РОССИЯAn Introduction to

Pre-1917Russia

Mr. BixonIBHistory

“A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma!”

-Winston Churchill commenting on Russia/USSR in 1939

Let me introduce you to Russia:• What is Russia? (Geography)

• Who are the Russians? (Society)

• What was Russia like under the Czars? (History)

Geography

RUSSIA-US SIZE COMPARISON

Physical Geography of the Russian Domain

The Slavic Peoples

•Slavs from Europe split into groups which became nationalities:

•Czechs and Slovakians•Poles•Ukrainians•Serbians ( along with Yugoslavs meaning Southern Slavs)•Russians•Bulgarians

The Rus’

St. Cyril Cyrilic

Foundation of Kiev & Moscow

• Kiev - 1st Russian state– Founded by 3 Viking

brothers

• Mongols overrun in 13th century

• Moscow - Russians begin cooperation with Mongols

1400’s

The First CZAR

• Ivan III

• Czar?

• Tsar? How? / Why?

And what does

It all mean anyway?

Zoe (Sophia) of Byzantium

Refusing the Khan

Ivan III -- Ivan the Great

• Ivan III (1462 to 1505)

• Defeated Mongols

• Named himself ‘tsar’– Caesar (emperor) in

Russian

• Tripled territory

• Moscow: “The Third Rome”

Ivan IV “The Terrible” • Consolidated power in 16th

century• Ruthless, killed all who opposed• Established law• Built St. Basil’s

The Romanov’s (1613-1917)

Michael Nicholas II

Peter the Great (1672 -1725)

Catherine the Great

• German princess– Married heir to throne– An ‘incompetent moron’– Consented to his murder

• Ruled 1762 to 1796• Expanded empire

– Defeated Ottomans– Swallowed Poland

• Red: 1800 Pink: Additions to 1900

Red: 1800 Pink: Additions to 1900

Ethnicities of Russian EmpireGreat Russians Ukrainians Poles

White Russians Jews Kirghiz

Tartars Finns Germans

Latvians Bashkirs Lithuanians

Armenians Roumanians Estonians

Mordvinians Georgians Tadzhiks

Turkmens 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!

Tsar

Royal Family

Nobles/Landlords/

(Gentry)

Middle Class

Freed Peasants

(Controlled)

Semi-Free Peasants

(Indentured Servants)

Serfs (Slaves)

Russian Society:

~80%

~1%

~10%

~5-6%

~2-3%

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’

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

Growing Problems in Russian Society

• Serfdom becoming outdated• Failure to join the Industrial

Revolution• Weak systems

–Banking–Transport–Government

Decembrist Revolt! 1815

Nicholas I

• Autocracy

• Orthodoxy

• Nationality

-est. Third Section(Secret Police) to enforce

Crimean War 1855

Alexander II

Nicholas I (father)

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

Village Mir

• Local community• Run by elders• Responsibilities

– Taxes to tsar– Select soldiers

for army– Redistribute land– Justice– Internal

passports

Why did change not occur sooner?

Fear of changeBoth peasants & nobility

Afraid of the westAutocracy swept away

Fatalistic attitude of peasantsThought only of their local village & problemsNo concept of Russia as a great state

…As a result:-Nobles unhappy-Serfs not really free(60 y mortgage!)

Growth of Opposition

•Despite reforms, political climate grew more threatening

•Reform allowed dissent to grow

•Demands never granted-Constitution-National Assembly

•Student movementStudy abroad

What to do? OR What is to be done?

Nikolai Chernyshevsky

Alexander Herzen “The Bell”

Narodniks

• Intellectuals “going to the people” in 1874 & 1876

• Dressed as peasants to convince them of need for revolution

• Failed miserably– Didn’t understand– Denounced – Turned in to

authorities

Mikhail Bakunin

NIHILISM

I reverse the phrase of Voltaire, and say that if God really existed, it would be necessary to abolish him.

The passion for destruction is also a creative passion.

Nothing

NARODNIKI “Going to the People” Movement (Populists)

Violent Revolution

PeacefulEvolution

Land and Liberty People’s Will

HELL

Black Partition

Vera Zasulich1878

1866 DmitryKarakozov

Vera Figner

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 Abandonment of

Alexander II’s liberal Alexander II’s liberal reform policiesreform policies

Series of repressive Series of repressive measures measures CensorshipCensorship RussificationRussification Implemented by son Implemented by son

Alexander III & grandson Alexander III & grandson Nicholas IINicholas II

In “reaction” to terrorist In “reaction” to terrorist movementmovement