Stolypin's Reforms | davisonhistory

RUSSIA 1906-1914

*The First and Second Dumas were made up of deputies, landowners, city property owners, peasants and workers. They lasted less than a year. The Tsar closed the first one down in July 1906 when revolutionaries used it to criticise him and because they demanded the abolition of the death penalty, the right to strike and changes to the tax system. He closed the second one in June 1907 when a social democrat was falsely accused of plotting the Tsar’s assassination.

* In 1907 the Tsar changed the voting rules to prevent possible opponents to him being elected.

The third Duma lasted from Nov 1907 to 1912, because it was full of the Tsar’s supporters and only land owners and city property owners could be elected.

In 1906 the Tsar appointed a tough new Prime Minister called Peter Stolypin. He helped the Tsar avoid revolution. He used a “carrot and stick” (partly nice and partly harsh) approach. He came down hard on strikers, protesters and revolutionaries (the hangman’s noose known as Stolypin’s necktie because over 1000 people were hung). 21 000 people were exiled to Siberia. He also tried to get the peasants on side. He aimed to give each peasant a farm and shared out the land. He urged peasants to swap their scattered strips of land for larger piece of land in one place. He set up the Peasant Land Bank to supply government loans. Peasants could now buy more land. He hoped that richer peasants (Kulaks) would buy out the poorer peasants to create larger and more modern farms and employ poor peasants as labourers. They prospered and created larger, more efficient farms. He tried to create conditions which encouraged industrial growth and built factories, schools in the countryside and railways. He increased the number of schools in the countryside from 100 000 to 150 000 and most Russia children learnt to read. This worried revolutionaries like Lenin abroad, who did not want Kulaks to get rich and happy and the pressure for revolution to drop.
However Stolypin did little for city workers. Profits from industry went into the pockets of the factory owners (capitalists). Poorer peasants were jealous of the Kulaks. The Tsar was also concerned that Stolypin was becoming too liberal and making too many changes.
1911-Stolypin was assassinated by a Social Revolutionary who felt he only helped the Kulaks, not poorer peasants. The Tsar lost his only strong minister.
The loss was filled by Rasputin who increased his influence. He was Siberian monk who claimed he could heal the Tsarevic (the Tsar’s son) of haemophilia (which was not widely publicised) using prophecy, and hypnosis. The Tsarina thought he was a miracle worker. Soon he was giving her political advice, which she offered to Tsar Nicholas. Ministers found that they had to keep on the right side of Rasputin if they wanted to succeed at court. Rumours were that he was having an affair with Alexandra, which caused a scandal and lots of negative propaganda. He had a bad reputation and the Russian people were very suspicious, especially the upper classes who had been loyal to the Tsar. The Tsar did not seem to care – yet again he seemed out of touch with his people and the situation. The Tsar’s opponents and used it to show that the Tsar was weak, made poor decisions and was unfit to rule. People started to wonder if they could get rid of Rasputin without getting rid of the Tsar.
The 4th Duma lasted from March 1912-1917. They made increasing complaints about police behaviour, government ministers, the Tsarina and Rasputin.
In 1913 the nation celebrated 300 years of Romanov’s ruling Russia.
In August 1914 world War One began.
Patriotism was at a high.