Addressing Modernity and the Masses
Witte: Policies and Action
An important member of the Tsar’s government and advisory council, Witte was the finance minister from 1892 to 1903. As the Minister for finance, Witte encouraged industrial development. The creation of the Trans-Siberian railway was one of Witte’s projects. Russia had advanced industrially more in Witte’s time in office than the previous century. However, this was not without consequence. Industrialisation bred urbanisation which led to an increased number of workers in the cities who were inadequately treated and had no avenue for change.
As the Prime Minister of Russia from 1903 to 1906, Witte was responsible for handling the turmoil of 1905 in the name of Tsar. It is for this reason that Witte is imperative to any discussion of the Tsar’s response to the challenges facing Russia. Witte was responsible not only for negotiating peace settlements with Japan, but also dealing with the 1905 Bloody Sunday revolution and aftermath. It was Witte that convinced the Tsar to give the people what they wanted, drawing up the October Manifesto for the Tsar to adopt. While the October Manifesto appeared to address the concerns of the people by giving them a representative government, the Tsar himself undermined this. The Tsar remained an autocratic leader, with all resolutions and laws having to be approved by him. The representative government had no real power.
As the Prime Minister of Russia from 1903 to 1906, Witte was responsible for handling the turmoil of 1905 in the name of Tsar. It is for this reason that Witte is imperative to any discussion of the Tsar’s response to the challenges facing Russia. Witte was responsible not only for negotiating peace settlements with Japan, but also dealing with the 1905 Bloody Sunday revolution and aftermath. It was Witte that convinced the Tsar to give the people what they wanted, drawing up the October Manifesto for the Tsar to adopt. While the October Manifesto appeared to address the concerns of the people by giving them a representative government, the Tsar himself undermined this. The Tsar remained an autocratic leader, with all resolutions and laws having to be approved by him. The representative government had no real power.
The Duma: Creation and Interference
One of the main responses of the Tsar to the growing discontent was the creation of the Duma in the aftermath of the Bloody Sunday Revolution. Many people in the Russian populace saw this as a step towards the establishment of a democratic government. But their expectations fell short. Although the men elected into the Duma were able to vote and pass reforms, no reforms could actually be granted unless having prior approval by the tsar.
Tsar Nicholas II dissolved the first Duma after only 10 weeks and the second Duma after just over two months as he felt that they were overly hostile towards him. Nicholas only allowed the third and fourth Dumas to serve their full term of five years because they had a conservative majority. When the inadequate powers of the Duma and limitations to the electorate were revealed to the public, the civil unrest doubled. Nicholas’s concession of the Duma had done little to solve the problem of public disapproval.
The following source contains excerpts from the Tsar's decree on the dissolution of the second Duma (1907)
Tsar Nicholas II dissolved the first Duma after only 10 weeks and the second Duma after just over two months as he felt that they were overly hostile towards him. Nicholas only allowed the third and fourth Dumas to serve their full term of five years because they had a conservative majority. When the inadequate powers of the Duma and limitations to the electorate were revealed to the public, the civil unrest doubled. Nicholas’s concession of the Duma had done little to solve the problem of public disapproval.
The following source contains excerpts from the Tsar's decree on the dissolution of the second Duma (1907)
Excerpts from the Fundamental Laws can be found at http://alphahistory.com/russianrevolution/excerpts-fundamental-laws-1906/
Details of the October Manifesto can be found here.
Pytor Stolypin: Policy and Action
Stolypin was Witte’s successor as Prime Minister from 1906 until his assassination in 1911. Under Stolypin’s guidance, the Tsar’s main reaction to the growing discontent was to stamp out terrorism and revolts. However, Stolypin soon came to realise that the problem needed to be addressed at its roots. In his years in office, Stolypin introduced agrarian reforms in an attempt to gain the peasant’s support. These reforms allowed peasants to cease paying high redemption payments on their land. Moreover, the peasants now owned and controlled their own land, as opposed to communal villages. This action aimed to give hard working peasants to opportunity to get ahead financially and create more productive farms. While the reforms did ease the discontent of the peasants, it has been argued that these reforms were too limited to bring about any real peace. The Tsar’s real action in response to the challenges faced was through key politicians, Stolypin being one of them. However, Russia continued to be unstable, with protest becoming popular again after Stolypin;s death in 1911.
References for this page
Darlington, R., Greer, V., McCallum, A., Lumsdaine, J. & McAllister, A. (2002). Turning Points: Modern history Depth Studies. Port Melbourne: Heinemann.
Millar, R. (2004). Encyclopaedia of Russian History. New York: Macmillan Reference USA.
Proctor, H. (1995). Ruling Russia: From Nicholas II to Stalin. Melbourne: Longman.
Spartacus Educational (n.d). Sergei Witte. Retrieved from http://spartacus-educational.com/RUSwitte.htm
The History Learning Site (n.d). Peter Stolypin. Retrieved from http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/modern-world-history-1918-to-1980/russia-1900-to-1939/peter-stolypin/
Tsar Nicholas II (1906). The Fundamental Laws. Excerpts. Retrieved from http://alphahistory.com/russianrevolution/excerpts-fundamental-laws-1906/
Tsar Nicholas II (1907). The Tsar Dissolves the Second State Duma. Retrieved from http://alphahistory.com/russianrevolution/tsar-dissolves-second-state-duma-1907/
Darlington, R., Greer, V., McCallum, A., Lumsdaine, J. & McAllister, A. (2002). Turning Points: Modern history Depth Studies. Port Melbourne: Heinemann.
Millar, R. (2004). Encyclopaedia of Russian History. New York: Macmillan Reference USA.
Proctor, H. (1995). Ruling Russia: From Nicholas II to Stalin. Melbourne: Longman.
Spartacus Educational (n.d). Sergei Witte. Retrieved from http://spartacus-educational.com/RUSwitte.htm
The History Learning Site (n.d). Peter Stolypin. Retrieved from http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/modern-world-history-1918-to-1980/russia-1900-to-1939/peter-stolypin/
Tsar Nicholas II (1906). The Fundamental Laws. Excerpts. Retrieved from http://alphahistory.com/russianrevolution/excerpts-fundamental-laws-1906/
Tsar Nicholas II (1907). The Tsar Dissolves the Second State Duma. Retrieved from http://alphahistory.com/russianrevolution/tsar-dissolves-second-state-duma-1907/