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     LAa the Laa de (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted From: 165.21.154.108 Rating: |
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Was Czar Nicholas II successful in solving the problemhe faced during his reign (1894-1917)? justify your answer During the reign of Czar Nicholas II. a lot of problems occured in Russia. The Czar had to face alot of internmal and external problem at that time. Though reforms were taken place, by no means was the Czar Nicholas II successful in solving the problem at that time. During the later priod of his reign, Nicholas II's wwak-willed character also made him as the victim of his wife and the wicked monk Rasputin. As a result, confusion, corruption and inefficiency were dominant in Russia administration and it led to total collaspe of Czardom in 1917. When Nicholas II came to throne in 1894, Russia, internally, experienced tremedous difficulties in maintaining local order, which was the result of outmode bereaucracy and inefficeint economic system. For example, there were still social discontent which due to the great inequalities between the upper and lower classes. The nobles and landowers had wealth and privileges while common people were very poor and had virtually no rights. Also, Russian peasants lived a very hard life even after their emancipation in 1861 as they were burdened with heavy taxation and redemption payment. Moreover, the life of the Russian workers even worse, the worker suffered many social evils brought about by the rapid industralization during the late 19 century. The problems mentioned above gradually led to a widespread peasant and workers discontent. Furthermore, the middle class resented the fact that there was no representative assembly and they took no part in the government. So, they uraged for political reform at the same time . In addition to the political, social and economic discontent, Nicholas II also had to face external pressure of ultra-nationalism and political instability, scrutinized by mutual suspicion, fear and frequent diplomacy. However, Nicholas II incapable of his rule. In fact. he was weak-willed and lack understanding of the real needs of his country. His policies were so reactionary but his ability in realizing them was so inadequate. In response to the urge for political freedom, Nicholas II used repressive methods. When he came to throne, at the beginning, he declared" I will preserve the principle of autocracy as firmly and unswerving as my father". He then abolished all the liberal policies except the emancipation Edict. From the 1890s, these had been growing demand for wider freedom as it was provided by Alexander II during his rule. Now, when it was answered with a repressive response, the resentment turned to radicalism, terrorism and revolt. The Czar then resorted to cercorship , arbitary arrest, imprisonment, execution and brutality of various sorts for suppression. However, it contributed nothing in keeping Russia politically stable. Instead, more discontented Russias joined te anti-governemnt revolutionary movement and planned to overthrow it. Besides, Nicholas II's continuous industralization policy did nothing to better the condition of the working class. It contributed none to alleviate the discontent. Instead, aggrevate the discontent from working class. Russia was at the initail stage of industralization , there were no labour law to protect the workers conerning their maximum working hours and minimum wages. The Russian workers thus worked in very unsatisfactory environment. It is the fact that Nicholas II only aimed at industralizing the country but didi solve the most important problems he faced, that is the widespread discontent of workers. Moreover, the situation of the peasants were no better. They have to bear heavy tazes. Also, their population was increasing but the total cultivated areas didi not increase at the same rate. When more reforms were demand ed by the peasants, the government replied by carrying out repressive measures. Discontent mounted. Facing the external pressure of ultra-nationalism and political instability, NicholasII carried on his father's policy of Russianization and repression towards minorities. For instance, in 1903 he revived the anti-Jewish policy by restricting Jewish political and social rights and massacres of Jews occured. However, Nicholas II's action only increased his own difficulties and created for himself more enemies. Moreover, Nicholas II adopted an adventures policy in foreign affairs. He underestimated the strength of Japan and provoked a war in 1904 over the Manchurian questions and Russia was seriously defeated. Originally, Nicholas II wanted to used the war to increase Russia international prestige and diverted the internal discontent. However, te defeat in war caused further unrest and disorder in the countryside and unceasing strikes in the cities and finally led to 1905 revolution. Nicholas II faced the highest threat in 1905, when a revolution broke out after the defeat in Russo- Japanese War. In this urgent time, NicholasII proclaimed the October Manifesto in October 1905. In the manifesto, the Czar promised to set up a duma and give people basic human right. However, Nicholas II was in fact didi not willing to share legislative power with Duma. When he foung the Duma not cooperative, he dissolved it and called another Duma. Until the third Duma, it was a conbined product of restricted franchise and election manoeuvre. Orignally, NicholasII wanted to make use of the manifesto to stop the revolutinary tide. However, on the contrary, his action convinced the Russians how obstinate Nicholas II was and how he igored the interest of the country, it further alienated him of the support of the middle class and the intellectuals. Nevertheless, some limited reforms were carried out by Nicholas II in 1906, Although the reform could really improve te situation to a small extent, it could not solve the ultimate problems faced by Nicholas II, that is the revolutionary tide and discontent towards the governement . Those reform were carried our by Stolypin, the Prime Minister appointed by Nicholas II, the reform programmes covered education, land and industail aspects. For instance, abolishing redemption payment, giving subsidies to peasant, encouring firms to invest in industries were proposed. Despite the reform, the workers still suffered from low wages and bad working conditions. They held 6000 strikes in the period 1912-1914 to show their discontent, and the supression of the Czar made the workers support the revolutionary movement. The peasants were also discontented, the land reforms helped build a agraraian middle class known as the Kulaks in Russia. In short, the reforms carried out in 1906 only alleviate a bit of the problem but to solving it. That's why Russia's revolutionary movement still had wide support in the post-1905 revolution period. In 1910s, Russia's economy was in chaos, millions of refugees rushed into the cities from the western part of the country. In 1915, there were 800 striked and in 1916 the number of strikes increased to 1100. With the defeat of Russia during WWI, Russia suffer a lot. At that time, NicolasII could no nothing since the real power was held on the wicked monk Rasputin. As a consequence, he was overthrown during the February revolution in 1817. All in all, Czar Nicholas II was really an incapable ruler of Russia. Facing the domestic disturbance, what he didi was aggravate the problems and further intensified the revoilutionary movement but not alleviate it. So, NicholasII is incapable to solve the pronlems her faced during his reign. |
