Russian Industrial Revolution

Daily Lives

100

What happened when Stalin became the dictator of Russia?

People lost freedom, a core value in today’s world. The governing body had complete control over the public and those who tried to rebel were severely punished. Lastly, the country was not sufficiently capitalist to become socialist, and subsequently, communist.

300

What changes were made to the education system when Stalin took over?

A rigid program of discipline and education was implemented. And now, exams were reintroduced after being banned by the previous dictator, Lenin. And all the circulars were established by the government.

Social Class (Diff. Groups of People within the Region)

100

What happened to the serfs during Alexander the 1st’s rule?

So first, new laws allowed all classes, except the serfs, to own land, a privilege that was previously confined to the nobility. With the agricultural revolution, there was an increase in food supply and population in Russia. Therefore, life was made easier for all and the serfs were no longer needed to work in the fields that much due to job specialization. Most of the serfs moved to the industrial sector forming the “middle class” of Russia.

300

Why was the influx of population in Russian cities a negative effect?

Unlike other industrialized countries, Russia’s cities didn’t grow to accommodate their growing populations. The construction of new factories drew thousands of landless peasants into the cities in search of work. In time they formed a rising social class, the industrial proletariat- which were the freed serfs

Economy

100

Who was Sergei Witte? What was his original job?

He was a qualified mathematician with a proven track record of achievement, both in the tsarist bureaucracy and the private sector. In 1889 he was placed in charge of the Russian railway system, where he oversaw the planning and construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway.

300

Describe examples that made Russia’s industrial economy progress more in one decade than it had in the previous century.

New railways allowed transport into remote parts of the empire, allowing the construction and operation of factories, mines, dams, and other projects there

500

Name multiple consequences that came with Russia’s sudden economic transformation.

1. Construction of new factories drew thousands of landless peasants into the cities in search of work. 2. Increasing population was not matched by the construction of new housing, so industrial employers had to house workers in ramshackle dormitories and tenements. 3. Witte’s economic reforms had met, even exceeded national goals, but they also gave rise to a new working class that was exploited, poorly treated, clustered together in large numbers and therefore susceptible to revolutionary ideas

Environment

100

Why did 40% of Russia's territory began demonstrating symptoms of significant ecological stress by the 1990s?

It was due to a diverse number of environmental issues, including deforestation, energy irresponsibility, pollution, and nuclear waste.

300

Why were environmentally threatening incidents such as the bursting of an oil pipeline received little or no public notice?

Government officials felt that natural resources were abundant enough to afford waste, that the land could easily absorb any level of pollution, and that stringent control measures were an unjustifiable hindrance to economic advancement