Domestic Policies Timeline Alexander II Becomes Tsar Emancipation of Serfs declared 1855 1861

National Minorities

Until 1863

University Statute Elementary School Reform Legal/Judicial Reforms

1863 1864 1864

Zemstva Reforms

1864

Military Reforms

1864

Censorship

1865

Appointment of Shuvalov as head of Third Section Reactionary Education Policy

1866 1871

Trial of the 50

1877

Trial of the 193 Loris-Melikov Commission

1878 1880

Serfs freed from ownership of their landowner. Have freedom to buy land via redemption payments. Control of peasants now under power of the Mir. Rich class of prosperous peasants start to emerge. Relaxation of restrictions in Poland, until 1863 rebellion following on from the reforms. Concessions in Finland with Finnish being encouraged as a language. Liberal policy toward Jews halted after a short while. Universities given autonomy, with student intelligentsia being the source of rebellion in the future Elementary school sprung up across the country, aimed to overcome massive illiteracy in the serfs New Western legal system, with independent judges and trial by jury. Radical and quickly accepted in Russia but government did maintain power of arbitrary arrest and judges were still influenced by the state. Some rural areas given a Zemstvo, a council formed at district and provincial level, with peasants allowed to elect 40% of the members. Had power to levy taxes and hire and fire local officials. Very slow to be implemented only in 43/70 provinces by 1914. Conscription was ended and service reduced from 25 years to 6 with 9 in reserve. Training improved. Reduced burden of military upon state. Press now allowed to talk about government policy, and all prosecutions for breaking censorship laws now goes through the courts. Used military courts for revolutionary cases and tightened censorship Formal distinction made between the classical gimnaziya and real schools teaching modern subjects. Only gimnaziya students could progress to university, limiting chance for revolutionary activity. Students studying abroad were called home as part of a movement toward Russification Trial of 50 revolutionaries was open, and made a mockery of the system, with many defendants using it as a platform for their cause Held in private, and reflective of reactionary nature of government, avoiding mistakes of last time Proposals to abolish Third Section and to have elected representatives involved in lawmaking. Not put into law due to death of Tsar Alexander II in 1881 Set up government controlled courts and liberal judges and officials were dismissed from office. The Okhranas powers were increased. Enforced the Safeguard system where governers-general and police

Alexander III becomes Tsar Statute of State Security

1881 1881

Extension of Press Censorship

1882

Provisional or Temporary Rules

1882

chiefs could arrest and hold people at will as well as close down Zemstva and Dumas Publications critical of the regime could be suspended indefinitely and editors prevented from publishing anything else Denied rights to Jews, including: Settling in rural areas; Holding administrative office, including becoming a lawyer; Running schools & printing in Hebrew; Marrying a Christian unless they converted, & Right of appeal.

Working Time Limits Peasants Land Bank Established and Poll Tax removed University Statute

Jewish University limits Secret Trials Without Jury Land Captains

Zemstva Act

Jews Banned for Selling Spirits Nicholas II becomes Tsar Zubatovs Police Unions

October Manifesto Fundamental Laws

Stolypin becomes Prime Minister Stolypins Land Reforms

1882 Working hours for Women and Children were limited Begins Bank gave out cheap loans for peasants to start investing 1883 in tools or land, but loans were mostly used to pay off debt. Poll tax abolished to alleviate poverty, but had little effect 1884 Replaced previous statute, and made universities state controlled, and Deans and Lecturers state appointed. Came in with other measures that banned women from courses, increased church influence, and also raised fees to exclude poorer people. 1887 Limits on the number of Jews who could attend university 1887 Minister of Justice could order trials to be held in secret to protect Dignity of the state 1889 Crimes against the state could now be held in secret without a jury 1889 Nobles appointed by Governer-General to influence Zemstvo and local affairs. Limited freedoms of peasants even further 1890 Changed the voting system to the Zemstvas, using an electoral college system where the peasants could only elected nominated members indirectly. 1894 Jews were banned from selling vodka etc., a main source of income, and lead to poverty for many of them 1894 1901 Interior Minister Zubatov set up unions to work along with, working out welfare schemes with them. When a series of police-sponsored strikes took place in 1903 he was dismissed 1905 Proposed an elected Duma with legislative powers, a broad franchise and civil rights promoted 1906 Announced the Duma was weaker than initially thought, with one appointed chamber, an electoral college system, and control over only a third of the budget. Reaffirmed Autocratic power and gave Tsar power to dismiss the Duma 1906 Stolypin increased repression heavily, overseeing 2500 executions 1906-1911. Wished to modernise Russia 1906- Stolypin tries to introduce agricultural policies aimed at 1911 introducing capitalism and individual ownership to the peasants. This would reduce the power of the Mir and

