Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/1-1-1-industrialisation

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# Industrialisation

History: AQA GCSE Russia, 1894-1945, topic 1.1.1

## Russia's Industrial Weakness

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

### Background

![Background](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/285c920b-622e-438e-9b20-e5b4f85b27c1/shutterstock_488899324.jpg)

- 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](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/courseImages/physics/2.2.1%20Thermal%20expansion/train-1728537_640-min.jpg)

- 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

![Russian population](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/courseImages/biology/7.2.1%20-%20Population%20sizes/industry-1752876_640-min.jpg)

- 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

![Witte's currency reforms](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-03/b044e71d-cffa-4072-91b2-517dd2ce075a/shutterstock_428992165.jpg)

- 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's reforms - transport](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/4fbf6927-87d4-4fc5-a15b-adc289184d8a/shutterstock_171153017.jpg)

- 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

![Witte's reforms - urbanisation and industrialisation](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-04/c17f2c57-2a72-4cc1-bd05-4460cd967e06/shutterstock_54465130.jpg)

- 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.

## Test yourself on Industrialisation

- Which war defeat first led Russia to consider reforming it's arms industry?
- Who was Sergei Witte?
- What was the name of the currency (money) used in Russia?
- What changes did Witte make in the 1890s?

[Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/68cb5c28-b4d9-41f3-a315-2a7d3e63fc5e/section/b26e367d-c276-4a50-b59b-63779f93ef76/session)

- Next topic: [1.1.2 Living & Working Conditions](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/1-1-2-living-and-working-conditions.md)

## History: AQA GCSE Russia, 1894-1945 contents

### 1 The End of Tsardom
- 1.1 Russia's Economy & Society
  - [1.1.1 Industrialisation](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/1-1-1-industrialisation.md)
  - [1.1.2 Living & Working Conditions](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/1-1-2-living-and-working-conditions.md)
- 1.2 Nicholas II's Autocracy & the Court
  - [1.2.1 Growth of Revolutionary Opposition](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/1-2-1-growth-of-revolutionary-opposition.md)
  - [1.2.2 The 1905 Revolution & the October Manifesto](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/1-2-2-the-1905-revolution-and-the-october-manifesto.md)
  - [1.2.3 Reforming Russia Before 1914 - Stolypin](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/1-2-3-reforming-russia-before-1914-stolypin.md)
  - [1.2.4 The Duma & Political Stalemate](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/1-2-4-the-duma-and-political-stalemate.md)
- 1.3 The First World War
  - [1.3.1 The Impact of Military Defeats](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/1-3-1-the-impact-of-military-defeats.md)
  - [1.3.2 Social & Economic Effects of WW1](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/1-3-2-social-and-economic-effects-of-ww1.md)
  - [1.3.3 Romanov Unpopularity](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/1-3-3-romanov-unpopularity.md)
  - [1.3.4 The Tsar's Abdication](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/1-3-4-the-tsars-abdication.md)
  - [1.3.5 Top Grade AO2/3 - The End of Tsardom](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/1-3-5-top-grade-ao23-the-end-of-tsardom.md)

### 2 Lenin's New Society
- 2.1 The Provisional Government
  - [2.1.1 The Failure of the Government](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/2-1-1-the-failure-of-the-government.md)
  - [2.1.2 Social & Economic Problems](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/2-1-2-social-and-economic-problems.md)
  - [2.1.3 Lenin & Trotsky](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/2-1-3-lenin-and-trotsky.md)
  - [2.1.4 The Growth of the Bolsheviks](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/2-1-4-the-growth-of-the-bolsheviks.md)
  - [2.1.5 The October / November Revolution](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/2-1-5-the-october-november-revolution.md)
  - [2.1.6 Top Grade AO2/3 - The Provisional Government](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/2-1-6-top-grade-ao23-the-provisional-government.md)
- 2.2 The Impact of Lenin's Dictatorship
  - [2.2.1 The End of the First World War](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/2-2-1-the-end-of-the-first-world-war.md)
  - [2.2.2 The Cheka](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/2-2-2-the-cheka.md)
  - [2.2.3 Red Terror & Centralisation](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/2-2-3-red-terror-and-centralisation.md)
  - [2.2.4 The Civil War & The Red Army](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/2-2-4-the-civil-war-and-the-red-army.md)
  - [2.2.5 Propaganda](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/2-2-5-propaganda.md)
  - [2.2.6 Top Grade AO2/3 - Early Bolshevism & the Civil War](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/2-2-6-top-grade-ao23-early-bolshevism-and-the-civil-war.md)
- 2.3 Social & Economic Developments
  - [2.3.1 War Communism](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/2-3-1-war-communism.md)
  - [2.3.2 The Kronstadt Rising](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/2-3-2-the-kronstadt-rising.md)
  - [2.3.3 The New Economic Policy (NEP)](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/2-3-3-the-new-economic-policy-nep.md)
  - [2.3.4 The Achievements of Lenin & Trotsky](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/2-3-4-the-achievements-of-lenin-and-trotsky.md)
  - [2.3.5 Top Grade AO2/3 - Social & Economic Developments](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/2-3-5-top-grade-ao23-social-and-economic-developments.md)

### 3 Stalin's USSR
- 3.1 Stalin the Dictator
  - [3.1.1 The Power Struggle to Succeed Lenin](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/3-1-1-the-power-struggle-to-succeed-lenin.md)
  - [3.1.2 The Communist Party & Government](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/3-1-2-the-communist-party-and-government.md)
  - [3.1.3 The Terror & the Purges](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/3-1-3-the-terror-and-the-purges.md)
  - [3.1.4 The Secret Police](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/3-1-4-the-secret-police.md)
  - [3.1.5 Cult of Personality](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/3-1-5-cult-of-personality.md)
  - [3.1.6 Propaganda & Censorship under Stalin](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/3-1-6-propaganda-and-censorship-under-stalin.md)
  - [3.1.7 Top Grade AO2/3 - Stalin's Dictatorship](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/3-1-7-top-grade-ao23-stalins-dictatorship.md)
- 3.2 Stalin's Modernisation of the USSR
  - [3.2.1 Collectivisation](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/3-2-1-collectivisation.md)
  - [3.2.2 Five Year Plans](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/3-2-2-five-year-plans.md)
  - [3.2.3 Social & Economic Consequences](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/3-2-3-social-and-economic-consequences.md)
  - [3.2.4 Social & Economic Consequences 2](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/3-2-4-social-and-economic-consequences-2.md)
  - [3.2.5 The Extent of Modernisation](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/3-2-5-the-extent-of-modernisation.md)
- 3.3 Impact of the Second World War
  - [3.3.1 Stalin's Wartime Leadership](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/3-3-1-stalins-wartime-leadership.md)
  - [3.3.2 Political, Economic & Social Consequences of War](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/3-3-2-political-economic-and-social-consequences-of-war.md)
  - [3.3.3 Top Grade AO2/3 - Modernisation of the USSR](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/gcse/history/aqa/3-3-3-top-grade-ao23-modernisation-of-the-ussr.md)