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1
? starter activity
Peter Stolypin, Russian Prime Minister (replacing
Witte) from 1906-11 when he was assassinated at
Kirov Opera House.
2
Tsar Nicholas IIs account of Stolypins murder

• During the second interval we had just left the
  box, as it was so hot, when we heard two sounds
  as if something had been dropped. I thought an
  opera glass might have fallen on somebody's head
  and ran back into the box to look. To the right I
  saw a group of officers and other people. They
  seemed to be dragging someone along. Women were
  shrieking and, directly in front of me in the
  stalls, Stolypin was standing. He slowly turned
  his face towards me and with his left hand made
  the sign of the Cross in the air. Only then did I
  notice he was very pale and that his right hand
  and uniform were bloodstained. He slowly sank
  into his chair and began to unbutton his tunic.
  People were trying to lynch the assassin. I am
  sorry to say the police rescued him from the
  crowd and took him to an isolated room for his
  first examination.

3
Did Stolypin get his just desserts?
? Aims

• To assess Stolypins achievements
• Explain why he might have been assassinated

4
? Your task

• You are going to evaluate the successes and
  failures of Stolypin. As you work through each
  section record information in the appropriate
  section of your scales chart.
• Read Oxley, p.70-71 and
• Explain why Stolypin made land reform a priority
• Summarise the key reforms he introduced

5
Land reform

• Strengthen support for regime bringing liberals
  peasants on board
• Peasant support esp. important largest
  proportion of population, numbers growing

6
Land reform

• State Crown lands made available to Peasants
  Land Bank for sale to peasants (kulaks)
• Peasants could withdraw from their commune (mir)
  set up on their own
• End to land redistribution land passed
  automatically to head of family
• Peasants had more incentive to improve their land
  output
• 3 million received govt. aid to est. farms in
  Siberia

7
FSG
8
? Your task

• Read the first 2 paragraphs on p.72 and list
  other reforms or policies Stolypin successfully
  introduced.

9
Other reforms

• Primary schools doubled (1905-14)
• Spending on health, poor relief, aid for farmers
  doubled (1906-12)

10
? Your task

• Read the remainder of p. 72 and list negative
  reactions to Stolypins reforms.

11
Failures

• Attempts to introduce greater religious
  toleration for Jews
• Plan to extend zemstva into non-Russian areas
  rejected by State Council (appointed upper
  chamber of Duma)proposals for lower level of
  zemstva rejected

12
? Your task

• Now Read Lynch, p.27-8 and add any further
  evidence of successes or failures for Stolypin

13

• Successes
• Wager on the strong creation of new
  prosperous class of peasants
• Fostered good working relationship with duma
  last opportunity for peaceful reform under Tsars

• Failures
• Land reforms took time Stolypin spoke of
  needing 20 years, but was killed after 5
• Conservatism of Russian peasants by 1914 only
  10 of land taken out of mirs
• Ministry of Agriculture lost confidence in reforms

14
? Plenary

• On balance do you think Stolypins successes
  outweighed his failures?
• Some historians believe the Tsar and his
  government conspired with the Socialist
  Revolutionaries to kill Stolypin. Do you believe
  this conspiracy theory?

Stolypins grave, Kiev