Russian Reform and Revolution after Catherine II

Liberal A person who wanted change legally.

Radical A person who wants change no matter what. (Terrorists.)
Conservative- Want to keep everything the same and want no change.
Domestic vs. Foreign matters Domestic is inside the country foreign is outside
the country.
Autocratic Only one person rules completely.
Divine Right theory Tsars believed that God put them there and that everything
they do is Gods will.
Russification Autocracy, orthodoxy and nationality.
Pan-Slavism Helping Slavic people all around.
Emancipation Edict- Freed all the serfs in Russia.
Peoples Will Radicals who wanted change and used terrorism to get what they
wanted.
Pogroms Jewish people.
Nihilists Thinkers not doers. Believed that they should scrap existing structure
of Russia completely.
Social Democratic Labor Party Lenins older brother was a member and was
arrested and executed for his involvement.
Duma Like a congress or parliament.
Answer the following questions:
1. Summarize Ideas:
a. Explain how liberalism affected Russias domestic policy.
Liberalism affects Russias domestic policy because the tsars reacted by becoming
more absolute and more autocratic. They censored speech and press.
Russification which is autocracy, orthodoxy and nationality.
Autocracy is the secret police. Orthodoxy is when people are forced to follow the
orthodox religion.
b. Describe two features of Russias foreign policy.
Pan Slavism and expanding the empire are two features of Russias foreign policy.
Russia expanded to the south and to the east, gaining lands of the Ottoman Empire
and Manchuria, which Japan also wanted, which led to the Russo-Japanese war.
2. Organizing Ideas:
a. List the liberal reforms that Alexander II accomplished in Russia.
Alexander II enacted the emancipation of Russian serfs, much like Abraham
Lincoln did here in the US.


b. What did he do with regard to the serfs?
He gave the Serfs freedom but did not enact any other reforms to help the serfs.
3. Analyzing Ideas:
a. Why did the Revolution of 1905 fail to overthrow the monarchy?
The army remained loyal and would not side with the serfs. The French, bound to
Russia by military alliance, lent money to the government. Lastly, many
revolutionary groups goals differed which made it hard to come together.
b. How did Nicholas II respond to the Revolution of 1905?
The government treated people with contempt and broke laws that they were
supposed to enforce. Nicholas II followed his father's policy and did not make any
changes.