"Russian" to be Modernized

We all have that elderly relative who is emotionally attached to their prehistoric phone. It always seems to be a Motorola Razor flip phone or an old Nokia phone that no matter how many times you drop the thing it will never break. This person is similar to Russia

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While the rest of Europe was evolving with the Industrial Revolution, Russia would not budge from its old monarchy, serfdom, and predominant agrarian population. Europe was rapidly moving with their railroads and Russia got by with its slow paced rivers and wagons. 

Europe is an iphone owner and Russia is a Nokia owner. The iphone user has a touch screen full keyboard while the Nokia owner has the number pad with three letters on each number. They both are able to text but one can text at a more efficient rate. 

The Nokia owner is happy with their phone until one day, they drop their phone in a drink. When they go to AT&T they are told the Nokia phone is no longer in production. GASP! They must get an iphone. This is similar to the breaking point of Russia: the Crimean Wars.

Crimean War!

The Crimean Wars were between Russia and France over the dispute of who should protect certain Christian shrines in the Ottoman Empire. Russia's embarrassing defeat brutally displayed Russia's inability to keep up with the rest of Europe in their rapid industrialization. With Alexander II, Russia was able to make the transition to the Industrial Era. Russia abolished serfdom and created the zemstvo (a system of small local governments). Russia industrialized by subsidizing railroads and increasing exports of grain.

Under Alexander III, Sergei Witte further modernized Russia. Witte doubled the railroad network and encouraged foreign entrepreneurs and capitalists to establish factories in Russia. Witte's plan became very successful and Russia became a top competitor in petroleum and steel.

Sergei Witte

Modernizing Russia is similar to the adapting former Nokia owner. They receive their iphone and learn how to call and text. Then they venture to getting apps such as Twitter and Facebook. But eventually this former Nokia owner becomes too excited about their new phone. Soon you begin to see tweets from your relative every hour or pictures of random puppies posted on your wall from them. They don't know when to stop. Russia became a little too ambitious when they began to expand and give coveted glances at North Korea. Tiny Japan got nervous and decided to attack Russia. Again Russia failed miserably. This embarrassing loss rippled into the feelings of the people of Russia. Business and professional classes wanted political modernization. This class wanted a liberal and representative regime while the minorities wanted a government of self rule and autonomy.

Bloody Sunday

On Bloody Sunday the revolution of 1905 began. A peaceful protest was broken by gun fire into the crowd turning the people's admiration away from the tsar. Uprisings and riots began. Nicholas II calmed the people with the October Manifesto. This Manifesto brought full civil rights and a popularly elected parliament called a duma. Before the first Duma, a new constitution was issued called the Fundamental Laws. This instated election of universal male suffrage with debate of laws allowed in the upper house and allowing the tsar complete power of veto. The tsar was also allowed to choose his own ministers. The first and second Duma was fought by the liberal middle class and in 1907 the government made a shift of more power to the property owning class. In the end Russia became a conservative constitutional monarchy that is semi-modernized. 

The Duma

Russia's final state is similar to the older relative who has finally been given a talk on proper internet etiquette.  They have both found a comfortable place in between the old and the new. Russia still has a monarchy but they have modernized in industry and economy. And the older relative uses their phone only to text and check up on you once in a while.