The beginning of modernization in Russia in the 20th century and its features

After the abolition of serfdom in Russia, all the prerequisites for modernization and rapid economic growth appeared. In the late XIX - early XX century, the country experienced an industrial revolution. He placed Russia on a par with the most developed economic countries in the world (Britain, the United States, France and Germany).

Development of railways

One of the most important indicators of the development of the economy in the state at that time was the development of railways. Preconditions for Russia's modernization in the early 20th century were precisely the appearance of an accessible transport network.

The first railway line appeared in the country even under Nicholas I (from Moscow to St. Petersburg). At the beginning of the 20th century, the railway is a strategically important resource. A well-developed network made the transportation of goods through a vast country much cheaper and more efficient.

The beginning of modernization in Russia in the 20th century left behind about 3 thousand versts of railways. In no other country in the world has the network been so long. The number of cargo carried for several decades after the reign of Alexander II increased by 4 times.

What specifically gave the intensive construction of railways? It opened up new markets for internal Russia for industry and trade. In dozens of provincial and deaf provinces there were a great many resources awaiting their development. To build a factory in the distance from the developed transport infrastructure could not afford any businessman. If it was done by the state, then the enterprise survived due to large subsidies, which means it worked at a loss.

With the advent of new railways, the beginning of modernization in Russia in the 20th century acquired an accelerated pace. The economic turnover between the provinces has become more intensive, and entrepreneurship is ubiquitous. It involved a wide range of people - from educated gentry to hard-working peasants who left the community.

The Trans-Siberian Railway

Back in 1891, Russia began to implement an incredible project for those times. It was the construction of the Great Siberian Route, or the Trans-Siberian Railway. The longest railway in the world was to connect the country's extreme east with the central provinces. At the ceremony of laying the first section was the heir to the throne, Nikolai Alexandrovich, who himself dialed the first wheelbarrow of the earth. Ten years later the path was closed, and soon trains started to follow it. For the first time a person could without transplant or ferry crossings get from the Atlantic coast of Europe to the Pacific border of Russia. On average, 642 versts of new roads were built per year.

With the advent of Transsib, Russia's economic modernization in the early 20th century acquired a new turn. Now the inhabitants of the country have all the means to develop the vast Siberia. The agrarian reform of Stolypin allowed the peasants to settle in new lands and receive tax breaks to create their own farm. The railroad made it easier for me to travel from the European provinces to the Far East.

Economic links between regions

Features of Russia's modernization in the early 20th century consisted in the fact that with the advent of strong and sustainable trade ties between remote regions, industry began to develop with new strength. Even the Transsib laying alone required huge resources, which private entrepreneurs were engaged in manufacturing. These were: metallurgy, the preparation of sleepers, woodworking, the chemical industry, the creation of fuel for steam locomotives (coal mining, oil refining), etc. The beginning of modernization in Russia in the 20th century was also marked by the absence of state monopolies in most sectors of the economy, which untied the hands of the talented Private organizers.

The construction of new bridges, as well as the production of wagons and locomotives, accelerated several times. As a result, the beginning of modernization in Russia in the 20th century gave the country the second longest railway network in the world (second only to the USA).

Famous Railwaymen

Railways attracted not only entrepreneurs, but also talented government officials. For example, the Minister of Railways in 1895-1905. Was Mikhail Ivanovich Khilkov, who was from the Rurikovich family. The top of his career, he achieved thanks to great diligence. The future minister was first a stoker in the United States, a fitter in the UK, and then proved himself at home as a capable administrator. In addition, with the railways was associated career of Sergei Witte - one of the most famous figures of the era.

Sectors of the economy

Other features of Russia's modernization in the early 20th century were the redistribution of the market. All industrial production of the country was divided into several sectors. The main shares accounted for textile (26%), food (24%) and mining (21%) industry.

Throughout the country there were new economic regions with their unique production. Especially striking was the growth in southern Russia. It produced oil, iron ore, coal, and smelted cast iron. Social modernization in Russia was associated with the unprecedented emergence of factories. Widened proletarian class. From 1894 to 1905 in the country only in the metallurgical sphere there were more than 440 new manufactures and enterprises.

St. Petersburg remained the center of shipbuilding, where ships of new classes were built at shipyards. In the south, the role of the main port was transferred to Nikolaev. Here, modern ships were also actively built and commissioned.

The economic growth

Features of modernization in Russia consisted in the accelerated growth rate, which could envy any economy of the world. On this indicator, the country was in the group of leaders (on a par with the US, Japan and Sweden). The gold mine has become the newest sphere of oil production, according to which Russia was the world leader at all thanks to the discovery and development of the huge Baku deposit.

In other spheres of the economy, domestic production was consistently in 4th or 5th place (extraction of iron ore, smelting of steel and cast iron, engineering, sugar production, etc.).

All-Russian Industrial Exhibition

At the beginning of the 20th century, the All-Russian Industrial Exhibition opened in Nizhny Novgorod (similar to the well-known European events). It was here that Russian industry demonstrated its success. The event became epoch-making, they prepared for it for a long time. Suffice it to mention that specially for the exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod was launched the first electric tram in the vastness of Russia.

The event was financed by Emperor Nicholas II. Among the organizers of the exhibition were the most successful entrepreneurs of that time: Savva Morozov, Savva Mamontov, etc. Here successes were shown and new tasks of Russia's modernization in the beginning of the 20th century formulated.

Innovative developments were demonstrated in Nizhny Novgorod. For example, visitors first saw the hyperboloid shell-tower, Shukhov rotunda, Popov's radio receiver, and also the first domestic car (the car of Freze and Yakovlev). Some pavilions were dedicated to specific regions. For example, the partnership of the Nobel Brothers demonstrated the panoramas of oilfields and oil factories in Baku. The difficulties of modernizing Russia at the beginning of the 20th century were discussed. Also contracts and contracts between various manufacturers and industrialists were concluded.

Problems

Despite all the above successes, there were problems of Russia's modernization in the early 20th century. The country lagged behind the world leaders in terms of production per capita. This indicator is particularly strong for the end user. Because of this, the turnover in foreign trade was low (1 billion 286 million rubles). This figure was 5 times lower than the United States or England. In general, it was equal to the level of tiny Belgium.

The problems of Russia's modernization in the early 20th century were that the country was poor in terms of the overall level of capital within the economy. To continue to develop industry, the state and entrepreneurs needed funds. They were received through loans in other countries. About half of the domestic capital in those years was received on credit. Foreign investors raised whole regions from scratch. For example, there was the Donbass basin. He was equipped with funds from British and French investors.

Government Debt

At the same time, the share of foreign money in the economy with the beginning of the new century has steadily decreased. The peculiarities of Russian modernization were that the state was increasingly lending to the domestic market, because of which its foreign debt fell, while the domestic one, on the contrary, grew. For comparison - at the same time in France for the payment of state loans was spent up to a third of the budget, while in Russia - only about 15%.