1. РОССИЯ An Introduction to Pre-1917 Russia Mr. Bixon IBHistory
“A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma!”
-Winston Churchill commenting on Russia/USSR in 1939

2. Let me introduce you to Russia:
What is Russia? (Geography)
Who are the Russians? (Society)
What was Russia like under the Czars? (History)

3. Geography

4. RUSSIA-US SIZE COMPARISON

5. Physical Geography of the Russian Domain

6. 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

7. The Rus’

8. St. Cyril Cyrilic

9. Foundation of Kiev & Moscow
Kiev - 1st Russian state
Founded by 3 Viking brothers
Mongols overrun in 13th century
Moscow - Russians begin cooperation with Mongols

10. 1400’s

11. The First CZAR Ivan III Czar? Tsar? How? / Why? And what does
It all mean anyway?
Refusing the Khan
Zoe (Sophia) of Byzantium

12. 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”

13. Ivan IV “The Terrible” Consolidated power in 16th century
Ruthless, killed all who opposed
Established law
Built St. Basil’s

14. The Romanov’s ( )
Michael Nicholas II

15. Peter the Great ( )

16. Catherine the Great German princess Ruled 1762 to 1796 Expanded empire
Married heir to throne
An ‘incompetent moron’
Consented to his murder
Ruled 1762 to 1796
Expanded empire
Defeated Ottomans
Swallowed Poland

17. Red: 1800 Pink: Additions to 1900

18. Ethnicities of Russian Empire
Great 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!

19. How was Russia Ruled? Unlimited or absolute monarchy
Nobility served the crown
Nobility also ran central government

20. Blind obedience to Tsar
Orthodox Church
Most deeply religious
‘Red corner’ at home
Priests paid by state
Blind obedience to God =
Blind obedience to Tsar

21. Alexander I (19th Century)
“Savior of Europe” in 1812

22. Grande Army Defeated!

23. ~80% Russian Society: ~2-3% ~10% ~5-6% ~1% Freed Peasants (Controlled)
Tsar
Royal Family
Nobles/Landlords/
(Gentry)
Middle Class
Freed Peasants
(Controlled)
Semi-Free Peasants
(Indentured Servants)
Serfs (Slaves)
~2-3%
~10%
~5-6%
~80%

24. 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

25. Life Expectancy =35 Years

26. Nobility/Landowners Upper classes supported serfdom
Mortgaged land & peasants
Fabulous wealth for some
“Best police force” for the Tsar

27. Middle Class Very Few Professionals Enlightenment ideals
Critical of ‘backward Russia’

28. Two Distinct Views Emerge
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
Conservative
Suspicious of the west
Suspicious of Enlightenment ideas
Believed Russians naturally superior
Believed in own traditional view of the world
Supported the tsar

29. Growing Problems in Russian Society
Serfdom becoming outdated
Failure to join the Industrial Revolution
Weak systems
Banking
Transport
Government

30. Decembrist Revolt! 1815

31. Nicholas I Autocracy Orthodoxy Nationality -est. Third Section
(Secret Police) to enforce

32. Crimean War 1855

33. Alexander II
Nicholas I (father)

34. 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

35. Village Mir Local community Run by elders Responsibilities
Taxes to tsar
Select soldiers for army
Redistribute land
Justice
Internal passports
Mir definitions: commune, peace, world
Current name of Soviet space station
A Mir is a local village community
Responsibilities
Run by elders
Tax Collection: payment to tsar’s gov’t
Selection of soldiers to meet gov’t quotas
Divide & redistribute lands
Handle most forms of justice/law/legal

36. Why did change not occur sooner?
Fear of change
Both peasants & nobility
Afraid of the west
Autocracy swept away
Fatalistic attitude of peasants
Thought only of their local village & problems
No concept of Russia as a great state
…As a result:
-Nobles unhappy
-Serfs not really free
(60 y mortgage!)

37. Growth of Opposition
Despite reforms, political climate grew more threatening
Reform allowed dissent to grow
Demands never granted
-Constitution
-National Assembly
Student movement
Study abroad

38. What to do? OR What is to be done? Nikolai Chernyshevsky
Alexander Herzen
“The Bell”
What to do? OR
What is to be done?
Nikolai
Chernyshevsky

39. 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

40. 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.
NIHILISM
Nothing

41. NARODNIKI “Going to the People” Movement (Populists)
Peaceful
Evolution
Violent Revolution
HELL
Land and Liberty
People’s Will
1866 Dmitry
Karakozov
Black Partition
Vera Zasulich
1878
Vera Figner

42. Assassination(s) of Alexander II
1866 Student shot & missed
1867 Polish man failed attempt in Paris
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

43. Aftermath ‘Savior of the Spilt Blood’ Built on site of assassination
Alex III
Alexander Ulyanov
‘Savior of the Spilt Blood’
Built on site of assassination

44. Alexander III and Nicholas II
REACTIONary!!!
Abandonment of Alexander II’s liberal reform policies
Series of repressive measures
Censorship
Russification
Implemented by son Alexander III & grandson Nicholas II
In “reaction” to terrorist movement