РОССИЯ an introduction to pre-1917 russia mr. bixon ibhistory a riddle wrapped in a mystery...
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РОССИЯAn Introduction to
Pre-1917Russia
Mr. BixonIBHistory
“A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma!”
-Winston Churchill commenting on Russia/USSR in 1939
Let me introduce you to Russia:• What is Russia? (Geography)
• Who are the Russians? (Society)
• What was Russia like under the Czars? (History)
Geography
RUSSIA-US SIZE COMPARISON
Physical Geography of the Russian Domain
The Slavic Peoples
•Slavs from Europe split into groups which became nationalities:
•Czechs and Slovakians•Poles•Ukrainians•Serbians ( along with Yugoslavs meaning Southern Slavs)•Russians•Bulgarians
The Rus’
St. Cyril Cyrilic
Foundation of Kiev & Moscow
• Kiev - 1st Russian state– Founded by 3 Viking
brothers
• Mongols overrun in 13th century
• Moscow - Russians begin cooperation with Mongols
1400’s
The First CZAR
• Ivan III
• Czar?
• Tsar? How? / Why?
And what does
It all mean anyway?
Zoe (Sophia) of Byzantium
Refusing the Khan
Ivan III -- Ivan the Great
• Ivan III (1462 to 1505)
• Defeated Mongols
• Named himself ‘tsar’– Caesar (emperor) in
Russian
• Tripled territory
• Moscow: “The Third Rome”
Ivan IV “The Terrible” • Consolidated power in 16th
century• Ruthless, killed all who opposed• Established law• Built St. Basil’s
The Romanov’s (1613-1917)
Michael Nicholas II
Peter the Great (1672 -1725)
Catherine the Great
• German princess– Married heir to throne– An ‘incompetent moron’– Consented to his murder
• Ruled 1762 to 1796• Expanded empire
– Defeated Ottomans– Swallowed Poland
• Red: 1800 Pink: Additions to 1900
Red: 1800 Pink: Additions to 1900
Ethnicities of Russian EmpireGreat Russians Ukrainians Poles
White Russians Jews Kirghiz
Tartars Finns Germans
Latvians Bashkirs Lithuanians
Armenians Roumanians Estonians
Mordvinians Georgians Tadzhiks
Turkmens 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!
Tsar
Royal Family
Nobles/Landlords/
(Gentry)
Middle Class
Freed Peasants
(Controlled)
Semi-Free Peasants
(Indentured Servants)
Serfs (Slaves)
Russian Society:
~80%
~1%
~10%
~5-6%
~2-3%
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’
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
Growing Problems in Russian Society
• Serfdom becoming outdated• Failure to join the Industrial
Revolution• Weak systems
–Banking–Transport–Government
Decembrist Revolt! 1815
Nicholas I
• Autocracy
• Orthodoxy
• Nationality
-est. Third Section(Secret Police) to enforce
Crimean War 1855
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
Village Mir
• Local community• Run by elders• Responsibilities
– Taxes to tsar– Select soldiers
for army– Redistribute land– Justice– Internal
passports
Why did change not occur sooner?
Fear of changeBoth peasants & nobility
Afraid of the westAutocracy swept away
Fatalistic attitude of peasantsThought only of their local village & problemsNo concept of Russia as a great state
…As a result:-Nobles unhappy-Serfs not really free(60 y mortgage!)
Growth of Opposition
•Despite reforms, political climate grew more threatening
•Reform allowed dissent to grow
•Demands never granted-Constitution-National Assembly
•Student movementStudy abroad
What to do? OR What is to be done?
Nikolai Chernyshevsky
Alexander Herzen “The Bell”
Narodniks
• Intellectuals “going to the people” in 1874 & 1876
• Dressed as peasants to convince them of need for revolution
• Failed miserably– Didn’t understand– Denounced – Turned in to
authorities
Mikhail Bakunin
NIHILISM
I reverse the phrase of Voltaire, and say that if God really existed, it would be necessary to abolish him.
The passion for destruction is also a creative passion.
Nothing
NARODNIKI “Going to the People” Movement (Populists)
Violent Revolution
PeacefulEvolution
Land and Liberty People’s Will
HELL
Black Partition
Vera Zasulich1878
1866 DmitryKarakozov
Vera Figner
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 Abandonment of
Alexander II’s liberal Alexander II’s liberal reform policiesreform policies
Series of repressive Series of repressive measures measures CensorshipCensorship RussificationRussification Implemented by son Implemented by son
Alexander III & grandson Alexander III & grandson Nicholas IINicholas II
In “reaction” to terrorist In “reaction” to terrorist movementmovement
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