Russia's Economy in the Early 20th Century
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Russia's Economy in the Early 20th Century

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Questions and Answers

Which political party founded in 1898 respected Marx's ideas and operated as an illegal organization in Russia?

  • Russian Communist Party
  • Russian Revolutionary Party
  • Russian Socialist Workers Party (correct)
  • Russian Social Democratic Workers Party
  • Why did Russian socialists believe that the Russian peasants were natural socialists?

  • Because of their periodic land pooling and division based on family needs (correct)
  • Because they were influenced by German socialist movements
  • Due to their involvement in the Russian Communist Party
  • Due to their respect for Lenin's ideas
  • Why did Lenin believe that not all peasants could be part of a socialist movement?

  • Due to their poor work ethic
  • Because they were all members of the Russian Communist Party
  • Because some were poor and others rich, with differentiations within the group (correct)
  • Because they were all united against socialism
  • What was the main disagreement between the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks regarding organizational strategy?

    <p>Bolsheviks believed in open membership, while Mensheviks favored discipline</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why did the Russian Socialist Workers Party have to operate as an illegal organization?

    <p>To prevent government policing interference</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did the Russian socialists demand regarding land ownership in Russia?

    <p>Transfer land from nobles to peasants</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Lenin believe was necessary for the party in a repressive Russia?

    <p>Maintain discipline and control membership quality and quantity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What action did the Russian socialists take through the late nineteenth century in the countryside?

    <p>Struggled for peasants' rights and land transfer from nobles to peasants</p> Signup and view all the answers

    'Differentiation' within the peasants led Lenin to believe that:

    <p>'Differentiation' undermined socialist unity within peasants</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Economy and Society in Early 20th Century Russia

    • By the beginning of the 20th century, approximately 85% of Russia's population earned their living from agriculture, a higher proportion than in most European countries.
    • Russia was a major exporter of grain, with cultivators producing for both market and personal needs.
    • Prominent industrial areas included St Petersburg and Moscow, where craftsmen undertook much of the production, alongside large factories.
    • The 1890s saw the establishment of many factories, driven by the expansion of Russia's railway network and increased foreign investment in industry.
    • As a result, coal production doubled and iron and steel output quadrupled by the 1900s.

    Working Conditions and Labor Relations

    • By the 1900s, factory workers and craftsmen were almost equal in number, with many workers living in poor conditions, surviving on charitable kitchens and living in poorhouses.
    • While some workers had strong links with their village origins, others had settled in cities permanently, leading to divisions among workers based on skill and occupation.
    • Workers were divided by dress, manners, and occupation, with metalworkers, for example, considering themselves "aristocrats" among other workers due to their higher training and skills.
    • Women workers, despite making up 31% of the factory labor force by 1914, were paid less than men, receiving between three-quarters to a man's wage.

    Social Unrest and Peasant Life

    • Peasants cultivated most of the land, but the nobility, crown, and Orthodox Church owned large properties, leading to resentment among peasants who wanted the land to be given to them.
    • Peasants frequently refused to pay rent and even murdered landlords, as seen on a large scale in south Russia in 1902.
    • Workers and peasants formed associations to help each other in times of unemployment or financial need, leading to occasional strikes, such as those in the textile industry in 1896-1897 and the metal industry in 1902.

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    Description

    Explore the economic landscape of Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century, where a large majority of the population were agriculturists. Discover how Russia's agriculture sector played a key role in the country's economy as a major exporter of grain.

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