Russia, 1861-1905

1. List the general goals of the:

a. socialists-create a classless society that would end the exploitation of peasants and workers-dismantling the capitalist economic system by taking the "means of production" from owners and placing them with the state
-rally to have peasants and workers on their side


b. liberal reformers-believed in Enlightenment
-believed that they could be put in a place western constitutional practices and the rule of law to solve Russia's problems and correct the injustices of the past

2. List three characteristics of serfs' lives.
1. Serfs lived an extremely harsh life that let them live on average to about 35
2. Lived in remote villages that lacked schools or communication with the rest of the world. The cottages they lived in were often small and dark and shared with chickens and other farm animals.
3. Serfs were grouped together in communes.


3. List four reforms of Tsar Alexander II.1. Elimination of the system of serfdom in order to take a stop toward modernization. Because of this, millions of serfs were freed and a new system of land transference was established.
2. There was a new land transfer system put in place. Most peasants liked the idea of emancipation however they did not agree to the land transfer system since the land that the serfs once owned got distributed to peasants. There was also a over population problem in 1917 which became a cause in peasant poverty. 
3. Created local elected assemblies known as zemstvos, which were established to address issues such as road maintenance, irrigation, primary education and taxation.
4. He worked a lot on industrialization. There was an expansion of the railroad system. This provided ex-serfs an opportunity for employment. This was another part to the Tsar wanted to modernize Russia. 


4. Why did the populists go "to the people" in 1873-1874?
Populists were ones who wanted to overthrow the government because they did not like the Tsar's idea of reform. These populists went "to the people" in 1873-1874 because they wanted to establish personal connections with the downtrodden peasantry. The movement "to the people" ended with many arrests of young radicals.

5. List two consequences of the famine of 1891.
1. The Russian economy was dependent on the constant infusion of foreign currency. Because of this, the government encouraged grain exports during the famine. "Even if we starve we will export grain." -Russian government slogan
2. Many peasants because increasingly bitter due to the fact that they were hungry and famished. Many communists staged small-scale revolts and land seizures to protest the government.

6. Why was Karl Marx important to Russian intellectuals?
Marx's ideas were adapted into a political philosophy known as Marxism. Karl Marx was important to Russian intellectuals because these intellectuals grew dramatically after the 1891 famine because his ideas seemed to offer explanation for the causes of the famine. Some also thought that Marx's "European ideas" could help Russia become more like Europe.

7. What were the Goals and Methods of the following political groups in early twentieth century Russia? (see page 8 of the reading)
a. Liberal Democrats
-Liberal Democrats wanted to evolve into a Western society class
-many came from the middle class
-valued individual liberty
-thought the role of the government was to protect the rights of citizens
b. Socialist Revolutionaries
-Socialist Revolutionaries worked to get support of workers and peasants for a "revolutionary" change in Russia
-this party was one of two (the other being the Marxist Social Democrats) of the early twentieth century
-most radical party
-its supports from the past were the People's Will and the entire population movement
-known as a party of the peasants
-they called for two monumental changes 
1. socializing all land and transferring it to the communes
2. replacing the monarchy with a democratic republic 
-they had three major problems 
1. the peasants' wide geographical dispersal
2. the party's loose organization
3. police opposition
c. Social Democrats
-Socialist Revolutionaries worked to get support of workers and peasants for a "revolutionary" change in Russia
-this party was one of two (the other being the Marxist Social Democrats) of the early twentieth century
-believed that as Russia industrialized and became more capitalistic, it was becoming more fertile ground for socialist activity focusing on the working class instead of peasantry 
-the next year, this party split into two: the Mensheviks and the Bolsheviks 


8. How did Bloody Sunday change people's attitudes toward the Tsar?
People's attitudes changed toward the Tsar after Bloody Sunday. Bloody Sunday was an incident in which many workers, their wives and their children were marching to the tsar's Winter Palace to bring a petition of economic grievances. Thousands of the Tsar's troops attacked them and fired, killing two hundred and wounding many more. Many people before this occurrence saw the tsar as a protector of the people... this view changed immediately. Workers then rampaged through the streets later that day expressing their anger toward the government. A demonstration unexpectedly got turned into a revolution.  

9. List four reforms in Tsar Nicholas's October Manifesto. 
-was issued on October 17, 1905 (October 30 in the Gregorian calendar) by Tsar Nicholas II of Russia under the influence of Count Sergei Witte as a response to the Russian Revolution of 1905.
1. Freedom of the press, assembly and association 
2.  Political Parties and labor unions could now legally form
3. The Tsar would share power with two chamber legislature 
-half the members of the upper house would be appointed by the tsar and the other half would be elected by the people 
-the lower half would consist of elected representatives
4. plans were announced for elections and for the organization of a new government (that listed in number 3)