The Decline and Fall of the Romanov Dynasty Part 2

Case StudyModern History Preliminary Course

ByS. Angelo

History Head TeacherEast Hills Girls Technology High School

2007

FORCES OF CHANGE & FORCES OF CONTINUITY

Intelligentsia Education Revolutionary Ideas Liberal ideas of Tsars Gradual growth of middle

class Gradual growth of working

class War Industrialisation Nationalism among

oppressive minority groups

Illiterate peasantry Censorship Conservative ideas of nobles and

peasants Repressive policies of the Tsars Weak middle class due to

economic structure Weak working class due to no

industrial development Poor military leadership and lack

of industrial development Serfdom and bonds which tied

peasants to the land Russian nationalism and

Russification policies of the Tsars

Liberalism

government should have limited powers Rights and freedoms of individuals should be

protected Individuals should act as responsible citizens Freedom of thought Supply and demand will control prices and interest

rates Linked to democracy and capitalism – freedom of

choice by individuals Priority of the individual not the state

From the French Revolution to Alexander II

Liberal governments had formed in Europe– Britain -> Bill of Rights 1689 (James II) CM– France -> Charter of Liberties 1814 -> Louis XVIII -> July Revolution

1830 -> Republic CM– Italy -> various movements -> Carbonari V Ferdinand IV (Naples &

Sicily 1820)– Germany -> Metternich system (38 States) -> Carlsbad Decrees 1819– Russia resisted any attempts at Liberalism

Alexander I -> appearance only -> council set up to make laws was subject to his decisions -> Decembrist Revolt

Nicholas I introduced measures to crush liberal ideas –secret police; network of informers -> Third Section; western ideas banned; -> Crimean War (1853 – 1856)

Alexander II -> signed Treaty of Paris 1856 – shattered illusion of imperial power; revealed corruption; highlighted opposition to imperial rule

19TH Century Attitudes

1846: Belinsky– “The people feel the need for potatoes, but none

whatsoever of a constitution – that is desired only by educated townspeople who are quite powerless”

1826 - 1855: Third Section– You could not

Discuss government, church, peasant uprisings, working man, strikes, emigration, army prisons, censorship, anarchism, schools, civil marriage, fights, theft by officials

Use the words constitution, socialism, political freedom, meetings, bureaucracy, reaction, revolution

1825 Decembrists’ Revolt

Alexander II’s death Decembrists

– a group of young officers who had served in the Napoleonic wars

– Mostly indebted landowners– Supported abolition of serfdom– Emphasised political reform– Wanted power for the landowners– 14th December 1825– Failed - lack of popular support, poor organisation, divided

leadership

1861 Edict of Emancipation

READ THE EXTRACT FROM THE EDICT Alexander aimed to curtail some of the unrest Freedom not full civic rights Aim was to replace class privilege with legal equality Did not really happen until after 1905 REALITY

– Until this time about 90% of the land was held by the imperial family & nobles & millions of peasants worked the land

– The edict freed the peasants and divided the arable land One part was retained by the landowners As second part - less fertile - was given to village communities to be held in trust

- peasants paid for this in instalments over 49 yrs Bondage to a landlord was replaced by a huge debt Division of land meant decreasing plots and a concurrent inability to make

payments

PROGRESS

Zemstvo – 1864 – district & provincial assembly – elected– DISTRICT = relatively equal representation from nobles & peasants– PROVINCE = majority nobles– Provided the basis for training the people in self government– Local communities had responsibilities of welfare, education, public works

– primary schooling; open university– Law reform led to independent judicial system; laws applied to all classes

equally; but summary arrests could still occur– 1874 – all males subject to military service = harsh training– Compensation for land was turned into commercial agriculture - grain– Railways helped Industry developed – pig iron production doubled

between 1862 – 1886 Russian society under Alexander II suffered from less inequality

– Grievances still existed – nobles lost prestige & land & free labour– Growth of middle class – education; expansion of trade & commerce– However, riots still occurred – the people were still not satisfied – relaxing

of censorship allowed the rise of radical political opposition