2 - Emancipation Of The Serfs And Its Impacts Flashcards
What war ended in March 1856?
Crimean War
What did Alexander II do to examine emancipation?
Set up committees
What did Alexander II tour Russia delivering between 1858-59?
Pro-emancipation speeches
Who failed to agree on emancipation measures? What took place between them and Alexander II?
Provincial nobles
Debate
What did Alexander II establish? Who led it?
A committee of 38
Nicholas Milyutin
What was the emancipation of the serfs proclaimed in?
Alexander’s Edict of 1861
Who did emancipation only apply to? When did they receive their freedom?
Privately-owned serfs
1866
What did emancipation permit? What did supporters find about it?
Modernisation
Not as “liberating” as expected
What did Landlords receive from emancipation? What 2 things could they use it for?
Government bonds, compensation
Redeem debt/invest in enterprises
What could some Landlords only do with their compensation? What were they forced to do?
Pay off debts
Sell land
What were Serfs declared? What 4 things could they do?
Free
Marry/Own property/Travel and have rights
What 2 things were Serfs given from emancipation? What varied?
Cottage/allotment of land
Quality of the latter
What could enterprising peasants buy? What could they sell?
Land
Surplus grain
What could Serfs do if they sold land?
Move to an industrialised city
What often remained theoretical about Serfs? Why?
Rights
Other terms of the Edict
What were Serfs required to pay? How many were needed?
Redemption payments annually
49
What did redemption payments provoke?
Unrest
What was the issue with land prices? Where did this leave Serfs?
Fixed above market value
Debt
What 2 things did some peasants have to do to survive?
Work for their old masters/Rent land
What was the Mir responsible for? How long did Serfs remain here?
Tax and redemption collection
Until redemption pay was finished
What did the Mirs supervise? What did Mirs promote?
Farming of allocated land
Backward farming practices
What did Mirs do to peasants? Where couldn’t they leave?
Constrain them
Countryside
What were Landowners allowed to retain? How did some Serfs struggle? What did Serfs lose from Landowners?
Personal lands
Couldn’t make a living without additional land
Protection
What was opened by the Mirs for everyone?
Communal open fields
What was the Obruk? How long did it remain for?
Labour service
Two years of “temp obligation”
How did peasants feel about the Obruk? What happened over 4 months?
Resentful
647 riots
What does Historian John Gooding say about the Emancipation Edict from a European perspective?
“To many Europeans, it might not have seemed like freedom at all”
