Industrial Weakness
History: KS3, topic 17.1.1
Russia's Industrial Weakness
Russia was one of the latest European powers to industrialise. Before the 1890s, its economy was extremely underdeveloped.
Background
- 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.
- Witte was an economist who would become the Russian Prime Minister in 1905.
- Witte was responsible for planning and building the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Russian population
- Between 1800 and 1900, the Russian population had grown by 111 million people to 136 million people.
Test yourself on Industrial Weakness
Which war defeat first led Russia to consider reforming it's arms industry?
How much did the Russian population grow by between 1800 and 1900?