1. Was he up to the task of ruling Russia?
 Extension: use further evidence from Figes, ‘A People’s Tragedy’, p.18-21
SHP source task. See pages 26-9 and worksheet
Following the unexpected death of his father Alexander III in 1894, Nicholas II acceded to the Russian imperial throne in 1894.
Was he up to the task of ruling Russia?

2. The basement room where Nicholas and his family were shot in July 1918
From this ……..
Scenes from the coronation of Russia's last Tsar Nicholas II in May 1896; this is one of the oldest filmed moving images in existence, and one of the first examples of a significant news event being filmed to be shown to audiences worldwide.
To this ….
The basement room where Nicholas and his family were shot in July 1918

3. Lesson Objectives
Know who Nicholas II was and understand how he has been perceived.
Explain the arguments for and against Nicholas II being up to the task of ruling Russia.
Evaluate the evidence to reach an overall judgment about whether Nicholas II was up to the task of ruling Russia.

4. What qualities did the next Tsar need to be successful?
List five qualities that you believe the next Tsar of Russia needed to be successful. Then consider how this list might have varied between different types of people in Russia.

5. Who was Nicholas II?
Nicholas II (18 May 1864 – 17 July 1918 was Tsar of Russia for 24 years, from the death of his father in 1894 until he was forced to give up the throne in 1917.
His reign was a time of social unrest, political violence, war and revolution that left Russia on the brink of collapse.
Many of Nicholas II’s contemporaries, as well as later historians, have suggested that the Tsar’s conservative attitude, indecisiveness and personal weakness was at least partly responsible for this chaos.
Nicholas II was forced to abdicate after a revolution in Him and his family were imprisoned and later executed. He was the last Tsar of Russia.

6. Was Nicholas II up to the task of ruling Russia?
Complete your table by analysing the sources to find evidence for and against Nicholas II being up to the task of ruling Russia.
Work individually.
You have 15 minutes.
Success Criteria
Explain what the source says about Nicholas II’s ability as Tsar.
Support each point with evidence from the sources.
Consider the reliability of the sources.
End

7. Was Nicholas II up to the task of ruling Russia?
Use the evidence you have gathered to write answers to the development questions on lined paper.
Work individually.
You have 15 minutes.
End

8. Nicholas II
‘Nicholas had no knowledge of the world or of men, of politics or government to help him make the difficult and weighty decisions that the Tsar alone must make.
The only guiding stars that he recognised were the inherited belief in the moral rightness of autocracy , and a religious faith that he was in God’s hands, and his actions were divinely inspired.
Historian Hans Rogger 1983
How far is this view supported by the sources pages 26 – 29 SHP? Annotate your copy of the quote.
Extension task: Choose three sources which show Nicholas at his worst, and three which reveal good points.
Alternative activities – see next slide

9. Was Nicholas II up to the task of ruling Russia?
Class Discussion!
Figes on Nick II
Was Nicholas II up to the task of ruling Russia?

10. Using all the information you have on Nicholas II sum him up in exactly 100 words!

11. Homework!
Your task is to write an answer to the following exam style question: …
Use the guidance sheet to help you.
Due in:

12. Was Nicholas II a good ruler of Russia?
Against
For
Use with sources on Tsar Nick II word document.

13. Is he the right man for the job?
Recognise this man?
Is he the right man for the job?

14. Was this the right man for the job?
Sergei Witte, Russian Finance Minister
Were Witte’s economic policies successful?

15. What can we learn from these statistics?
Can you find any evidence that the Russian economy improved significantly in the 1890s?
Why had Russian industrial development been so limited before the 1890s?
What policies might have led to industrial development in the 1890s?
Can you find any evidence that the improvement to the Russian economy was not that significant?

16. Lesson Objectives
Know who Sergei Witte was and describe his main policies.
Explain why the Russian government embarked on a program of industrialisation in the 1890s.
Evaluate the success of Witte’s economic policies.

17. Who was Sergei Witte?
Sergei Witte (29 June – 13 March 1915) was a highly influential member of the Russian government, who served as Finance Minister for 11 years from 1892.
Witte developed and implemented a set of economic policies, known collectively as the ‘Witte system’.
These policies led to a period of economic and industrial development in Russia, known as the ‘Great Spurt’.
Witte’s ideas had attracted the attention of the Tsar because industrialisation was seen as the best way of improving the Russian armed forces. The primary motivation was military, rather than economic.
Witte was one of the most capable Russian ministers, but he was not easy to get along with and had many enemies amongst the upper class and in 1903 they forced his transfer to a lesser post.

