This led to overcrowded towns and cities resulting in poor working and living conditions. The workers had poor wages with long hours and forced overtime. They grew increasingly dissatisfied with the Tsarist regime, in which the nobility all lived a life of grandeur, and did nothing to share their wealth with the common people. The social unrest led the workers to seek alternatives; in order to find a body that was willing to share the power with the populace. These populist beliefs brought about two major revolutionary groups: the socialist revolutionaries and the social democrats.
In Bellamy’s opinion, the agricultural economy and the private capital was inefficient and only benefitted the wealthy, while the working class continued to suffer. The lower class people of the nation had to work unreasonable conditions to escape, what seemed to be, the inevitable fate of poverty. Many workers protested their jobs in hopes of change, which ultimately lead to furthering their poverty because the upper class had no sympathy for the poor, even when they tried to stand up for themselves. Bellamy clearly shows his thoughts of hopelessness in his community that he lived in by the following passage: “…it was merely a question of thickness of their skulls when they would discover the fact and make up their minds to endure what they cannot cure” (12). Bellamy saw the select few who were wealthy as abusers of their power and money.
His aim was to make Russia a super power. * But, he was faced with many problems; Russia had a very small business class, which was central to keeping up with Britain. Also the majority of peasants didn’t have complete freedom which limited migration. Plus, the Russian economy had insufficient funds to invest in industrialisation, as well as the rouble not being on the golden standard so not many people were willing to invest as the rouble wasn’t a safe investment. This was changed when the rouble was put on the golden standard, many people and countries invested such as; factory owners from Bradford as well as Belgium, France and Britain.
Many Russian intellectuals were rising up against the Tsar; they believed that the regime was oppressive and that European countries had more freedom and felt that many Russians lacked basic freedoms seen in other European nations. Even though the formation of political parties was illegal in Russia, these intellectuals started to form groups of people who shared a similar opinion. Some felt that change in Russia could only be achieved through revolution and the overthrowing of the Tsarist regime while others believed that changes needed to be made through reform and a gradual revolution. These opposition groups were known as the Liberals, the Populists and the Marxists. Firstly, the Liberals were made up of middle class Russians such as lawyers, doctors, and teachers and so on.
Each group had its own ideas on what was needed for Russia and each group wanted change, however, there were many problems within the groups and none of them were willing to work with each other; mostly due to the differences in their policies and how they carried them out. The Social Revolutionaries, who were mainly concentrated on establishing a democratic government, used violent tactics such as terrorism and assassinations, the most famous being the assassination of Tsar Alexander II. However, the Liberals, who also wanted to establish some sort of democracy did not agree on using violent tactics, they preferred to discuss things in meetings and banqueting campaigns. The Liberals were the most moderate of the opposition groups and wanted to keep the Tsar, but remove autocracy and have his current power shared between a democratic government. The Social Democrats, like the other two groups, also wanted to establish some sort of democracy; however, once again, they did not agree on using violence, they preferred to use propaganda campaigns, as did the Social Revolutionaries and Liberals, but not violence.
This made the government not original so the country could not benefit from it. Also political parties were banned so the government had little incentive to work to their potential as there is no competition. This relatively useless government made Russia unproductive and inefficient as there was little reform from their government. Following this most important point is the second most important factor of the 1905 Revolution which is the depression between 1899 and1903. The depression damaged Russia’s economy quite badly.
So many divisions and factions within the opponents all wanting different things for Russia shows responsibility for the survival of the Tsar as they were too busy against each other, than to unite against the Tsar. Divisions amongst the opposition further disagreed on the methods to overthrow the Tsar. The Liberals preferred reform rather than violence, and peaceful propaganda such as articles in newspapers, meetings and reform banquets. Mensheviks were in favour of alliance with all other revolutionary and bourgeois liberal parties, and supported trade unions in pursuing better wages and conditions for workers. Whereas the Bolsheviks rejected cooperation with other parties, and aimed to turn workers into revolutionaries as soon as possible.
The firefighters burn books because the government does not allow people to read whatever they desire. The government fears that through reading the citizens will become too knowledgeable causing them to question their authority, which will lead to the government being over thrown. The actual books are not what the government is afraid of, but the information they provide. They fear that information will cause the people to think they have the power to disagree with the laws and regulations of their society. For example, the firefighters do not know the history of the past purpose of the firefighters.
Russian had also to be used by local officials and in the courts. The policy was not successful and bred resentment. As Figes commented: “Trying to stamp out the native language was not just an insulting and demoralizing policy… it was ridiculous as well. Polish students at Warsaw University, for example, had to suffer the absurd indignity of studying their own native literature in Russian translation.” In a further effort to restrict what people could do, education was also reformed. The rights of universities to appoint their own professors was abolished and new legislation required the government’s approval for new syllabuses to be taught.
They always had to have certain jobs. One that is hard labor, the ones that you don’t need much skills in. For example, garment factories, steel mills, or construction they all were low pay and unskilled. Long hours of work for barely anything. Nativist did not want any immigrants to come to America, they said it was because the immigrants were taking all the jobs and that they would never learn their customs and language.