Russia 1894 - 1917 Autocracy and Opposition

Autocracy

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Russia's vast empire was an autocracy. This meant that the Tsar assumed absolute power over Russia. He believed that God has appointed him to his throne and the Russian Church supported this view too. The Tsar had the power to sack ministers and appoint people without having to consult any other figure.  Even with the rise of democracy in the early 20th century, Nicholas was committed to the idea that he was the sole ruler. Further this was backed up by his family history. Nicholas was a loyal and hard-working individual but he did not have the same ability and force as previous monarchs. Nicholas did his best to avoid the big, tough decisions in Russia. This was not suitable for an empire so vast in size. He carried out the smallest of tasks, instead of leading the country. For example, he replied to letters that were sent to him from the peasant class.

Autocracy

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Nicholas poorly organised his government officials also. It appears that he felt threatened by the presence of intelligent, capable individuals such as Sergei Witte and Peter Stolypin. He sacked Witte in 1906 and was going to sack Stolypin, until he was murdered.  Nicholas would not chair the Council of Ministers and preferred one-on-one meetings which led to rivalry and competition between ministers. Different departments would not even coordinate with each other. Bribery and corruption became a problem in government as Nicholas appointed incapable family and friends to important posts. 

Control

So far it appears that the Tsar's regime was pretty disastrous, however, a full historical picture points to strong aspects of the regime too. Resistance was limited - most peasants lives were controlled by the local mir. The mir  was often overruled by land captains, who were appointed by the Tsar to officiate local areas. Local governors from the aristocracy also helped to control society for the Tsar. Russia was comparable to a police state in some areas under the jurisdiction of local governors.  Special emergency laws gave local governors some specific powers:  Order police to arrest opponents of the Tsar Ban individuals from serving in the zemstva, courts and governing bodies Make individuals pay heavy fines Censorship of material Local governors instructed the police; there was a special police force called the Okhrana that was composed of 10,000 officers to deal specifically with the Tsar's political opponents. The Tsar also had a well capable army to crush rebellion e.g. Cossack regiments

Opposition: Kadets and SRs

The Kadets (Constitutional Democracts): They were a liberal group in the Duma. These were middle-class reformers who desired greater democracy in Russia. They used Britain as an example of monarchy with a powerful parliament.  The Kadets were led by Pavel Milyukov. They wanted the Tsar to be answerable and accountable to a democratic parliament.   Social Revolutionaries:  SRs were a radical movement led by Viktor Chernov. This group had mass support from the peasantry and were the most popular party in Russia. Most of the members believed in revolution, while some argued for the assassination of government members.  They were united in their goal to redistribute land in order to give everyone a fair share.

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Opposition: Social Democrats

  Communists at this time were termed Social Democrats; they followed Karl Marx's historical interpretation of politics. In Marxist theory, a class struggle would come about where the middle classes taking control from the monarchy and aristocracy. Eventually, a revolution would occur where the workers (proletariat) would overthrow those in the middle class. The Communist Party would rule for a while until all selfish desires passed away and there would no longer be a requirement for government. People would live together peaceful in a Communist society.  In 1903, the Social Democrats split in to two parties; the Mensheviks led by Martov and Bolsheviks led by Lenin. There leaders were from the middle classes but the supporters were mainly the industrial working class. 

Opposition: Social Democrats

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Caption: : Karl Marx, founder of Communism ideology

The Mensheviks represented the majority of Socialists. Their main aim was to make life better for the millions of working class people. They were not opposed to the idea of revolution, they believed that conditions had to improve before it could be brought about.  The Bolsheviks were part of the minority. Lenin believed that improving conditions for people would decrease the numbers of people who would support a revolution. Therefore, revolution was a central aim of the Bolsheviks. Socialism would come first and then communism.  "The goal of socialism is communism." - Bolshevik leader, Vladimir Lenin

Opposition: Octobrists

Octobrists were a conservative group who supported the October Manifesto. In 1913, their leader was Alexander Guchkov. The Octobrists were by far the most loyal supporters of the Tsar. However, they had gone too far in attempting to remove the Duma's rights that were highlighted in 1905 after the revolution. If the governing body did not become more respected in Russia, the Octobrists warned the Tsar that catastrophe would occur.