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...
This oppression, fear and ignorance the Marquis de Custine outlined in his remarks, was no more poignant than in the plight of the working class and peasantry of Russian society. ... It operated on a medieval principal of serfdom, nobility and the church, and at the top of the ‘pile’ was the Tsar (the Russian equivalent of a King). The best representation of the Russian class structure from the point of view of the peasantry and working class is in a cartoon produced about the time of Romanov’s reign. It shows the Tsar and the Nobles at the top (who rule with peasant money), followed by the priests, monks and members of the orthodox church (who pray for the peasants), the bourgeoisie occupy the middle layer (who eat for the peasants) and the soldiers on the next level down (who shoot at the peasants)- all of these sit on top of the Russian workers and peasants (who work for them all). ...
The repected revolutionary thinker and founder of the “Popularist Movement”, Alexander Herzen gives further evidence of the nature of repression in 19th century Russian society, especially the repression of the peasantry and working class. ... Until 1861, when Tsar Alexander II issued the declaration of the “Edict of Emancipation”, half of the peasantry had only “serf” status; that is, they were the legal property of the landowners who made up the Russian nobility. ... As the Marquis de Custine stated, “The Russian government is an absolute monarchy moderated by assaination”. ...
Given that the Marxist views of revolution relate to an inevitable class uprising of bourgeoisie and lower classes against the nobility and the ruling class for control of the means of the production and wealth of a nation, Russian society was traveling headfirst into a predictable struggle, which was necessary for “civilization” to progress.
Approximate Word count = 1496
Approximate Pages = 6
(250 words per page double spaced)
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