InNo+shynricpx2013+10.17.10

=__ Awesome Stuff: __=

(Population of the Russian Empire, according to 1897 census) This pie graph can easily show us that Russia was made up of people of all nations. The Russians were below 50% of the population. Six out of Ten of the Tsar's subjects considered Russian a foreign language, and Russian people foreigners.

=__ Notes: Chap. 1- 6 __=
 * Chapter 1 - Russian Empire in 1900: **


 * Russian Land and Climate:**
 * Thick pine forests called “taiga” cover the majority of Russia.
 * Even though Russia is a very big country, much of the land is useless.
 * Natural barriers such as the high mountains in the south are a good defense against foreign invaders.
 * Besides keeping invaders away from Russia, the mountains also keep out warm air.
 * Russia is open to the open cold air blown from the Arctic Ocean.
 * Arctic Circle land is “tundra”, only small shrubs and moss grows there.
 * 1000 km south of the tundra lays the Russian cold lands and taigas.
 * In 1900, only 5 percent of Russia was used for farming, the rest was waste.Russia’s industry and commerce was deeply affected by its cold climate.
 * There weren’t any powerful icebreakers-ship back in 1900, so river trade was impossible.
 * The Trans-Siberian railway was built to allow trade between east and west all year, unaffected by the cold harsh winter, (but it was only half built in 1900).


 * An empire of many peoples:**
 * I n 1900, a Tsar/Emperor- Nicholas II ruled Russia.
 * 125 million people lived in the Russian empire.
 * The majority were the Poles and the Ukrainians who had been conquered by Tsar Nicholas II’s ancestors.
 * All these people had their own language, customs, and way of life.
 * 6 out of 10 of the Tsar’s subjects, Russian were a foreign language and Russian people were considered foreigners.
 * Many lived on the 5 percent of land suitable for farming.
 * The others lived in the cold lands of Siberia.
 * Ural mountains of the east were thinly populated while fertile lands of the southwest were heavily overcrowded.


 * Chapter 2 - The Government of Russia: **

o Post office clerks o Customs inspectors
 * The autocracy:**
 * An autocrat is a monarch who does not have to share power.
 * Tsar Nicholas was an autocrat who has the power to make new laws, increase taxes, and do exactly whatever he pleases, without having to consult with anyone about anything.
 * There wasn’t a Russian parliament that limited his power.
 * Tsar Nicholas had the power to sack ministers or advisers who gets into his way.
 * Tsar employed thousands of civil servants to help him run affairs of his vast empire.
 * The civil servants were organized into fourteen ranks, they made sure that the Tsar’s decisions are were all carried out.
 * The top of the ranks consisted of ministers in charge of government departments.
 * The bottom of the ranks consisted of minor officials.
 * “Okhrana” / “Protective Section” were the Russian secret police who made sure nobody opposed Tsar Nicholas.
 * They had the power to censure books and newspapers.
 * The agents spied on a lot of political groups who had criticized the government.
 * Special courts without juries tried political prisoners, who end up in exile.
 * “Cossacks” are mounted sabres-armed soldiers who specialize in breaking up mobs by killing anyone in their Calvary charge.
 * “Russian orthodox Church taught the Russian people to respect the autocracy and be loyal to the Tsar, which helped maintain the authority of the Tsar.
 * Priests -> Bishop -> Government Minister -> Tsar.
 * Nicholas and Alexandra:**
 * Nicholas was gentle but uneducated Emperor.
 * He is weak on every aspect except his own autocracy.
 * He prefers listening to amusing stories told by his ministers, other than serious matters that bore him.
 * Alexandra was Nicholas’s German wife.
 * She is strong willed and confident.
 * She encourages Nicholas to rule as an absolute monarchy and discourages sharing any sort of power with the people.
 * Nicholas and Alexandra had 5 children.
 * First 4 were girls, 5th was a boy, Alexis, heir of the throne.
 * Alexis had hemophilia, which prevented his blood from clotting.
 * It was incurable; a small cut could cause Alexis to bleed to death.
 * Internal swellings could be caused by the slightest bump.
 * Alexandra had a special built chapel in the royal palace grounds to pray for her son’s recovery.
 * She ordered everyone, including her daughters, to swear an oath of secrecy of Alexis’ illness.


