1. Bernard Gumbayan Period 4

2.  Describe and analyze the long-term social and economic trends in the period 1860-1917 that prepared the ground for revolution in Russia.

3.  In 1861, the serfs were freed and received on average about half of the land. Yet they had to pay fairly high prices for their land, and because the land was owned collectively, each peasant village was jointly responsible for the payments of all the families in the village.  In 1864, the government established a new institution of local government called the zemstvo. The members of the zemstvo were elected by a three class system of towns, peasant villages, and noble landowners. Russian liberals would be disappointed with the zemstvo because it remained subordinate to the traditional bureaucracy and the local nobility.

4.  In the 1870’s, a small group of revolutionaries believed that killing the tsar could destroy the Russian state and in 1881, Alexander II would be assassinated. Without Alexander II, the era of reform came to an abrupt end.

5.  When Russia set its greedy eyes on Korea, Japan launched a surprise attack in February 1904. Japan scored repeated victories and Russia was forced in September 1905 to accept defeat.  The revolution started on a Sunday in January 1905, a massive crowd of workers and their families marched peacefully on the Winter Palace to present a petition to the tsar.  The guards did not know that Nicholas II fled the city and the troops opened fire, killing and wounding hundreds. This is the Bloody Sunday Massacre.

6.  The tsar issued the October Manifesto, which granted full civil rights and promised a popularly elected Duma with real legislative power.  The Duma was elected indirectly by universal male suffrage, and a largely appointive upper house could debate and pass laws, but the tsar had an absolute veto.

7.  In 1915, Russian soldiers were sent to the front without rifles and were told to find their arms among the dead. There were 2 million Russian casualties in 1915 alone.  Under the constitution resulting from the revolution of 1905, the tsar had retained complete control over the bureaucracy and the army. Legislation proposed by the Duma, which was weighted in favor of the wealthy and conservative classes, was subject to the tsar’s veto.

8.  Because of Nicholas II’s failure to form a close partnership with his citizens in order to fight the war more effectively, the Duma, the educated middle class, and the masses became more critical of the tsar’s leadership.  When Nicholas decided to temporarily adjourn the Duma and travel to the front to lead and rally Russian armies, he left his wife to lead with Rasputin.  After Rasputin was murdered in December 1916 for being accused of being the empress’s lover, food shortages worsened and morale declined.

9.  On March 8, 1916, women who wanted bread in Petrograd started riots that spread to the factories and the city.  Soldiers from the front were ordered to restore order, but the soldiers joined the revolutionary crowd.  The Duma responded by declaring a provisional government in March 12, 1917 and three days later, Tsar Nicholas II was abicated.

10. SOCIALECONOMIC  Freeing of the serfs.  Assassination of Alexander II  The Bloody Sunday Massacre  Zemstvo  Duma  October Manifesto