Who was Tsar Nicholas?

1
Who was Tsar Nicholas?

• Alexander III died in 1895 at the age of 48 and
  Nicholas inherited the throne.
• Just two years before his death, Alexander said
  his son was still absolutely a child, with
  infantile judgments
• Nicholas himself said What am I to do? I know
  nothing of the business of ruling.

2
You are Tsar Nicholas are you the weakest link?
Your aims as Tsar are To stay in power and pass
the throne on to your son when you die. You have
10 crowns, representing your starting power. Each
decision you make will earn or lose you crowns.
Keep two scores one for you and one for Tsar
Nicholas who will be the best Tsar?
3
You are Tsar Nicholas are you the weakest link?

• Decision 1
• You have no experience of running a country. You
  need advisors. Who should you choose?
• Form a Committee of Ministers from members of the
  nobility
• Ask the people of Russia to elect ministers to
  help you to govern them according to their wishes
• Form a Committee of Ministers but largely ignore
  them, preferring the advice of those you trust
  most, for example your wife, Alexandra,
• Decision - why?

4
You are Tsar Nicholas are you the weakest link?
Decision 1 Gain 1 crown you will only get the
advice of the aristocrats, but its better than
nothing
Decision 1 b. Gain 2 crowns what a democratic
person you are!
Decision 1 c. Lose 1 crown your wife doesnt
know anything about ruling Russia either!
5
You are Tsar Nicholas are you the weakest link?

• Decision 2
• Of the 125,000,000 people living in the Russian
  Empire, fewer than half are Russian. There are
  over 100 different nationalities with different
  languages , religions and cultures. Only 40
  speak Russian. How will you govern them?
• Celebrate diversity!
• Insist that schools and churches use Russian as
  the only language, forbid the importing of any
  materials not in Russian and suppress other
  cultures.
• Insist that everyone learn Russian as the
  official language but allow people their own
  cultures in private.
• Decision -why?

6
You are Tsar Nicholas are you the weakest link?

• Decision 2
• Gain 1 crown there are more of them than there
  are of you wise choice!

Decision 2 b. Lose 2 crowns the peasants will
feel disenfranchised and you are giving them
reason to revolt against you
Decision 2 c. Gain 2 crowns a sensible
pragmatic decision generating stability and
uniformity but not giving anyone reason to
complain!
7
You are Tsar Nicholas are you the weakest link?

• Decision 3
• About 80 of people in Russia are peasants.
  Although the peasants were freed from serfdom in
  1861, they had to buy their land. They usually
  couldnt afford it and ended up owning very small
  bits of land, and working for a landlord so not
  much had changed with freedom! Some peasants
  became prosperous. These are called Kulaks. But
  most peasants have terrible lives with a life
  expectancy of only 40 years. Much land isnt
  suitable for farming and continues to be owned by
  the aristocracy anyway. The population increased
  by 50 between 1860 and 1897 so farming land has
  become very scarce. When a peasant dies, his
  strip of land is divided between the sons, so the
  plots are getting smaller and smaller. In
  addition, Russian peasants are still using
  ancient farming techniques of strip farming. What
  should you do?
• Pass laws which reform the way land is
  distributed and farmed
• Let the peasants carry on after all, its a
  traditional Russian way of life
• Decision - why?

8
You are Tsar Nicholas are you the weakest link?

• Decision 3
• Gain 3 crowns a progressive decision which will
  help to address peasant grievances!

Decision 3 b. No gain or loss you are just
burying your head in the sand and storing up
problems for the future
9
You are Tsar Nicholas are you the weakest link?

• Decision 4
• From the 19th century Sergei Witte (a government
  minister) introduced laws that lead to rapid
  industrial growth. Oil and coal production
  trebled and iron production quadrupled. Many
  peasants left the countryside to work in cities
  like St Petersburg and Moscow. These workers
  lived in terrible housing provided by capitalism
  businessmen and worked long hours for low pay.
  Overcrowding, terrible food, disease and
  alcoholism were major problems. What should you
  do?
• Ask the capitalist businessmen to improve
  conditions for the workers
• Allow the workers to form trade unions and hold
  strikes to force the capitalists to improve
  conditions
• Do nothing to improve conditions for the workers,
  and forbid strikes and trade union activity
• Pass laws that force capitalists to improve
  conditions to reasonable standards
• Decision - why?

10
You are Tsar Nicholas are you the weakest link?

• Decision 4
• Gain 1 crown it probably wont work, but you
  have shown the workers you care

Decision 4 b. No gain or loss you have
empowered the workforce but they may get out of
control with their demands, and you have
definitely upset the capitalists. It might solve
matters or it might not!
Decision 4 c. Lose 2 crowns the capitalists
will never improve matters voluntarily. By
refusing the workers permission to protest you
are condemning the workers to a miserable life
and giving them reason to hate you.
Decision 4 d. Gain 3 crowns the workers
problems have been solved but you havent given
up any power to the workers
11
You are Tsar Nicholas are you the weakest link?

• Decision 5
• The aristocracy in Russia is only 1 of the
  population but controls 95 of the wealth. This
  seems very unfair in comparison with the lives of
  the peasants. What should you do?
• Get the Russian Orthodox church to teach respect
  and loyalty to you. After all, you are the Tsar,
  chosen by God, and have the right to do what you
  like.
• Redistribute the wealth of Russia.
• Pass laws which keep you wealthy but improve the
  lives of Russian people
• Decision - why?

12
You are Tsar Nicholas are you the weakest link?
Decision 5 Lose 1 crown it might work in the
short term, but there is a limit to how much
influence the church can have in persuading
people that you have a right to so much more than
they have.
Decision 5 b. Lose 2 crowns you think you can
stay in power if you redistribute everything
fairly? If the peasants dont get you the
nobility will!
Decision 5 c. Gain 2 crowns smart move, Tsar!
You are still at the top of the heap but everyone
below you likes you more!
13
You are Tsar Nicholas are you the weakest link?