 * Chapter 3 - Russian Society **


 * The Peasants**
 * In 1900 4/5 of Russians were peasants.
 * In 1861 the peasants had been serfs, slaves of landlords with no rights, freedom and land.
 * In 1861 Alexander II, Nicholas II's grandfather freed the peasants from serfdom, and allowed them to grow their own food.
 * The land was given to village commune, or mir
 * Had to pay the commune in yearly installments, called redemption payments.
 * If paid 49 installments, the land becomes his/her property.
 * Peasant life was hard, land was given out according to family size.
 * But since the population grew land was divided to half through 1861 to 1900.
 * Peasants found it hard to sustain a family also they had to pay yearly installments.
 * Half of all newborn children would die.
 * Disease and malnutrition is very common.


 * The Town Workers**
 * Many peasants tried to improve their lives by working in the nearest town or city.
 * Worked in factories or mines until harvest time.
 * Largest city in Russia in 1900 was the capital St Petersburg.
 * Nearly a million people came to find work and growing.
 * Overcrowded places, low wages, high work times and overtime for extra money.


 * The Rich**
 * Russian nobles were very rich.
 * Nicholas owned 8 different palaces and employed 15,000 servants.
 * Up to twenty luggages was needed to carry their stuff.
 * Nobles were 1 percent of Russian population; they owned 25 percent of all the land.
 * People who bothered to farm their land efficiently made good profits.
 * Those who didn't bother were always able to sustain luxury lifestyle.
 * By 1900 new class of Russians were becoming rich - capitalists
 * Made money from banking industry and trade
 * Minister of Finance, Sergei Witte, made it easy for capitalists to make big profits
 * Gave government contracts, for building railways.
 * Gave them loans to build factories
 * Cut taxes.
 * With easy money, capitalists did not improve working conditions
 * Hatred for capitalists grew.


 * Chapter 4 - Opponents of the Tsar **
 * Goal: get rid of Tsar and make big changes to Russian government and society.
 * Abolish absolute monarchy.


 * Terrorism**
 * Marc 1881, bomb exploded beneath the carriage of Tsar Alexander II.
 * He was unhurt, but when he got out, someone threw a grenade that blew him up.
 * The assassination is brought out a terrorist group called People's Will.
 * Alexander III (the heir) became successor.
 * They were both determined it does not happen to them.
 * Used Okhrama to arrest critics and opponents.
 * Did not wipe out all opponents.


 * The Socialist Revolutionary Party**
 * First group was the Socialist Revolutionary Party (SRP).
 * They wanted all land to given mirs so peasants could have a bigger share of land.
 * That means taking land away from Tsar, nobles and church who owned most land of Russia.
 * They had a Fighting Organization whose job was to organize terrorist campaigns.
 * Between 1900-1905 they to kill many government officials.
 * They gained millions of support from peasants.


 * The Social Democratic Party**
 * Followed ideas of Karl Marx, German writer who in 1848 written book called Communist Manifesto.
 * Marx predicted the poor would overthrow the ruled, the sharing of wealth between the rich is called socialism.
 * In socialist society, people would learn to work together for the good of everyone, not just for self.
 * Communist system where people according to their ability.
 * Social Democratic party was set up according to Max's ideas, set up in 1898.
 * In 1903 split into two groups, Bolsheviks and Mensheviks.
 * Bolsheviks thought a small group of dedicated and skilled revolutionaries should lead the party.
 * Mensheviks thought there should be a mass party with as many working class as possible and ran democratically.
 * The leader of Bolsheviks argued with Mensheviks, they argued it would take forever to have a revolution and the other argued that it would fail without support of the working class.
 * They remained split on the issue and had three revolutionary groups.


 * Liberals**
 * Not all Tsar's opponents were violent revolutionaries.
 * Many law-abiding Russians, were liberals.
 * They supported Tsar but wanted shared power.
 * They wanted democracy like Britain where it was an elected parliament.
 * Alexander II already made plans for a Russian parliament... the day before he was blown up.
 * The son of Alexander took charge and immediately teared up those plans.


 * Chapter 5 - The 1905 Revolution **


 * War against Japan**
 * 1904 Russia went to war with Japan.
 * They were fighting Korean and China.
 * Wanted war so Tsar could gain popularity.
 * Russian Army suffered terrible defeat after another.
 * Sent reinforcements but defeated in the battle of Tsushima.
 * Working condition worse, factories closed, less supplies.


 * Bloody Sunday**
 * On Sunday 22 Jan 1905, crowd of 200,000 workers marched through the streets of St Petersburg towards Tsar's Winter Palace.
 * Goal was to present reforms.
 * Led by Father Gapon, priest.
 * Soldiers opened fire, 500 killed and thousands wounded.
 * Known as “Bloody Sunday”.
 * News of massacre spread across Russia, there was riots.
 * Hundreds of government officials murdered.
 * Tsar's uncle was blown up.
 * Started revolution.


