Notes

AQA History: Tsarist and Communist Russia 1855-1964

Section 1: Trying to preserve autocracy, 1855-1894:
The Russia autocracy in 1855:

Russian Empire was divided between: government and Tsar’s subjects; the Capital and provinces; Russian and Western ideas; rich and the poor, privilege sand oppression, contemporary fashion and centuries old custom. Most people (Over 90% of Emperor’s subjects were born and raised in countryside) felt like a chasm divided them from world inhabited by the ruling elites. Although Russia was an empire, national consciousness was only patchily developed and local traditions and loyalties remained the largest influence. Except in times of war, most Russians were motivated by Christian belief, peasant customs, village loyalties and reverence for the Tsar, rather than feelings of Russian nationhood. Russian orthodox teachings were not accepted universally, but the Tsar and church hierarchy wanted obedience and they had the authority to secure it.
Political Context
In 1855, Russia was an autocratic (no limits on a ruler’s power) empire. The leader was a Tsar, the “Emperor and Autocrat of all Russia”. “Collected Laws of the Russian Empire” (Compiled by Tsar Nicholas I in 1932) states that “The emperor of all Russias is an autocratic and unlimited Monarch; God himself ordains that all must bow to his supreme power, not only out of fear, but also out of conscience.
An empire is made up of a number of lesser states ruled by one monarch, 19th century Russia was a large empire of around 21 million square km, twice the size of Europe and a sixth of the globe’s surface. It had been acquired through military conquest and colonisation and was still growing.
Nicholas’s statement is a reminder that the Tsar (in name) was the head of the Russian Orthodox Church and regarded as God on earth. The Patriarch of Moscow, who worked closely with the Tsar gave spiritual guidance to the people, while the Over-Procurator of the Holy Synod (post creating in 1721) was a government minister appointed to run church affairs. This meant church and state were entwined as archbishops and bishops were subject to Tsarist control over appointments, religious education, church finances and issues of administration.
Tsar’s imperial edicts (ukazy in Russian) were the laws.The tsar did have advisers and ministers but these were selected by him and none of them could do anything without his approval.His main advisory bodies were the Imperial Council or Chancellery, a body of35-60 nobles picked by the Tsar to provide their ‘expert’ opinion; the Council of Ministers a body of 8-14 ministers in charge of government departments and the Senate which was for overseeing the workings of the government (but was pretty much redundant by 1855).