Part+1+11.10.10

This is my piece of homemade awesomeness; it's a visual representation of my notes from chapters 1-4. I learn best visually through drawings and diagrams, so these notes make studying much easier for me. media type="youtube" key="MgOLaRInUog?fs=1" height="385" width="480" This video is about Bloody Sunday, a massacre which occurred before the revolution in 1905. This massacre sparked riots and strikes against the government; it explains what happened on that day in much detail. The video also contains some context, and provides deeper understanding into what led into the revolution in 1905.
 * Awesomeness!**


 * Chapter 1:** The Russian Empire **in 1900**
 * Russia = very big, very cold
 * 95% of land useless for farming
 * 5% used for farming
 * ruled by //Tsar// (emperor), Nicholas II
 * many different nationalities
 * < half Russians, 60% of subjects foreign
 * people spread unevenly across country, mainly on 5%
 * Chapter 2: The Government of** Russia
 * Tsar Nicholas II = autocrat
 * does not have to share power, did whatever he wanted
 * did not take governing seriously, uneducated, bored, immature
 * wife: Alexandra = German, confident, strong willed, encouraged autocracy
 * only son = Alexis = had uncurable blood disease, sworn to secrecy
 * 125 million governed by civil servants, organised like army in Table of Ranks
 * collected taxes, made sure of decisions
 * underpaid, took bribes
 * secret police force: Okhrana (Protective Selection)
 * censoring, spying, arresting, trying political prisoners, exiling
 * Cossacks = fierce soldiers, broke up mobs by killing
 * Russian Orthodox Church = helped government using teachings to be loyal to gov.
 * Chapter 3: Russian Society**
 * THE PEASANTS
 * 80% of population
 * //serfdom// = slaves of landlords, no rights, freedom, or land
 * freed from serfdom in 1861 by Alexander II, didn't make things better (//mir// = village commune, pay for land, but land got smaller)
 * life = hard, half newborns die before 5 y.o, disease, malnutrition
 * THE TOWN WORKERS
 * worked in towns/cities in factories/mines until harvest time
 * largest city = St Petersburg = capital, population growing
 * miserable wages, low living standards, 11.5 work hours, etc
 * easily replaced, unemployed people = plentiful, unable to improve conditions or revolt
 * THE RICH
 * Russian nobles = very rich, only 1% of population, owned 25% of land
 * new class of Russians becoming rich = the capitalists
 * made money from trade, industry, banking
 * easy money from Minister of Finance, Sergei Witte, low taxes, loans, contracts, easy profit
 * hated by slums/boarding houses in Russian cities
 * Chapter 4: Opponents of the Tsar**
 * March 1881: Tsar Alexander II blown up by terrorist group = People's Will
 * one of many small terrorist groups wanting to destroy autocracy
 * led to tightened control of opposition to government
 * SOCIALIST REVOLUTIONARY PARTY
 * wanted all land to be given to village communes for bigger shares of land (take away land from rich)
 * Fighting Organisation = organise terrorist campaigns, assassinations etc.
 * gained support from peasants wanting their own land, but behind on payment
 * SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY
 * set up in 1898, followed Karl Marx = written Communist Manifesto in 1848
 * predicted violent overthrowing of capitalists, //socialism// = take away wealth and sharing equally
 * people work for good of everyone, stop being selfish
 * //communism// = people work to ability, paid to their needs
 * split into two groups, could not agree so stayed separate
 * Bolsheviks = revolution organised by small group, led by Vladimir Illyich Lenin
 * Mensheviks = democratic, mass party with as many members as possible, elections, etc, led by Julis Martov
 * LIBERALS
 * supported Tsar, wanted him to share his power, democratic government, w/ parliament
 * Alexander II had plans for parliament, but was blown up
 * Chapter 5: The 1905 Revolution**
 * 1904: war against Japan (for control of Korea/Manchuria )
 * //Tsar// wanted war, thought quick victory = popularity, but war weakened his position
 * Russian fails, battle of Tsushima (all but 3 ships destroyed)
 * made conditions for working people worse, caused unemployment
 * 22 January, 1905: Bloody Sunday = 200 000 worker march towards Tsar 's palace in St Petersburg
 * aim = present Nicholas w/ petition, asking for better life, end of war
 * led by Father Gapon = priest sympathising with poor workers
 * 500 marchers killed, thousands wounded by soldiers
 * led to riots/strikes, murdering of gov. officials, assassination of Nicholas's uncle, started revolution against Tsar
 * 1905 revolution
 * June 1905: mutiny on battleship Potemkin, Tsar couldn't trust army
 * peasant rebellion in countryside, killing landlords, burning farms
 * foreign (Poles, Georgians) people declared independence from Russian rule
 * September 1905: general strike began, councils = Soviets set up as alt. gov.
 * October 1905: October Manifesto issued, granting an elected parliament = Duma, right to free speech, form political parties
 * proved to be untrustworthy when Soviets crushed, revolutionaries killed
 * March 1906: revolution over
 * crushed by Black Hundreds = bands of thugs massacring revolutionaries
 * formed a parliament, but useless by Fundamental Law ("Tsar has all power")
 * Chapter 6: The Aftermath of the 1905 Revolution**
 * THE DUMAS
 * first Duma: lasted 75 days, not allowed any real power
 * second Duma: 1907, contained SRs, SDs, liberals, lasted 3 months
 * third Duma: 1907, lasted 5 years, conservative politicians allowed by Nicholas, useless
 * Peter Stolypin : new, conservative, anti-revolutionary Prime Minister, appointed 1906
 * crushed terrorism with brute force w/ execution, exile
 * helped peasants to become owners of land, abolished redemption payments, hoped for bigger personal farms
 * conditions improved, economy grew, new, efficient farms, but then...
 * assassinated in 1911 by one of his own police agents
 * Rasputin = Gregory Efimovitch, Siberian peasant involved with royal family, claimed to be //Starets//, holy man of God
 * prayed and "healed" Alexis, became trusted member of court
 * disreputable, wild behaviour (alcohol, sex, rape), but trusted by royal family
 * influence over royal family increased, hatred of him increased, he was corrupted

Russia is very big and very cold, and the people are spread out unevenly; the Russian Empire in 1900 was ruled by the autocrat Tsar Nicholas II. Wealth and land was distributed unevenly in the social classes; the rich were always getting richer, and the poor were constantly being pushed down. Three main opponents of the Tsar were the Socialist Revolutionary Party, the Social Democratic Party (split into the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks) and the Liberals. In 1905, constant defeats in war against Japan sparked revolts against the Tsar, which led to strikes and the formation of a parliament, or Duma; the revolution was soon crushed by the government's military, and the Dumas rendered useless. After the revolution, a conservative Prime Minister was appointed and started making reforms; he was assassinated, and soon Rasputin came to power with his influence over the royal family.
 * Summary**

Who was Rasputin? How did he gain power over the royal family? List the three main opponents of the Tsar at the time. What were the two divisions of the Social Democratic Party and what is the difference between the two? What events led up to the revolution in 1905? What were the three main social classes at the time?
 * Questions**