Starter

• Discuss then brainstorm what you currently know about

Russiahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55GvxYq9yXw 5 minute clip

What was Russia like before 1905?

By the end of the lesson you will:1.Have investigated what Russia was like before 19052.Reaches a judgement about the state of Russia and its readiness for political change

Timeline of Russia from Ivan IV (the Terrible) to the rule of

Stalin

According to historian Michael Lynch, the 1897 census categorised the population of

Russia in these broad class groups:

• Upper classes: Royalty, nobility, higher clergy: 12.5 per cent.

• Middle classes: Merchants, bureaucrats, professionals: 1.5 per cent.

• Working classes: Factory workers, artisans, soldiers, sailors: 4 per cent.

• Peasants: Landed and landless farmers: 82 per cent.

Stephen J. Lee, historian, says …

• “The attitude of the [tsarist] regime to the nobility depended on the circumstances of each individual reign. All tsars, however, considered the nobility to be the key class in terms of wealth and social leadership. They underpinned the social hierarchy that was an integral part of the whole concept of political autocracy. Without this, the political system would be unable to operate effectively. Some of the nobility were involved in the governing process – but this was not their key importance. As in Prussia, the tacit understanding was that the nobility’s social powers were enhanced in return for an acceptance of autocracy that did not essentially involve a contribution towards its exercise.”

Russia and its population, 1900

Key Points• 1. Russia was a population of more than 130 million people with

great diversity of ethnicity, language and culture.•

2. The dominant classes were royalty, aristocracy and land-owners, who wielded significant political influence.

•3. Russia’s middle class was small in comparison to other nations but was growing by the early 1900s.

•4. The peasantry made up by far the largest section, most living in small communities scattered across the empire.

•5. Russian society was intensely patriarchal, with men dominant in most spheres of decision-making and women denied many legal and civil rights.

Character:Ivan IV (The Terrible)Date of reign:

Summary of their reign:

Strong Ruler:

Character:Peter the GreatDates of Reign:

Summary of their reign:

Strong Ruler:

Character:Catherine the GreatDates of Reign:

Summary of their reign:

Strong Ruler:

Character:Alexander IDates of Reign:

Summary of their reign:

Strong Ruler:

Character:Nicholas IDates of Reign:

Summary of their reign:

Strong Ruler:

Character:Nicholas IIDates of Reign:

Summary of their reign:

Strong Ruler:

Character:KerenskyDate of political office:

Summary of their reign:

Strong Ruler:

Character:KornilovDates of Political Office:

Summary of their reign:

Strong Ruler:

Character:TrotskyDates of Political Office:

Summary of their reign:

Strong Ruler:

Character:LeninDates of Political Office:

Summary of their reign:

Strong Ruler:

Character:StalinDates of Political Office:

Summary of their reign:

Strong Ruler:

Character:

Dates of Reign:

Summary of their reign:

Strong Ruler:

Sorting exercises

• Sort the trumps cards as follows, then answer the question

1.Chronologically – how does leadership change over time?

2.According to amount of reforms – who was the greatest reformer and why?

3.According to the most autocratic / dictatorial – who was the most dictatorial and why?

4.According to who you feel was the best leader – explain your reasons!

Opinions of Russia in 1905"Oh Sire, we working men and inhabitants of St. Petersburg, our wives, our children and our parents, helpless and aged women and men, have come to You our ruler, in search of justice and protection. We are beggars, we are oppressed and overburdened with work, we are insulted, we are not looked on as human beings but as slaves. The moment has come for us when death would be better than the prolongation of our intolerable sufferings.We are seeking here our last salvation. Do not refuse to help Your people. Destroy the wall between Yourself and Your people.”

From the petition carried by Father Gapon in 1905 when 150,000 took to the streets to protest about their lifestyle.

"The present ruler has lost absolutely the affection of the Russian people, and whatever the future may have in store for the dynasty, the present tsar will never again be safe in the midst of his people.“

The American consul in Odessa “Bloody Sunday” 22nd Jan 1905At the beginning of the 20th century the Russian industrial employee worked on average an 11 hour day (10 hours on Saturday). Conditions in the factories were extremely harsh and little concern was shown for the workers' health and safety. Attempts by workers to form trade unions were resisted by the factory owners and in 1903, a priest, Father Georgi Gapon, formed the Assembly of Russian Workers. Within a year it had over 9,000 members.1904 was a particularly bad year for Russian workers. Prices of essential goods rose so quickly that real wages declined by 20 per cent. When four members of the Assembly of Russian Workers were dismissed at the Putilov Iron Works, Gapon called for industrial action. Over the next few days over 110,000 workers in St. Petersburg went out on strike.

http://spartacus-educational.com/RUS1905.htm

Use the sheet ELR Lesson 1 Situation in 1905 Nicholas II Revolutionary Opponents sheet too

Use pages 298 – 303 too

Thinking things through

So, what was Russia like in 1905 and how ready was

it for political change?