 * The 1905 revolution**
 * In June 1905 the crew of battleship Potemkim, people threw their officers overboard and took control of the ship.
 * Mutiny.
 * Nicholas could not trust his own forces
 * Peasants rebelled and butchered landlords and burning farms.
 * Georgians and the Poles declared independence.
 * September 1905 general strike began, all over Russia factories, offices, shops, railways, hospitals, and schools closed down.
 * Made councils called Soviets to run town during strike.
 * Soviets became alternate form of government, they obeyed soviets.
 * Nicholas issued October Manifesto in October 1905.
 * They could have a Duma, elected parliament, to help run the country.
 * Allowed right to form political parties and right of free speech.
 * Liberals happy.
 * Revolutionaries did not trust he could keep his word.
 * In December he arrested a lot of the members into exile in Siberia.
 * In Moscow, army was sent to crush Soviet, more than a thousand people died in street fighting.
 * Crushed all revolution.
 * Thugs known as Black Hundreds organized massacres of revolutionaries.
 * March 1906 revolution over.
 * Parliament still existed, a lot of anti-government gained office.
 * They made a set of Fundamental Laws that Russia was still autocracy.


 * Chapter 6 - The Aftermath of the 1905 Revolution **


 * The Dumas**
 * Broke up two parliaments because of the request of power.
 * Second parliament contained social revolutionaries and social democrats aimed to destroy the autocracy.
 * The third parliament did what Nicholas wanted basically for show.
 * A new minister was appointed Peter Stolypin.


 * The Stolypin reforms**
 * Stolypin believed in strict government.
 * Went hard on terrorism, 1906 arrested 1008 terrorists.
 * Terrorism was not a problem anymore.
 * Stolypin realized that brute force cannot solve everything.
 * Feared violence would break out further.
 * Abolished redemption payments.
 * Abolished communes that controlled them.
 * He hoped working peasants would leave communes and set up their own farm.
 * He thought farmer land would grow rich, because they become more productive.
 * Peace with countryside therefore no revolution.
 * Industry grew wages increased and there was good harvest.
 * Millions of peasants set up their own land and set to make more efficient farms.
 * A terrorist who worked for him shot him.

Overall- Improved Russian Conditions


 * Rasputin**
 * Alexandra and Nicholas was involved with a peasant who claimed to be a holy man of god- starlet.
 * Two ladies introduced a man who claimed to have healing and powers of prophecy.
 * He became the most trusted member of their court after healing Alexis.
 * Nicholas and Alexandra refused to listen to Rasputin's bad deeds.
 * Raping a nun.
 * Participating in sex orgies.
 * Politicians gained promotion by being friendly with Rasputin.
 * Businessmen who entertained Rasputin got government contracts easily.
 * Rumors of Rasputin having an affair with Alexandra.
 * It’s as if only the public knew about his corruption.

=__ Summary: __= Russia is very large country. The sun rises in the east while it sets in the west. Only a small percentage of Russia is suitable for farming. Most of it lies for wastage. All of Rusia is ruled under a Tsar/ Emperor. He ruled with unlimited power with the help of the church, Cossaks, and Ohrana. There were three main "groups", Socialist Revolutionary Party, the Social democratic Party- split into the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks, and the Liberals. All 3 wanted different futures for Russia. In 1905, war against Japan,it made Russia lose face and got its country into the worst living conditions ever. People struggled to survive and went on strike, which led to the bloody Sunday. Stolypin becomes new prime minister employed by Nicholas to prevent outbreaks of revolutions, but later on killed. Rasputin heals Alexis of a incurable disease and gains a lot of influence. Rasputin was considered a drunk and a sex fanatic.

= Questions: = The other 95% is too cold for agriculture and raising a family.
 * 1) Why is only 5 percent Russia fit for farming?**

Rasputin was considered a "spiritual" healer and had gotten lucky once by saving Alexis from bleeding to death. There are many theories of how Rasputin saved Alexis, but it is still in debate today.
 * 2) Describe how Rasputin became so popular in the Tsar's court?**

Good- Abolished redemption payments, abolished the commune system. Bad- Arrested over a thousand "terrorist"s and sent all of them on exile.
 * 3) Is Stylopin a good or a bad man? Discuss.**

It made Russia weaker. It had lost its powerful navy and had just entered an economic crisis. Russia was unable to support its population.
 * 4) What effect of the Russian-Japanese war had on Russia?**

Bolsheviks thought a small group of dedicated and skilled revolutionaries should lead the party. Mensheviks thought there should be a mass party with as many working class as possible and ran democratically.
 * 5) What were the key difference that separated the Social Democratic Party.**