Tsars
What is a Tsar?
Autocratic an unlimited monarch and God himself commands his supreme power to be obeyed.
What is a Duma?
An elected semi-representative body in Russia
Name the three coloured armies.
Green, Red and White.
What early event impacted on Lenin's view of the Tsars?
The hanging of his older brother in 1887 by Tsar Alexander III
Who were the two main groups in the Kronstadt Uprising?
The sailors of Kronstadt and the Bolsheviks
During the reign of the last Tsar, what were the percentages for each of the social classes?
Ruling class
Upper class
Middle class
Industrial working class
Peasantry
Ruling class 0.5%
Upper class 12%
Middle class 1.5%
Industrial working class 4%
Peasantry 82%
The second Duma was responsible for the following laws;
Suspending voting in districts
Suspending voting rights of peasants, urban workers and minority groups, and
Increased deputy roles among the gentry
What were these laws called?
Emergency State Laws
Name two countries that presented themselves as external threats.
Britain
Japan
America
Poland
Between what years was Lenin exiled to Siberia?
1895 to 1899
What was the policy that was implemented after this uprising? Did it go with or against ideas of socialism?
The New Economic Policy (NEP) and it was controversial because it went against values of socialism.
What were some major weaknesses of Tsar Nicholas II's character?
He was removed from the reality of Russian life, understood little of his subjects and their concerns. He relied on his advisers to give him information, which would often be false, as they did not wish to displease him.
He was not trained in statesmanship, and acknowledged himself that he had little knowledge being a ruler. As a result, he fell back on what he observed of his father's rule.
How long did the first and second dumas last?
First 73 days
Second 3 months
Why did the Red army win the Civil War?
Because they had a common purpose, they concentrated on defense, Trotsky was a ruthless and disciplined leader and the introduction of the CHEKA and terror.
Explain the following
Feudalism
Capitalism
Socialism
Communism
Feudalism: exploitation
Capitalism
Socialism
Communism
How many Red Army soldiers died, how many sailors were killed, and how many sailors were imprisoned?
Red Army = 10,000
Sailors killed = 5,000
Sailors imprisoned = 6,500
Explain the events and significance of Tsar Nicholas II's coronation.
Known as the Khodynka tragedy (18th May 1896)
A huge free banquet was held in Moscow park were 500,000 excited people were gathered. There was a rumor there was not enough gifts for all, causing a crowd stampede. In the panic, 1389 people were trampled to death and 1300 injured. Following this event, the Tsar's ability to control and manage the people was thrown into question
What were the Fundamental Laws, who passed it and when did they do this?
On April 23rd 1906, Tsar Nicholas passed the Fundamental Laws, which forbid the State Duma from passing any laws without his stamp of approval and gave him the power to appoint his own ministers who would be only accountable to him.
What were the CHEKA in charge of, other than terror?
Overseeing conscription
Border control
Exposing corruption and bribery in the Bolsheviks
Delivering famine and medical relief
Repairing the railways after the Civil War
Name the government that took over after the Tsar's abdication and give examples of their key policies.
The Provisional Government.
Some of there key policies included;
Freedom of speech
Freedom of the press
Freedom to form unions
Amnesty of political and religious prisoners under the Tsarist regime
Promise to vote for a constituent assembly that is representative of all Russia.
Local elections
Ceased existence of the Okharana
What defense did the Bolsheviks give for their execution of the Kronstadt sailors?
Trotsky claimed the sailors had demonstrated unreliable behaviour and fickle loyalty since the October Revolution, so were considered an anti-revolutionary movement.
The Kronstadt sailors were too mighty a force not to be defeated. In order to prevent more violence, they needed to use counter-violence to restore peace.
Tsar Nicholas II had proven time and time again that he had lost connection with his people and was unwilling to give them reform. List all major instances of this (events and actions).
Bloody Sunday
Breaking the promises of the October Manifesto
Dismissing the first two dumas
Implementing the Fundamental Laws
Approving of Stolypin's repressive actions
Entering the war as the commander
The political and economic chaos of Russia during the War
Refusing to make changes in times of crisis
Which duma saw the casualty of up to 500 people and what was it called?
The fourth duma
The Lena Goldfields massacre
What did War Communism include?
Abolition of private trade
Abolition of money and introducing trading of goods
Grain requisition, to be carried out by grain requisitioning squads
Introduction of grain tax
Centralization of labour so that all wages were the same
What did Lenin's April Thesis cover?
It demanded the transition of power from the Provisional Government to a dictatorship. It criticised the Provisional Government, Russia's involvement in the war and ownership of private land. He claimed becoming a parliamentary republic would be a 'step backwards'.
What was ironic about the aftermath of the Kronstadt Uprising?
Several demands that the sailors listed, such as the rescinding of War Communism and establishing of trade, were later granted by the party.