SLAVIC 290 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Vladimir Lenin, War Communism, Proletariat
Document Summary
Emancipation of the serfs in 1861 (alexander ii) Peasants were unhappy: even though they were no longer serfs and could own land (given to them in communal chunks, then distributed), they could not sell it, and were therefore burdened with taxes they couldn"t pay. Ethnic minorities who were under russian rule (ex. Poles) resented the government because of russification, limited power to govern. Bloody sunday - tsar"s troops fired on unarmed protesters in st. petersburg. Labor strikes all across the russian empire, uprisings (lodz insurrection), many shot and/or killed. Resulted in the creation of a state duma (legislative body), which ostensibly came with civil and voting rights, creation of official political parties, etc. New constitution in 1906, largely unsatisfactory, especially in vladimir lenin. Tsar nicholas ii attempted to maintain control of the country, resulting in the delay or defeat of helpful reforms: industrialization meant an influx of peasants into the cities which were ill-equipped to handle it.
