Russia: The rule of the Tsar and why it collapsed (1903-1914)

Why did the rule of the Tsar collapse?

Life under the Tsar

Nationalities:

Only 40% of Tsar's people spoke Russian. Poles and Finns hated Russian rule. Jews suffered racial prejudice from the government.

Peasants:

• Around 80% of Russia’s population were peasants living in communes
• Very poor living and working conditions
• Life expectancy of 40 in some regions
• Famine and Starvation was common
• Land was in short supply as Russian land was unsuitable for farming.
• Ancient farming techniques utilised
• Each family allotted a strip of land in one of the fields by the mir (peasant council)
• No basic education, many could not read/write
• Many peasants supported the Social Revolutionaries, mainly due to land

Aristocracy:

• 1.5% of society but owned 25% of the land
• Were generally loyal to the Tsar
• Often acted as local officials
• Greatest fear was that Peasants would rise and take their land

Work:

• Great concentration of workers in St Petersburg and Moscow
• Very poor working conditions
• Usually worked between harvests
• No government regulations
• Trade unions were illegal
• Low pay
• Unsafe
• Long hours (12-15 hours)

Capitalists:

• Main priority being management of the economy and controlling the workforce

The Tsar

General:

• Rulership was an autocracy
• Had total control without anyone else
• Tended to avoid making important decisions
• He felt threatened by able and talented ministers like Stolypin
• Appointed family members and friends to important positions (Nepotism)

Control:

Local governors were allowed to:

• Order police to arrest suspected opponents of the regime
• Make suspects pay heavy fine
• Introduce censorship of books, leaflets or newspapers

Also,

• Okhrana secret Police
• Army (Particularly Tsar loyal Cossacks)

Opposition to the Tsar

Liberals

• Middle class people
• Greater democracy required similar to Britain who had monarchy but strong government

SR’s

• Wanted to carve up huge estates of nobility and hand them over to peasants
• Group had killed two government officials
• Wide support in towns and country side

Social democratic party

• Bolsheviks (believed In revolution)
• Mensheviks (believed in revolution but didn’t think Russia was prepared)

1905 Revolution 

Caused because censorship was slightly relaxed which led to an increase in anti-government material. Government approved trade unions formed which led to people demanding for free unions through strikes. Tsar had also embarked on a war against Japan.

Bloody Sunday (22nd January 1905)

200,000 protesters led by the priest Father Gapon, came to Winter Palace to give a petition to the Tsar. Soldiers opened fire on the protesters and the Cossacks charged. The Tsar lost the respect of Father Gapon and the ordinary people of Russia.

After this event:

• Barricades in the street
• General strike paralysed Russian industry.
• Workers councils (Soviets) were formed in towns.
• Country side peasants murdered Landlords.
• Revolt on battleship Potemkin.

How Tsar survived

October Manifesto released

• People were offered Duma (elected parliament)
• Right to free speech
• Right to form political parties

Revolution had been completely destroyed by March 1906. The fact that the Tsar survived was mainly down to the loyalty of the Army.

Fundamental laws were then put in which allowed the existence of Duma but restricted it to such a standard that it was virtually powerless.

Stolypin 

Appointed in 1906 as Prime Minister. He used a ‘carrot and stick’ approach to problems. Over 20,000 strikers, protesters and revolutionaries were exiled and 1000 hanged. He allowed wealthier peasants (kulaks) to buy up land. The kulaks made larger and more efficient farms. Production increased significantly. Stolypin attempted to boost Russias industries, and succeeded however Russia was still behind modern industrial powers. Wages, working conditions, etc were still pretty bad. Was assassinated in 1911.

Rasputin

Rasputin managed to control the bleeding of the Tsars son. He was therefore greeted as a miracle worker by the Tsarina. Rasputin was an unreliable man (drinker and womanizer) who gave advice on how to run the country

War

In August 1914, Russia entered the First World War. This made the Tsar popular amongst his people who felt patriotic. Anti-government strikes and demonstrations were abandoned.

The Army:

Russian army was an army of conscripts (13 million). Soldiers were originally enthusiastic, and were generally fighting to protect their country from Germany as opposed to showing loyalty to the Tsar. The German army was far more powerful and the soldiers were treated poorly by their aristocrat officers. They were also short of rifles, ammunition etc.

The Tsar took personal command of the army in September 1915. Didn’t make a difference as he was not an able commander. It did make him seem personally responsible for all the defeats. Soldiers started supporting the Bolsheviks.

War led to many widows and orphans needing state war pensions which they did not always receive. 3.5 million industrial jobs were introduced between 1914 and 1916. Working conditions just became even worse

Middle class:

Middle class set up their own medical organisations and joined war committees to send supplies to troops.

Aristocracy:

Wife was left in charge of the country. She was German and was potentially involved in an affair with Rasputin.