Chapters 7, Section 5 Russian Revolution Part I: The Beginning

Russia in 1815  Largest most populous nation in world  Rigid social structure –Majority of Russians were Serfs –Very small middle class –Landowning Nobles dominated society  Ceriman War (1855) revealed Russia’s lack of industrialization

Czars & the Russian People  Autocracy – czars had absolute power  People angry b/c social inequality & ruthless treatment from czars  Censorship, secret police, oppression of minorities Tsar Nicholas Tsar Alexander II

Russian Reforms  1861 – Emancipation (freeing) of Serfs –Serfs have to buy land – but have no money –Leads to more frustration –Did lead to urbanization in some areas  Zemstovs – local gov’t responsible for roads, schools, etc.. –Gave Russians experience in self-government  Other reforms: –Trial by jury –Military service terms were reduced –Brutal discipline was limited

Tsar Alexander III  Tsar Alexander II – Assassinated March 3, 1881  Tsar Alexander III response; wipe out all resistance –Increased power of secret police –Imposed strict Censorship –Exiled critics to Siberia –Persecution of Jews, Armenians, Poles, Finns, etc…  Pogroms – organized and sanctioned mob attacks on Jewish people.

Industrialization & Revolution  Russia begins industrialization late  Sergey Witte (Trans- Siberian Railway)  Unrest b/c of awful conditions, low wages, child labor - widening gap b/w RICH and POOR  Unrest leads to formation of revolutionary groups RichPoor

Crisis leads to Revolution  Russo-Japanese War: 1904 –Russians suffered one defeat after another –Leads to more discontent and riots  Bloody Sunday: –St. Petersburg January 22, 1905 –Peaceful protestors assembled –Tsar fled, soldiers fired into the crowd –Killed people –Killed the peoples faith and trust in the Tsar

Results of Bloody Sunday  The creation of the Duma (elected national legislature)  Caused a small revolt – Tsar put it down brutally, killed nearly 5,000 people  Duma was dissolved by the Tsar within a few months for criticizing the gov’t  Incrased the use of totalitarian tactics –Arrests, pogroms, and executions  By 1914 Russia was still an autocracy