Name: Jewel Terraces

Date: April 6, 2015

Russian Reform and Revolution after Catherine II

Define Terms:
Liberal- believe in government action to achieve equal opportunity and equality
for all.
Radical- The term political radicalism denotes political principles focused on
altering social structures through revolutionary means and changing value
systems in fundamental ways.
Conservative- holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about
change or innovation, typically in relation to politics or religion
Domestic vs. Foreign mattersAutocratic- of or relating to a ruler who has absolute power.
Divine Rights theory- a political and religious doctrine of royal and political
legitimacy. It asserts that a monarch is subject to no earthly authority, deriving
the right to rule directly from the will of God.
Russification-is a form of cultural assimilation process during which nonRussian communities, voluntarily or not, give up their culture and language in
favor of the Russian one.
Pan-Slavism- a movement which crystallized in the mid-19th century, aimed at
unity of all the Slavic peoples. Its main impact occurred in the Balkans, where
non-Slavic empires - the Byzantine Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman
Empire, and Venice - had ruled the South Slavs for centuries.
Emancipation Edict- was the first and most important of liberal reforms
effected during the reign (1855-1881) of Emperor Alexander II of Russia.
Peoples Will- was a Russian left-wing terrorist organization in the late 19th
century, best known for the successful assassination of Tsar Alexander II of
Russia.
Pogroms- an organized massacre of a particular ethnic group, in particular that
of Jews in Russia or Eastern Europe.
Nihilists- is the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be
known or communicated. It is often associated with extreme pessimism and a
radical skepticism that condemns existence.
Social Democratic Labor party- was a revolutionary socialist political party
formed in 1898 in Minsk to unite the various revolutionary organizations of the
Russian Empire into one party
Duma- council assemblies created by Czar Nicholas II

Name: Jewel Terraces

Date: April 6, 2015

Summarize Ideas:
a. Explain how liberalism affected Russias domestic policy
Russias domestic policy was affected by liberalism because of Russification.
This means Autocracy, Orthodoxy and Nationality. Pogroms also affected
Russias domestic policy because it caused a violent riot towards the Jews in
Russia.
b. Describe two features of Russias foreign policy
Two features of the Russian foreign policy are The Pan Slavism and expansion
of the empire in the south and east. The Pan Slavism was a movement that
was standing up for the political and cultural union of Slavic nations and
people. The south expansion was at the expense of the Ottoman Empire. The
east expansion was at expense of Manchuria.
2. Organizing Ideas:
a. List the liberal reforms that Alexander II accomplished for Russia
He issued the Emancipation Edict which freed all serfs. He allowed rural
districts to elect zemstvos and Alexander II also reformed the courts.
b. What did he do with regard to the serfs?
He was able to free the serfs and that meant they could buy land and pay
taxes.
3. Analyzing Ideas:
a. Why did the Revolution of 1905 fail to overthrow the monarchy?
There was three main reasons that consisted of the army remained loyal and
it wouldnt end the czars regime, the French bound to Russia by military

Name: Jewel Terraces

Date: April 6, 2015

alliance, lent money to the government, and the many revolutionary groups
were divided in their goals.
b. How did Nicholas II respond to the Revolution of 1905?
He faced crisis and the Russian autocracy had to yield which made him
reluctantly decided to field.