Alexander III and Nationalities
This flashcard set examines the reign of Alexander III, focusing on his repressive policies, treatment of ethnic minorities, and the historiographical interpretations of his rule. Featuring quotes from historians like Etty, Westwood, and Figes, it also includes key facts about Russification, the Manifesto on Unshakable Autocracy, and the ethnic makeup of the Russian Empire—ideal for students studying late Imperial Russia and the roots of revolution.
John Etty Historiography
AIII “alienated almost every social, ethic and economic group in the Empire”
An “unintentional destroyer of tsarism”
Key Terms
John Etty Historiography
AIII “alienated almost every social, ethic and economic group in the Empire”
An “unintentional destroyer of tsarism”
Westwood historiography
It was in fact the “intensification of repression” which led to “further dissent in the empire”
Orlando Figes historiography
“the counter reforms of his reign were a vital turning point in the pre-history of the revolution”
When was the Manifesto on Unshakable Autocracy published?
29 April 1881, following AII assassination.
Ethnic minorities made up what percent of the population in Russia?
55% according to an 1897 (or 1879) census
When did AIII pass a law requiring all primary schools in Poland to teach in Russian?
1885
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
John Etty Historiography | AIII “alienated almost every social, ethic and economic group in the Empire” |
Westwood historiography | It was in fact the “intensification of repression” which led to “further dissent in the empire” |
Orlando Figes historiography | “the counter reforms of his reign were a vital turning point in the pre-history of the revolution” |
When was the Manifesto on Unshakable Autocracy published? | 29 April 1881, following AII assassination. |
Ethnic minorities made up what percent of the population in Russia? | 55% according to an 1897 (or 1879) census |
When did AIII pass a law requiring all primary schools in Poland to teach in Russian? | 1885 |
What did Lenin call ethnic minorities in Russia? | ‘prison of peoples’ |
Communist leaders who were ethnic minorities | Trotsky, Stalin and Khrushchev |
When did Poland and Finland declare independence? | 1917 |
Hen were Jews scapegoated by the Russian minister of the interior? | After the assassination of AII, he referred to the culprits as “a diabolical combination of Poles and Jews” |
How many Jewish people were hurt and injured in the worst pogrom? | 47 dead and 400 wounded |
How many restrictive decrees were passed against Jews during AIII’s reign? | Over 600 |
When were Land Captains introduced? What did they do? |
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When did AIII pass a law banning peasants from leaving the Mir? What was the consequence? |
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How did AIII extend the influence of the Church? | Made Pobodonostev Chief Procurator of the Holy Synod from 1880. Under his command 250 new churches and ten monasteries were built (each year?). It’s effectiveness is illustrated by Repin’s painting Religious Procession in Kursk Province - depicts a blind boy leading fervent masses with officer on horseback corralling the crowd. |
Who were the finance ministers under AIII? | Bunge 1881-‘87, Ivan Vyshnegradsky 1887-‘92, Sergei Witte 1892-1903. |
Between which years did coal production double in Russia? | 1881 and 1894 |
When did the Russian state have a budget surplus for the first time? | 1892 |
When did Bunge pass legislation to reduce threat of proletariat revolution and what was it? | 1882 Labour legislation to improve working conditions by factory inspection. |
When did Bunge retire and why? | 1887, because when he called for greater labour reforms he was branded a socialist by conservative ministers. His departure prevented AIII from ameliorating his relationship with the proletariat, who would form the bulwark of the revolutions of 1917. |
When was the Statute of State Security passed and what did it do? |
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What was the Statue of State Security according to Lenin? | “the real Russian constitution” |
By 1917 how many revolutionaries had been killed by the state? | 14,000 |
How was AIII successful in preventing greater education of peasants? | Schools were also forced to raise their fees to prevent the poorer classes gaining an education. Universities lost most of the freedoms gained under Alexander II and censorship was tightened considerably. |
When was the Okhrana founded? | 1881 |