Electoral Laws

June 1907 1914

Foreign Investment

Provisional Government Come to Power Kerenskys reforms

Feb 1917 1917

Police reforms Judicial Reforms Democratic Reforms

1917 1917 1917

Continue the War Kornilov Appointed

1917 1917

improve efficiency and productivity Article 87 of the fundamental laws allowed the Tsar to change the electoral system and he did, with the franchise changed to favour the gentry and urban rich By 1914 Nicholas IIs Foreign Investment driven industrialisation meant that 47% of Russian securities were foreign owned Dual power was established, between the Provisional Bloc of the old Duma and the Petrograd Soviet Granted a general amnesty, civil liberties, removal of legal restrictions based on class, religion & nationality and the right of labour to organise & strike in return for the Soviets support Police replaced with People Militia, with elected leadership Independent Judiciary, Trial by Jury, Capital punishment ended, amnesty on all political and terrorist cases Introduced elected self-government on the basis of general, direct, equal & secret ballot. Prepared for an election and a formation of Constituent Assembly The PG, not having a mandate, felt they should continue the former policy of the war. Kornilov was appointed as head of Armed forces, and reinstated Death Penalty and Court martial for military discipline

Bolsheviks/Lenin Come to Power Anatoly Lunacharsky appointed Commissar for Public Enlightenment Nationalisation of Orthodox Church Lands Land Decree Decree on Workers Control One Party State Established Formation of the Cheka Decree on Freedom of Conscience and on Church and Religious Associations Centralisation of Power Nationalisation Decree Soviet Constitution Minority Promise Food Requisitioning Begins

Oct 1917 Oct 1917 Late 1917 Nov 1917 Nov 1917 Nov 1917 Dec 1917 Early 1918

Understood artists needed freedom, and allowed an age of relative freedom for writers and artists, despite many leaving due to the civil war. The Lands of the Orthodox church were nationalised and thus taken away from them, and lost influence in schools Legitimised Land Seizures made by peasants already that had occurred nation-wide Handed management of factories over to the workers

Kadets outlawed, SRs and Mensheviks prevented from openly taking part in political activity after June 1918 Cheka formed, headed by Dzerzhinsky to act as secret police for the Bolshevik regime Separated Church from State, banned it from owning property, and outlawed teaching religion to anyone under 18 March Bolsheviks rename as Communist Party 1918 June Brought industry under central control and the Supreme 1918 council of the National Economy supervised them July In the Soviet Constitution signed on this month, national 1918 minorities were promised independence and selfgovernance. Aug Requisition squads targeted the countryside, especially

Divorce Law Private Trade was banned Rationing

1918 1918 c1918 c1918

Red Terror Made Official Policy Emergence of the Politburo Abortion legalised Ban on Factions Tightening of Censorship NEP Begins

