Russian Politics, 1894-1917

Russia – The Reign of Nicholas II, 1894-1917

In this course, Dr George Gilbert (University of Southampton) discusses late imperial Russia from 1894 to 1917 during Nicholas II's reign. In the first lecture, we explore the key political events and movements between 1894 to 1917. In the second, we consider the structures of power in Imperial Russia and how they changed and shifted through the final years of Tsar Nicolas II’s reign. Third, we investigate the ‘nationalities’ question, focusing on the problem of imperial diversity and minority sovereignty. In the fourth, we delve into the ‘workers’ question and underpin the events of 1917 with the context of late 19th century industrialisation and urbanisation. Finally, in the fifth, we discuss the ‘land’ question, considering the 20th century politicisation of the predominantly rural and peasant populated Russian empire.

Russian Politics, 1894-1917

In this module, we think about the events and circumstances around the unstable final years of Tsar Nicholas II’s rule of Imperial Russia, focusing on: (i) the major events that defined Tsar Nicolas II’s rule as one of instability and challenge, particularly the Khodynka Tragedy, the impact of the Russo-Japanese War and the 1905 Russian Revolution; (ii) political developments, such as the establishment of the State Duma in 1906, which represented the first move toward a constitutional government in Russia, and how the autocracy resisted and ultimately fell apart in the face of these changes; (iii) the historiographical debate over the viability of the Russian Empire at the turn of the century, questioning whether its demise was inevitable or the result of factors out of the empire’s control.