RUSSIAN REFORM AND REVOLUTION

Efforts to create a homogenous society Russification

Began by Nicholas I forcing non-Russians to use the Russian language, customs and religion In 1864, the Polish and Belarusian languages were banned in public places; in the

1880s, Polish was banned in schools "What the Russian bayonet didn't accomplish, the Russian school will” -

Governor General of Lithuania

Pan-Slavism The union of all Slavic people in the Balkans under Russian leadership Required moving into the Balkans to expand into Ottoman controlled

Balkans Resulted in a loss in the Crimean War

Crimean War

Russia’s losses revealed their military power was gone

Alexander II realized a self based economy needed to be replaced by an industrialized economy

Reforms under Alexander II

Created zemstvos - local councils elected by all classes Could levy taxes, control local programs (education,

health) Emancipation Edict - better to abolish serfdom

from the top down then to watch it disintegrate from the bottom up. Limited assistance leads to a strong comparison

with the Emancipation of American slaves Sharecroppers and tenant farmers

Courts were reformed Modeled after European courts Limited by corruption and ministry of interior

Political Opposition

Nihilists tear everything down and build it back up Had strong support with the intellectual liberals Less of a movement and more a philosophy

Populists Seize lands of the aristocrats and redistribute wealth

on socialist terms Live communally

People’s Will Growing more radical in the face of repressive

opposition Did they hurt or further their cause using such

means to justify the ends I. Grinevitskii

Alexander III’s & Nicholas II’s Response Similarity with the Fronde and Louis XIV

Immediately cancelled the Constitution signed by his father “senseless dreams” (Nicholas II)

Censorship Controlled the church and schools Spies Imprisonment and exile (Siberia) Pogroms

Consistent with the radicals’ failures, how did the Last Czars make the same mistakes.

Revolution of 1905

Obvious opposition to the repressive gov’t The industrialization and labor problems

spawned from the “Emancipation Edict” Rise of the Social Democratic Labor Party

Reforms under Alexander II - Zemstvos were an introduction to self-government What is the next step?

Bloody Sunday - Father Gapon’s peaceful demonstration goes horribly wrong

Result The October Manifesto

The Autocracy Holds on a bit longer Gradual limitation on the freedoms

outlined in the Manifesto Failures for 3 reasons

Army remained loyal to the state France helped Russia militarily No homogeny in the revolution