Sept 1918 1919 1920 1921 Early 1920s 1921

GLAVIT formed

1922

OGPU formed Scissors Crisis

1922 1923

kulaks, but led to the peasants producing less food Allowed Marriage to be dissolved with no reason given. Ending of capitalistic concept of trade As part of the civil war effort, food was centrally distributed, with biggest rations going to the Red Army and heavy industry workers Cheka given unlimited power, and sought to destroy enemies of the revolution. Politburo takes over gradually as the main leadership of the party, as opposed to Sovnarkom Abortion was legalised and provided for free Different groups were no longer allowed to form, and any opposition to the party leadership as essentially illegal Censorship tightened generally, but was not uniform throughout the whole state. Ended crop requisitioning and replaced with a percentage crop tax, allowed Nepmen to trade for a profit, Businessmen could run medium sized firms for a profit, rouble re-valued. Directorate for Literature and Publishing formed, all publishers must gain a license from here and suppressed underground literature, leading to self-censorship. Cheka re-named as the OGPU Crisis created by falling price of agricultural goods and raising price of industrial goods. Peasants could not afford as much The Communist Youth group was set up for 14-28 year olds. Had to swear allegiance to Stalin, and may lead to eventual party membership. Churches, Monasteries and Mosques were closed down. Those in countryside to resisted crushing religion were labelled as Kulaks and killed. Stalin starts to encourage voluntary establishment of collective farms First Five Year Plan aimed to rapidly industrialise. This plan was supposedly achieved so quickly, it was ended after four years. However, many statistics were fabricated by factory owners Free Market in Grain was abolished Stalin calls for the liquidation of the Kulaks as a class Communist activists forced collectivisation upon the countryside Stalin lets the Womens Bureau of the Communist party lapse and become ignored in 1930.

Lenin Dies Komsomol Established

1924 1926

Stalin Comes to power New Attack on Religion

1928 1928

Encourage Collectivisation First Five Year Plan

1928 Oct 1928/ Dec 1932 1929 Dec 1929 Late 1929 1930 Jan 1933/ Dec 1937

Free Market Abolished Rally Against Kulaks Forced Collectivisation Lapse of Womens Influence Second Five Year Plan

Purge of the Party NKVD formed Soviet Union of Writers Formed

1933 1934 1934

Verification of Party Documents Control of Universities

1935 1935

Exchanged of Party Documents Divorce Laws The Terror Third Five Year Plan

1936 June 1936 1938/ 1939 Jan 1938/ June 1941 1939 1939

Undesirable or unreliable party members removed OGPU renamed the NKVD Encouraged directly accessible and relatable art (Socialist realism). However, seriously restricted the members freedoms, as all art must have a socialist message. Punishment severe, Solzhenitsyn was sent to Gulag for his book the Gulag Archipegalo. Documents checked of party members and Undesirables removed Academy of Sciences brought under state control and used to produce large numbers of engineers, scientists, doctors and teachers. However, many discoveries were faked, but had to be accepted for face the Gulag. Verification Process had failed, so new cards issued and more members expelled Tightened divorce and abortion laws and outlawed homosexuality Mass arrests of members, non party members and members of military. Led by commander of secret police Abandoned Due to War

End of Terror Education and Literacy

Abortion and Divorce Laws

1944

Use of Religion in the Great Patriotic War Adoption of Church to State Fourth Five Year Plan

1941 1946 Jan 1946/ Dec 1950 Jan 1951/ Dec 1955 1952 1954

Stalin calls an end to the Terror By 1939, 96% of males were literate. Reflected education policy of traditional education with core curriculum, regular homework and state sponsored exams at uniformed schools. Fees were now charged for the last 3 years. Restrictions on Divorce made even tighter, abortion made illegal and taxes raised for families with less than 2 children Religion was used to uplift the nation, and churches were re-opened. The idea of a holy Russia was revived All Christian Denominations came under the Orthodox Church, which then became an arm of the government.

Fifth Five Year Plan

Stalin Dies Virgin Land Scheme begins

First Virgin Land scheme in 1954. Designed to cultivate large areas of uncultivated land, but generally failed to live up to expectations. A greater period of greater cultural freedoms and access to foreign literature, accompanied by foreign trips made

Khrushchev comes to power The Thaw

1955 From 1954

Minimum Wage Sovnarkhozy Created End of Tuition Fees Anti-Religious Campaign

1956 1957 1958 1960

Seven Year Plan

1959/ 1965

by Khrushchev. Minimum wage is introduced for all workers, however, most earned more anyway! Khrushchev creates 105 Regional Councils (Sovnarkhozy) with influence over economic development Tuition fees for higher education were abandoned Decline in religious tolerance, with churches being closed and introduction of Atheism as a subject at school. Jews were not permitted to emigrate to Israel. A plan to improve manufacture of chemicals, fertilisers and manmade fibres as well as production of natural resources. Some improvement on QOL as result, but failed to improve the amount of consumer goods greatly. Quality of products remained low.