18. Barriers to Russian industrial development
Lack of investment capital: Russia’s economy was based mainly on agriculture, but the farming methods used were extremely inefficient. For example, Russian farmers produced half the amount of crops per square foot as British farmers at the time. This meant that Russia could not produce enough surplus grain to export to raise the capital (money) needed to invest in industrial development.
Small middle class: The educated middle class had driven industrialisation in other European countries by opening factories and creating a demand for manufactured goods. However, the Russian middle class was virtually non-existent, accounting for only 1.5% of the population, meaning there was no one driving industrial development.
Restriction on the movement of peasants: Despite the Emancipation of the Serfs in 1861, Russian peasants were still unable to leave their land without the permission of the Mir (village elders). This limited the migration of workers to the towns and cities needed to swell the workforce and sustain industrial development.
Poor infrastructure: Russia was a vast country with poor roads, almost no rivers running from west to east and few railways. In 1880 Britain had approximately 5,000 miles more rail track than Russia despite being a much smaller country. This further limited the movement of workers, restricted internal trade and hindered the movement of raw materials.

19. Witte’s economic policies
State capitalism: Under the ‘Witte system’ the central government used its authority to sponsor and direct economic and industrial development. This is known as state capitalism.
Foreign investment: Witte secured massive inward foreign investment from other European countries, such as Britain, Belgium and France to raise the capital (money) needed for industrial development.
Increased taxation: Witte raised taxes for Russian peasants to provide the government with additional capital (money) to invest in industrial development.
Encouragement of private enterprise: Witte encouraged members of the ruling and upper class to invest their wealth in industry. Investment of this nature by groups or individuals, rather than the state, is known as private enterprise
Development of the railways: Witte invested heavily in the development of the Russian railway system. 110,000 miles of railway between 1881 and This included the 3,750 mile Trans-Siberian Railway that opened in 1902, stretching from St. Petersburg in the west to Vladivostok in the east.

20. What were Witte’s policies?
Draw lines to link Witte’s policies to the problems they solved.
Work individually.
You have 10 minutes.
Extension: Which of Witte’s policies do you think was the most significant in terms of improving the Russian economy? Explain your answer.
End

21. How successful were Witte’s policies?
Copy the statements into the correct column on your table depending on whether they suggest Witte’s policies were successful or not.
Work individually.
You have 15 minutes.
Extension: How would you compare the economic impact of Witte’s policies to their social and political impact?
End

22. End Five in Five! Who was Sergei Witte?
Can you write answers to the five questions in the box on the right in under five minutes?
Who was Sergei Witte?
List three problems that had prevented Russia from industrialising prior to the 1890s.
Why did the government decide to intervene in industrial development in the 1890s?
List three of Witte’s policies.
How successful were Witte’s policies?
5 minutes
End

23. What conclusions can we draw from the data?
Plenary
Read p22 Murphy and complete the activity: Were Witte’s policies successful?
What conclusions can we draw from the data?
Was Witte’s aim to industrialise the Russian economy a success?
Did Witte achieve his aim of helping Russia to catch up with its Great Power rivals?
Use page 22 Murphy

24. Plenary Which statement best fits you?
“The Great Spurt was a glorious success and helped to transform Russia’ economy”
“The Great Spurt was a moderate economic success”
“Witte you swine! You’ve ran Russia into the ground. The Great Spurt was a total failure”

25. Sergei Witte preparing for his timed essay!
 Homework
“How far do you agree that Sergei Witte’s policies were successful in modernising the Russian economy in the period ?”
See page 7 my revision notes for some help / Alternative essay: To what extent did the Russian economy improve in the period ?
See page 2 of russia essay bank on weebly includes a useful handout.
Sergei Witte preparing for his timed essay!

26. Homework!
Your task is to write an answer to the following exam style question: …
Use the guidance sheet to help you.
Due in:

27.  Your task Reforms introduced by Witte Impact of Witte’s reforms
How successful were attempts to modernise Russia. Complete a chart similar to the one below. Use Murphy p to do this.
Extension: Supplement your notes with Lynch, p
Reforms introduced by Witte
Impact of Witte’s reforms

28. Witte’s reforms Overseas loans and investments
High domestic taxes interest rates to raise capital
Limited import of foreign goods (to stop Russian money going abroad)
Value of rouble linked to value of gold to keep it high
Expansion of railway system, e.g. Trans-Siberian Railway (opened 1902)
Improving balance of trade (e.g , Russia exporting 186m. roubles more than importing)
Increasing industrial output, e.g. coal, iron, grain

29. Problems
Industrial expansion was a global phenomenon – not just work of Witte & ‘Great Spurt’
Too dependent on foreign investment
Light industry underinvested & agriculture ignored
Military requirements & conservatism impeded progress
Overcrowding in cities
Unemployment
Poor working conditions caused industrial unrest
High inflation ( , 40%)

30. The situation in the Russian countryside
Read p on ‘The impact of emancipation’ and make a list of the successes & problems of emancipation.
 Extension: Think of a speech bubble that summarises the views of the peasant in the picture in 50 words.
Don’t be rude, the Okhrana may come after you!
The situation in the Russian countryside

31. Successes 80% of population serfs emancipated
Land & property ownership for serfs
Potential to modernise farming techniques

32. Problems Redemption payments Repayment over 49 years
Village communes controlled serfs
Village elders redistributed land & gave permission to leave village
Population growth – doubling to 130m ( )
Subsistence farming continued
Indebted landowners used government money for agricultural improvement to pay off loans