Question

List the major changes in the industrialization of Russia

Answer 1

1. For much of the 1800s Russia was a comparatively backward economy, dominated by agrarian production.
2. Defeat in the Crimean War triggered reforms, such as the abolition of serfdom to facilitate a mobile labour force.
3. The main instigator of economic reform was Sergei Witte, who attracted foreign investment in Russian industries.
4. Witte’s changes triggered a marked growth in industrial production and the movement of workers into the cities.
5. In economic terms the policy reforms were successful and helped Russia ‘catch up’ to western European powers – but they also created an industrial working class prone to grievances and revolutionary ideas.