19th century Russia

• Red: 1800 Pink: Additions to 1900

Red: 1800 Pink: Additions to 1900

Ethnicities of Russian EmpireGreat Russians Ukrainians PolesWhite Russians Jews KirghizTartars Finns GermansLatvians Bashkirs LithuaniansArmenians Roumanians EstoniansMordvinians Georgians TadzhiksTurkmens And many other smaller groups

• Ethnic Russians made up less than HALF of the total population!

How was Russia Ruled?

• Unlimited or absolute monarchy

• Nobility served the crown

• Nobility also ran central government

Orthodox Church

Most deeply religious‘Red corner’ at home

Priests paid by state

Blind obedience to God =

Blind obedience to Tsar

Alexander I (19th Century)

• “Savior of Europe” in 1812

Grande Army Defeated!

TsarRoyal FamilyNobles/Landlords/(Gentry)

Middle Class

WORKERSFreed

Peasants (Controlled)

Semi-Free Peasants

(Indentured Servants)

Serfs (Slaves)

Russian Society:

~80%

~1%

~5-6%

~2-3%

6-8%

Russian Society:• In 1855, 5/6 of European

Russians are peasant serfs

– 1/2 private– 1/2 state-owned

• Owners supply means to live• Serfs treated like slaves

– Physically punish– Send to army– Sale, trade, mortgage

• Diet– Cabbage soup– Rye bread– Gruel

• Permission to:– Marry– Travel

~90% serfs/ ~5% Middle Class/~5% Gentry

Life Expectancy =35 Years

Nobility/Landowners• Upper classes

supported serfdom

• Mortgaged land & peasants

• Fabulous wealth for some

• “Best police force” for the Tsar

Middle Class• Very Few• Professionals• Enlightenment ideals

– Critical of ‘backward Russia’

Decembrist Revolt! 1815

Nicholas I

• Autocracy

• Orthodoxy

• Nationality

-est. Third Section(Secret Police) to enforce

Crimean War 1855

Growing Problems in Russian Society

• Serfdom becoming outdated• Failure to join the Industrial

Revolution• Weak systems

–Banking–Transport–Government

Two Distinct Views Emerge

Conservative• Suspicious of the west• Suspicious of

Enlightenment ideas• Believed Russians

naturally superior• Believed in own

traditional view of the world

• Supported the tsar

Liberal•More critical of Russia•More education led to questioning of Russia’s ways•Believed Russia was backward•Believed Russia was out of step w/modern world•Disagreed over what to do about it

-Limit tsar-Overthrow tsar

Alexander II “Tsar Liberator”

• Enacted radical reforms over:– Serfs

• “It is better to abolish serfdom from above than to wait for the time when it will begin to abolish itself from below.”

– Local Government– Education– Law– Army

• Despite well-intentioned reforms– Assassins threatened constantly– Forced to travel w/armed guard

Growth of Opposition

•Despite reforms, political climate grew more threatening

•Reform allowed dissent to grow

•Demands never granted-Constitution-National Assembly

•Student movementStudy abroad

Assassination(s) of Alexander II• 1866 Student shot & missed• 1867 Polish man failed attempt in

Paris• 1879 3 bombs on trains from

Crimea– 1st Tsar took another route– 2nd Bomb failed to explode– 3rd Exploded under wrong train

• 1880 bomb in Winter Palace– Carpenter infiltrated– Killed 40 Finnish soldiers in dining

room but not the tsar• 1881 bomb thrown

– Killed Cossack guard– Alexander stepped out to help– 2nd bomb thrown kills tsar– Blew his legs off

Aftermath

Alex III

Alexander Ulyanov

‘Savior of the Spilt Blood’Built on site of assassination

Pogrom

Alexander III and Nicholas II

• REACTIONary!!! Abandonment of

Alexander II’s liberal reform policies

Series of repressive measures Censorship Russification Implemented by son

Alexander III & grandson Nicholas II

In “reaction” to terrorist movement

Industrialization Continues

• Trans Siberian Railway

• Working Class expands-see article in Stearns on p.

Reaction to “Bloody Sunday”(and the other problems to an extent)

(…or why did it end?)