Industrialisation

Russia's Industrial Weakness

Russia was one of the latest European powers to industrialise. Before the 1890s, its economy was extremely underdeveloped.

Background

In 1850, most of Russia's economy focused on producing grain.
All the income from selling grain went to the Russian aristocracy (like the Tsar) who owned serfs (effectively slaves owned by the aristocrats).
In 1861, the Russian emancipation of the serfs freed all of these slaves to work in other industries.
The Russian army had been badly defeated by England in the Crimean War of 1853-1856.

Sergei Witte

Sergei Witte became head of the Russian railway system in 1889.
He was an economist who would become the Russian Prime Minister in 1905.
He was responsible for planning and building the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Russian population

Between 1800 and 1900, the Russian population had grown by 25 million people, from 111 million people to 136 million people.

Sergei Witte's Reforms

Sergei Witte introduced a series of reforms in the 1890s which helped bring Russia into the industrial age.

Witte's currency reforms

In 1896, Witte moved the Russian economy from the Russian rouble to the gold standard.
This reform encouraged foreign investment in Russia.

Witte's reforms - transport

Witte became Prime Minister in 1905. He was the Finance Minister between 1892 and 1903.
He attracted foreign investors to Russia.
He was also in charge of transport reforms. Between 1893 and 1902, Witte constructed 27,000km of railway lines (doubling Russia's railway capacity).
Telegraph lines were built running along the railway lines.

Witte's reforms - urbanisation and industrialisation

Investors in Britain and France began to invest in Russian industry and Russian companies.
More Russians moved to the cities, especially manufacturing cities like Moscow, Donbas, and St Petersburg.
Russia became very strong in metallurgy, where 77.5% of all industrial workers worked.
Between 1885 and 1913, the Russian economy grew at 3.25% per year.

1The End of Tsardom

1.1Russia's Economy & Society

1.1.1Industrialisation

1.1.2Living & Working Conditions

1.2Nicholas II's Autocracy & the Court

1.2.1Growth of Revolutionary Opposition

1.2.2The 1905 Revolution & the October Manifesto

1.2.3Reforming Russia Before 1914 - Stolypin

1.2.4The Duma & Political Stalemate

1.3The First World War

1.3.1The Impact of Military Defeats

1.3.2Social & Economic Effects of WW1

1.3.3Romanov Unpopularity

1.3.4The Tsar's Abdication

1.3.5Top Grade AO2/3 - The End of Tsardom

2Lenin's New Society

2.1The Provisional Government

2.1.1The Failure of the Government

2.1.2Social & Economic Problems

2.1.3Lenin & Trotsky

2.1.4The Growth of the Bolsheviks

2.1.5The October / November Revolution

2.1.6Top Grade AO2/3 - The Provisional Government

2.2The Impact of Lenin's Dictatorship

2.2.1The End of the First World War

2.2.2The Cheka

2.2.3Red Terror & Centralisation

2.2.4The Civil War & The Red Army

2.2.5Propaganda

2.2.6Top Grade AO2/3 - Early Bolshevism & the Civil War

2.3Social & Economic Developments

2.3.1War Communism

2.3.2The Kronstadt Rising

2.3.3The New Economic Policy (NEP)

2.3.4The Achievements of Lenin & Trotsky

2.3.5Top Grade AO2/3 - Social & Economic Developments

3Stalin's USSR

3.1Stalin the Dictator

3.1.1The Power Struggle to Succeed Lenin

3.1.2The Communist Party & Government

3.1.3The Terror & the Purges

3.1.4The Secret Police

3.1.5Cult of Personality

3.1.6Propaganda & Censorship under Stalin

3.1.7Top Grade AO2/3 - Stalin's Dictatorship

3.2Stalin's Modernisation of the USSR

3.2.1Collectivisation

3.2.2Five Year Plans

3.2.3Social & Economic Consequences

3.2.4Social & Economic Consequences 2

3.2.5The Extent of Modernisation

3.3Impact of the Second World War

3.3.1Stalin's Wartime Leadership

3.3.2Political, Economic & Social Consequences of War

3.3.3Top Grade AO2/3 - Modernisation of the USSR

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