central government
Orthodox Church
Most deeply religious‘Red corner’ at home
Priests paid by state
Blind obedience to God =
Blind obedience to Tsar
Alexander I (19th Century)
• “Savior of Europe” in 1812
Grande Army Defeated!
TsarRoyal FamilyNobles/Landlords/(Gentry)
Middle Class
WORKERSFreed
Peasants (Controlled)
Semi-Free Peasants
(Indentured Servants)
Serfs (Slaves)
Russian Society:
~80%
~1%
~5-6%
~2-3%
6-8%
Russian Society:• In 1855, 5/6 of European
Russians are peasant serfs
– 1/2 private– 1/2 state-owned
• Owners supply means to live• Serfs treated like slaves
– Physically punish– Send to army– Sale, trade, mortgage
• Diet– Cabbage soup– Rye bread– Gruel
• Permission to:– Marry– Travel
~90% serfs/ ~5% Middle Class/~5% Gentry
Life Expectancy =35 Years
Nobility/Landowners• Upper classes
supported serfdom
• Mortgaged land & peasants
• Fabulous wealth for some
• “Best police force” for the Tsar
Middle Class• Very Few• Professionals• Enlightenment ideals
– Critical of ‘backward Russia’
Decembrist Revolt! 1815
Nicholas I
• Autocracy
• Orthodoxy
• Nationality
-est. Third Section(Secret Police) to enforce
Crimean War 1855
Growing Problems in Russian Society
• Serfdom becoming outdated• Failure to join the Industrial
Revolution• Weak systems
–Banking–Transport–Government
Two Distinct Views Emerge
Conservative• Suspicious of the west• Suspicious of
Enlightenment ideas• Believed Russians
naturally superior• Believed in own
traditional view of the world
• Supported the tsar
Liberal•More critical of Russia•More education led to questioning of Russia’s ways•Believed Russia was backward•Believed Russia was out of step w/modern world•Disagreed over what to do about it
-Limit tsar-Overthrow tsar
Alexander II “Tsar Liberator”
• Enacted radical reforms over:– Serfs
• “It is better to abolish serfdom from above than to wait for the time when it will begin to abolish itself from below.”
– Local Government– Education– Law– Army
• Despite well-intentioned reforms– Assassins threatened constantly– Forced to travel w/armed guard
Growth of Opposition
•Despite reforms, political climate grew more threatening
•Reform allowed dissent to grow
•Demands never granted-Constitution-National Assembly
•Student movementStudy abroad
Assassination(s) of Alexander II• 1866 Student shot & missed• 1867 Polish man failed attempt in
Paris• 1879 3 bombs on trains from
Crimea– 1st Tsar took another route– 2nd Bomb failed to explode– 3rd Exploded under wrong train
• 1880 bomb in Winter Palace– Carpenter infiltrated– Killed 40 Finnish soldiers in dining
room but not the tsar• 1881 bomb thrown
– Killed Cossack guard– Alexander stepped out to help– 2nd bomb thrown kills tsar– Blew his legs off
Aftermath
Alex III
Alexander Ulyanov
‘Savior of the Spilt Blood’Built on site of assassination
Pogrom
Alexander III and Nicholas II
• REACTIONary!!! Abandonment of
Alexander II’s liberal reform policies
Series of repressive measures Censorship Russification Implemented by son
Alexander III & grandson Nicholas II
In “reaction” to terrorist movement
Industrialization Continues
• Trans Siberian Railway
• Working Class expands-see article in Stearns on p.
Reaction to “Bloody Sunday”(and the other problems to an extent)
(…or why did it end?)