19th Century in Russia - Imperial Russia - Ideological Schisms and Reaction

Ideological Schisms and Reaction

In this setting Michael Bakunin would emerge as the father of anarchism. He left Russia in 1842 to Western Europe, where he became active in the socialist movement. After participating in the May Uprising in Dresden of 1849, he was imprisoned and shipped to Siberia, but eventually escaped and made his way back to Europe. There he practically joined forces with Karl Marx, despite significant ideological and tactical differences. Alternative social doctrines were elaborated by such Russian radicals as Alexander Herzen and Peter Kropotkin.

The question of Russia's direction had been gaining steam ever since Peter the Great's program of Westernization. Some favored imitating Europe while others renounced the West and called for a return of the traditions of the past. The latter path was championed by Slavophiles, who heaped scorn on the "decadent" West. The Slavophiles were opponents of bureaucracy, preferred the collectivism of the medieval Russian mir, or village community, to the individualism of the West. However, over the years since the Patriotic War of 1812 against Napoleon, Russia had been forced into involvement in the affairs of Europe, as part of the "Holy Alliance." The Holy Alliance was formed to serve as the "policeman of Europe." However, to be the policeman of Europe and maintain the Holy alliance needed large armies. Prussia, Austria, England and France, (the other members of the "Holy Alliance") had the large armies needed. Thus, the Holy Alliance needed Russia to supply the required armies. Consequently, as a result of Russia supplying the armies needed by the Holy Alliance to suppress the revolutionary uprisings in Europe in 1848 and 1849, Russia became deeply involved in the affairs of Europe. Luckily for Europe, their need for large armies fit the philosophy of Tsar Nicholas I.

Russia, however, expected that, in exchange for supplying the troops for the Holy Alliance to serve as the policeman of Europe, should be that Europe would leave Russia a free hand in dealing with the Ottoman Empire—the "sick man of Europe." Accordingly, some observers, including Karl Marx and Frederick Engels predicted that there soon would be a Russo-Turkish War. However, Marx and Engels predicted that any such Russo-Turkish War would necessarily become a European War.