EDWARD'S LECTURE NOTES:
More notes at http://tanguay.info/learntracker
C O U R S E
Russian History: from Lenin to Putin
Peter Kenez, University of California, Santa Cruz
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C O U R S E L E C T U R E The Industrial Revolution and the Failure of the Russian Ruling Class Notes taken on March 13, 2019 by Edward Tanguay |
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industrialization in the last decades of the 19th century as remarkably successful
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Sergei Witte, Minister of Finance 1889-1891
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argued that Russia needed to industrialize to remain a great power
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have to be able to have a great army
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moving armies around
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conservative modernization
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wanted a positive balance of trade
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was able to put Russia on the gold standard
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meant that various foreign investors entered
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had the consequence that after the Revolution, the French wanted their money back
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resulted in building railroads, factories
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the building of the trans-Siberian railroad
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the conservatism of the court was a handicap
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afraid of the power of education
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compared to Japan
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industrialization successful
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social tension
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the beginning of an industrial proletariat
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had close connection from the countryside
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different than Europe
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Russian proletariat didn't have the ability to organize as in Europe
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they were miserable
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felt part of the European spirit which was at the time imperialism
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1905 Russo-Japanese War
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ended disastrously for the Russians
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Revolution of 1905
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direct consequence of losing that war
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three constituent factors
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working classes
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peasantry
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army, on the verge of mutiny
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didn't succeed
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because these three groups were not united
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nobility won by giving concessions, significant
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created Duma
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political parties could be and were formed
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extreme right and extreme left
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responsibility of World War I
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astounding that the leaders of the countries that fought were from the same spirit
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nobody in the ruling circles in any of these countries foresaw what kind of war they were entering into
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nobody wanted the kind of war which actually came about
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the Russian state was less able to mobilize than the other European countries
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to what extent was Russia modernizing before the Revolution
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if the war had not occurred, might have this modernization been successful
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given the mentality of the ruling circle, it was not such as to be able to modernize on its own
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January 1917
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British ambassador came to see the Czar
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expressed concern of the Russian armies to resist the Germans
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said: you must regain the confidence of your people
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the Czar responded: it is the people who must regain my confidence
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this indicated the inability of the Czarist court to understand the modern world