AS History Tsarist Russia May' 14 Exam Predictions

Here are some questions I am really stuck on, can anyone help?

Explain why serfdom was important in the context of Russian society before 1861.
Explain why the Tsar was able to survive the 1905 revolution intact?
Explain why Nicolas II’s regime survived in Russia between October 1905 and the first meeting of the Duma in 1906.
Explain why Stolypin altered the electoral franchise before summoning the Third Duma.

Thanks in advance

Feel free to add/correct

Tsar reactionary policies to suppress opposition

Alexander II 1855 - 1881

Okrana
1866- tax raising
1865 - book and press regulations
1880's - peasants lost right to graze land
1874 - 1,600 populists arrested
1862 - Poland repression
Reforms in general were used as an attempt to keep oppossition satisfied in the hope it would suppress their activity and keep them loyal
Summary: Not much opposition as most of the country were peasants and very loyal to the tsar, only small middle educated class, populism failed

Alexander III 1881 - 1894

Compared to Alexander II very reactionary
"Autocracy, Orthodoxy and Nationality"
1881 - encouraged Jewish pogroms
1889 - land captains
1887 - Lenin's brother executed
Statue of the state-censorship of education in particular

Summary: not a lot of opposition as Alexander was very reactionary, more focused on industrial improvements, growing working class.


Nicholas II 1894 - 1917

1905 - bloody Sunday, killed 2,000
1906 - Fundamental laws
1912 - Lena Goldfields massacre, 500 dead
Okhrana
1907 - electoral laws (Article 87)
Black hundreds
"Stolypin necktie"
Summary: Received most opposition, opposition groups became more organised with clear goals (blosheviks and revolution), but still kept Russia stable as 1913- 300 years of Romanov rule celebrated with genuine enthusiasm. 1914 - start of the war greeted with patriotism. But ended the Romanov regime.

But i think i know where your coming from

Intro
-First world war was a key issue, brought social(over losses in the war), economical(high inflation) and political(tsarina/rasputin) problems to Russia
-However, not primary reason for outbreaks in 1917. Tsar involvement and army refusal was more important for revolution

1st Par(For)
-Russia losing many troops in war, inflicted damage amongst masses who did not fully understand commitment in war. Led to mutinies, strikes, unrest
-Russia experiencing high inflation because of war which made goods expensive and unaffordable, widespread famine. Food was already in shortage, made situation much worse

2nd Par(For)
-Russia was left in the hands of Tsarina and Rasputin as Tsar was busy leading war. Tsarina was German-born and Rasputin was unpopular peasant. Both seen as dissolving Russia while Tsar was busy leading the war. Tsarina accused of being on the germans side.

3rd Par(Against)
-It was not involvement in war that sparked revolution in 1917, rather the Tsars poor leadership in war.
-Tsar thought if he led Russia to victory he would gain more loyalty and patriotism, dissolving chances of a revolution
-Tsar did not listen to Generals advice
-Tsar led hundreds to their death/many battles lost
-Ruined "little father" image/made him look like a bad leader, not worthy of ruling Russia
-Pessimists agree revolution would have happened even if war did not happen, war simply delayed revolution

4th Par(Against)
-Army abandoned the Tsar
-Widespread mutinies due to war
-No one left to control the masses in Russia made revolution more likley
-Revolutionists let loose in Russia and troops joined in

Conclusion
-Army abandoned, this was more important than war itself. Oppossition groups were more free to spread revolutionary ideas
-Pessimists agree revolution would have happened even if war did not happen, war simply delayed revolution
-The Tsars bad leadership sped up revolution process as less felt loyal to him and were more inclined to find support in oppossition groups



Any good?

Are you lot talking about the Edexcel paper or no?
Or is anyone here doing that paper and is going to try to predict the question?

Wouldn't mutinies and the fact that the army abandoned the Tsar come under a direct impact of the war-
-Heavy defeats and high casualty and death rates at the front line led to a loss of morale, and as much of the army towards the end consisted of conscripts, it led to mutinies as peasants and conscripts didn't want to lose their life.

We're talking about the AQA paper, but if you're doing Edexcel Stalin's Russia, this thread has some predictions
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2643880&page=3

If you're doing Russia in Revolution, then I'm guessing there will probably be similar to the AQA questions- something about Provisional Government or reforms. I'm sorry I can't be of much help

Can someone please help with whether Bunge, Vyshnegradsky and Witte were successful in transforming Russia's economy? Gracias

What time period would you say had the most economic growth?

Definitely Witte thanks to the foreign investment, railways production and the fact russian industry was protected by high tariffs