HIS103Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 25: Russian Empire, Saint Petersburg
Nationalities questions
Austria-Hungary fearing collapse from each group trying to separate
Russians backing Slavs
Self-determination : cry both of national groups seeking own state and tool of great powers
Poland
▪
Ottoman Empire in South
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Expand to East, taking land from China
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Tsarist Russia is an empire made up of conquered people
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Not good enough in war against Japan in 1905
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Clear that economy, industry had not developed quickly enough
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Military-fiscal state had not developed to extent to enemy
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War sparks enormous growth in economy and military --> necessary to fight war
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Developments in Russian industry
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Not about being run-down by war
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Russian state not being able to administer massive changes in Russian society
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Effects of war, Russia not being able to meet challenges of war
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Inability to manage all of the dislocations that come with restructuring economy and industry
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Development in industry leads to overcharge in economy, which requires more labour
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Russia was not an industrialised society - not used to having large groups of workers
working in factories in cities --> needed to be fed / housed
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Where to get workers in Russia? --> countryside, peasants, brought to work in factories
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Dramatically increase working class size by millions during wars
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Goods need to be bought, workers paid --> Russia needs money
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Solution : produces more money --> inflation!!
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Russian workers' wages decline in value
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Society is being reorganized, and economy is producing material, but not providing
anything for workers making materials
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Fewer peasants working in fields : agriculture affected by industrialization
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Rail lines were not organized to transport foods to workers in cities
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Deprivation caused by administrative disconnect between city and countryside
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Strikes in cities, bread riots
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Economy / Industry Restructuring
▪
Causes of Collapse
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Low morale in Russian army
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Also not being fed
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Enormous casualties
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Convinced army won't fight for him anymore
▪
British won't house Romanovs
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Collapse of Russian state
▪
Kerensky promises that by the end of 1917 there will be an election in Russia to
elect new constituent assembly
Old autocratic rules of tsar are thrown out
Discrimination against Jews and other groups removed
Free speech / assembly restrictions lifted
Hope in Russia --> most autocratic state to most democratic state in Europe
Powerless parliament that now gains power - takes on temporary responsibility as head
of Russia
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Will protect cities / revolution until new assembly can be elected
Second level of government : Councils of workers and soldiers in cities --> Soviets
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Two governments left over
▪
March 1917 : first of Russian Revolution, outbreak of conflict in Russia --> convinces Tsar to
abdicate
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Collapse of Tsarist Russia amidst WW1
The Russian Revolution
March 13, 2017
7:36 PM
LECTURE Page 138
Document Summary
Austria-hungary fearing collapse from each group trying to separate. Self-determination : cry both of national groups seeking own state and tool of great powers. Tsarist russia is an empire made up of conquered people. Not good enough in war against japan in 1905. Clear that economy, industry had not developed quickly enough. Military-fiscal state had not developed to extent to enemy. War sparks enormous growth in economy and military --> necessary to fight war. Russian state not being able to administer massive changes in russian society. Effects of war, russia not being able to meet challenges of war. Inability to manage all of the dislocations that come with restructuring economy and industry. Development in industry leads to overcharge in economy, which requires more labour. Russia was not an industrialised society - not used to having large groups of workers working in factories in cities --> needed to be fed / housed. -> countryside, peasants, brought to work in factories.
