Sergei
Zubatov
was
born in 1863. As a student he was active in revolutionary politics
until being expelled from university.
Zubatov found work as a manager of a bookshop
owned by Alexandra Mikhina.
This enabled him to distribute banned literature to fellow radicals.
In 1883 Zubatov began working as a police spy.
Three years later he joined Okhrana.
As a former revolutionary Zubatov believed he was in a good position
to know how to defeat them.
In 1895 Zubatov was appointed as head of the
Moscow section of Okhrana.
He gradually introduced several modern methods of detection including
photographic files, a systematic registration of suspects and a
flying squad to deal with acts of terrorism. Zubatov also trained
his in revolutionary theory and conspiratorial methods.
Zabatov
also
used secret agents to set
up the Mutual Assistance League of Workers
in the Mechanical Industry. His agents became the leaders
of this trade union and they attempted
to persuade the workers not to make demands for higher wages and
better working conditions. This proved unsuccessful and by 1903
the union had to be disbanded because its members had began to take
part in strikes.
Vyacheslav
Plehve,
the Minister of the Interior, was angry at the failure of this policy,
and in 1903 he sacked Zabatov and sent him into exile. While in
Vladimir, Zabatov wrote articles that were published in Grazhdanin
(Citizen) where he defended Nicholas II
and his autocratic rule.
Sergei
Zubatov
1.
Was a strong supporter of Nicholas
II
and the autocracy.
2.
Did not believe in universal suffrage.
3. Wanted the
Russian government to deal harshly with those people demanding political
reforms.
4.
Thought Russia should support Serbia against the Triple
Alliance.
5.
Thought Russia should honour its obligations and support the Triple
Entente against the Triple Alliance.
6. As
the
Russian Army was the largest army in
the world he was convinced that Russia would defeat Austria-Hungary
and Germany
in a war.
7.
If the Triple
Entente
defeated the Triple
Alliance,
Russia would gain control of