• Decision 6
• There is growing criticism of your rule. The
  Liberals (capitalist middle class) want you to
  share power by introducing a democratically
  elected government (Duma). The Social
  Revolutionary Party want land shared by the
  peasants who farm it, not owned by wealthy
  landowners. The Social Democrats want the workers
  to take control of the factories and the means
  of production and share them out between all the
  workers of Russia. In 1903 the Social Democrats
  split into the Mensheviks and the Bolsheviks.
  Although the Mensheviks believe that society will
  inevitably be transformed eventually, the
  Bolsheviks think the workers should take power by
  violent revolution, starting now. What should you
  do?
• Listen carefully to the criticisms and pass laws
  to address the problems so the criticism goes
  away
• Insist that you are the Tsar and have the right
  to govern Russia anyway you choose. Trust that
  the love of the Russian peasants for you will
  outweigh the criticism.
• Use the Okrana (secret Police) to crush
  opposition and then exile opponents to Siberia,
  and introduce censorship to limit the potential
  for opposition.
• Decision - why?

14
You are Tsar Nicholas are you the weakest link?

• Decision 6
• Gain 3 crowns you are getting smarter!
  Progressive government that meets the needs of
  the people you could stay in power forever!

Decision 6 b. Lose 1 crown the people might
love you now, but they wont love you forever if
their lives are rubbish!
Decision 6 c. Lose 2 crowns you continue to
prove that you dont care about the lives of
Russians, you just want to suppress them. Thats
not going to make you popular, Tsar.
15
You are Tsar Nicholas are you the weakest link?

• Decision 7
• Between 1890 and 1905 the Social Revolutionary
  Party assassinate a number of important officials
  in protest at your government. Those assassinated
  include your Minister of the Interior Dimitri
  Sipiagin (2nd April 1902). How should you deal
  with these protests?
• Accept that assassination was a last resort
  protest for the Social Revolutionaries, that they
  must be serious about their concerns and you
  should listen and negotiate.
• Appoint Plehve as the new Minister of the
  Interior. Plehve is hardline and he will help the
  Okrana to crush opposition.
• Decision - why?

16
You are Tsar Nicholas are you the weakest link?

• Decision 7
• Gain 1 crown it doesnt look good to negotiate
  with people who commit illegal acts like
  assassinations, but at least it will address the
  problem and stop it spiralling out of control

Decision 7 b. Lose 1 crown. Illegal acts such as
assassination cant be tolerated, but failing to
address the root cause will only increase unrest
17
You are Tsar Nicholas are you the weakest link?

• Decision 8
• Criticism is increasing. What should you do?
• Increase oppression and censorship. You must stop
  criticism at all costs
• Relax censorship laws and try to establish
  government-controlled trade unions, to address
  the needs of the worker without giving them too
  much freedom
• Rely on the fact that the peasants love their
  little father and will blame your advisors
  rather than you, as they have before
• Decision - why?

18
You are Tsar Nicholas are you the weakest link?

• Decision 8
• Lose 1 crown do you really think thats going
  to help now?!

Decision 8 b. Lose 2 crowns relaxing censorship
laws increases criticism and accepting the
principle of trade unions makes the workers
demand free trade unions, not government
controlled ones.
Decision c. Lose 1 crown although the peasants
have believed this for a long time, if you keep
refusing to listen to them they will start to
question how much you care
19
You are Tsar Nicholas are you the weakest link?

• Decision 9
• You have been trying to increase Russian control
  over the area of Manchuria and Korea the Russian
  government is always on the look out for ice-free
  ports in the Pacific and it would increase your
  influence over Beijing. The Japanese are nervous
  and are trying to negotiate spheres of
  influence for both Russia and Japan in the
  region. What should you do?
• Negotiate with Japan as war would increase
  Russias internal problems
• Engage Japan in a war over Manchuria, in the hope
  that war against a foreign power will distract
  Russians from criticising you
• Do nothing and hope Japan doesnt become too
  powerful
• Decision - why?

20
You are Tsar Nicholas are you the weakest link?

• Decision 9
• Congratulations! This would gain you influence in
  the Far East without any risk. A very sound
  strategy. Gain 1 crown.

Decision 9 b. Lose 2 crowns have you learned
nothing?!
Decision 9 c. Lose 1 crown. Japan increases the
size of its empire and military strength. They
are a growing threat.
21
You are Tsar Nicholas are you the weakest link?

• Decision 10
• The war against Japan isnt going well and have
  caused food shortages in Russia. This makes your
  government even more unpopular. Criticism
  increases. What should you do?
• Meet the people and discuss their problems
• Leave St Petersburg before any trouble starts
• Decision - why?

22
You are Tsar Nicholas are you the weakest link?

• Decision 10
• Gain 1 crown finally, an attempt to address
  concerns instead of burying your head in the
  sand! Youre going to have a lot of work to do,
  as the workers have a lot of grievances by now,
  but its probably not too late

Decision 10 b. Lose 2 crowns this means you are
absent on 22 January 1905, a day which becomes
known as Bloody Sunday and is the final straw for
many people in Russia.
23
Summing Up

• So, out of a maximum possible score of 17 points,
  how much did the Tsar achieve?
• What does this suggest about the way the Tsar
  governed Russia?

24
Which 3 adjectives best describe Tsar Nicholas
rule?

• Autocratic
• Innovative
• Traditional
• Inexperienced
• Misguided
• Naïve
• Paternal
• Considered
• Conservative
• Unconcerned
• Strategic
• Consultative
• Oppressive