Question

1) What were the social, economic and political conditions in Russia before 1905?
2)Why did the Tsarist autocracy collapse in 1917?

Answer 1

(a) Social Conditions: The majority religion was Russian Orthodox Christianity which had grown out of the Greek Orthodox Church. But the empire also included Catholics, Protestants, Muslims and Buddhists. The non-Russian nationalities were not treated equal to that of Russian nationalities. They were not given the freedom to follow their culture and language. Workers were divided into group on the basis of skill and training. Peasants formed their group called commune or mir.

(b) Economic conditions: The majority of Russians were agriculturists. Grain was the main item of export from Russia. Industries were few. Prominent industrial areas were St Petersburg and Moscow. Much of the production was done by the craftsmen. There were large factories alongside the craft workshops. With the expansion of the Russian rail network, foreign investment in factories grew. There were huge coal, iron and steel production. There were equal numbers of factory workers and craftsmen. The workers were exploited by capitalists who made their life miserable.

 

(c) Political Conditions: Russia was a monarchy. (Tsar Nicholas II ruled Russia and its empire that extended to current-day Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, parts of Poland, Ukraine and Belarus. It stretched to the Pacific and comprised today’s Central Asian states, as well as Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan). The Tsars believed in the divine rights of kings. They were not responsible to the Parliament. All political parties were illegal in Russia.

Answer 2

Hola mate

Here is your answer -

1) The Social, economic and political conditions in Russia before 1905 was backward:

• Social Conditions: 85% of Russia's population was agriculturist. The industries were there, but rarely they were privately owned. Workers were divided on the basis of their occupation. They mainly migrated to cities for employment in factories. The peasant community was deeply religious but did not care much about the nobility. They believed that land must be divided amongst themselves.

• Economic Condition: Russia was going through a bad period economically. Prices of essential good rise while real wages decreased by 20% leading to the famous St. Petersburg strike. This strike started a series of events that are together known as the 1905 Revolution. During this revolution, there were strikes all over the country, universities closed down, and various professionals and workers established the Union of Unions, demanding the establishment of a constituent assembly.

• Political Condition: Political parties were illegal before 1914. The Russian Social Democratic Workers Party was founded in 1898 by socialists who respected Marx’s ideas. In 1903, this party was divided into two groups - Mensheviks and Bolsheviks. The Bolsheviks, who were in majority, were led by Lenin who is regarded as the greatest thinker on socialism after Marx.

2) The Tsarist collapsed in 1917 due to the following reason:

• With in Russia a democratic groups had become more vigorous. The Czar however still regard as his secret duty to preserve absolute authority.
• The Russian people wanted that war should come to an end. The Czar had already mismanaged the war and he insisted on continuing to take part in it.
• The peasants were extremely dissatisfied. They wanted that cultivable land should be given to that tiller's but the autocratic government did not pay any heed to their demands.
• The working conditions of the workers were deplorable. There was a General demand that the industries should be controlled by the workers themselves. However the Czars and the ruling classes favored
• There was widespread discontent against the autocratic rule of Czar. The royal family did not enjoy people respect because of the influence of Rasputin. The Russian autocracy was bound to collapse as it had no support from the people.