Opposition

Lesson 2

Assassination of Alexander II ended his reign and began the reign of his son, the conservative Alexander III

What does this painting tell you about opposition in Russia?

Opposition in Russia

Opposition Overview

Think of three questions you would set on opposition as an examiner ?

• Why did the revolutions in 1917 succeed when other opposition failed?

• What are the similarities and differences between different opposition groups in the period?

• What common features in Russian history can be found that made opposition generally in the period so problematic and unsuccessful?

Opposition under Alex II 1866- 1881

• 1861 Peasant revolts after emancipation

• 1863-4 Polish Revolt• 1866 First Assassination

attempt on Alex II • 1867 Second Assassination

attempt on Alex II• 1873 The Polish Revolt • 1874 first Narodnik ‘going to the

people’• 1876 second Narodnik

movement• 1877 Land and liberty formed

• 1879 Another assassination attempt on Alex II

• 1879 Land and Liberty splits into -

• Black partition group (peaceful)

• Peoples Will ( violent)• 1881 Alex II assassinated

by Peoples Will

Political oppositionWesterners Intelligentsia Slavophiles

Anarchism Socialism

Narodniks ‘To the people’ 1874 + 1876

Land and Liberty 1876

Black partition 1877 People’s Will 1877

Peaceful tactics Assassination of Alex II 1881

Opposition under Alex III 1881-94 and Nicholas II 1894-1917

• Marxist opposition- Social Democrats 1898

• Peasant based opposition reborn in Socialist Revolutionary Party 1900

• Pan Slav movement encouraged nationalism in the Empire which aimed at independence

• Urban opposition due to industrialisation and urbanisation

• 1903 Bolsheviks and Mensheviks

• 1905 Revolution • 1905 Octobrists

( moderates)• 1905 Kadets ( liberals

who wanted constitutional monarchy)

Revolutionaries Revolutionaries Reformists

Marxists Populists ( Intelligentsia) Liberals

Social Democrats ( SDs) 1898

Peoples Will 1879 Nationalists

Bolsheviks and Mensheviks 1903

Social Revolutionaries (SRs) 1901

1905 Revolution and October Manifesto

Kadets 1905Octobrists 1905

1st + 2nd Dumas (1906-7) dominated by Kadets and SRs

3rd + 4th Dumas (1907-4) dominated by Octobrists and Rightists

Tasks

• Create a power point showing the dates, aims, methods, leaders, activities and relative success of the following opposition groups. Include pictures

• From the chapter ‘Reactions to Reform’ : Narodniks, Peoples Will, Black Repartition and Land and Liberty

• From the chapter ‘Opposition to Tsardom’ : Socialist Revolutionaries, Social Democrats, Mensheviks, Bolsheviks, Liberals and Kadets

How could you sort the opposition groups?

Any similarities?Any Differences?