2. Political authority and reform AII Flashcards
how many serfs did AII emancipate in 1861
51 million
what has his decision to emancipate been hailed as
the product of the tsars own liberal and humanitarian ideas
what was the emancipation followed by
reforms in other areas such as the army, local gov, judiciary
what has the series of reforms led to
him being given name ‘Tsar Liberator’
what does Emmons refer to emancipation edict as
piece of state directed manipulation of society aimed to strengthen social and political stability rather than product of liberal thinking
what does Emmons state reforms were intended for
maintaining tsarist authority
what does Emmons interpretation suggest
it backfired and created division between gov and landed gentry
what could AII views on serfdom have been shaped by
- romantic tutor- Zhukovsky
- travels around empire
- party of st Petersburg progress
which other family members had been committed to abolition of serfdom for sometime
GD Konstantin (Brother) GD Elena (AUNT)
what were alexanders natural tendencies
conservative rather than liberal
what alarmed AII and convinced him that change needed to occur
increase in peasant uprisings since 1840s
what were the main catalyst for action
humiliations an efficiencies of Crimean war
who pleaded for reform in order to ‘strengthen the state and restore dignity’
Dmitry Milyutin
what did Dimtry Milyutin believe about the army
needed modernising and only a free population would provide labour needed for military improvement
what was AII like in conserving autocracy
determined to maintain autocracy and uphold god given duties but felt pressure for reform
how did AII begin his reign
releasing political prisoners and pardoning decemberists
who were decemberists
group involved in plot to assassinate his father
what did AII relax at start of his reign
controls on censorship, restrictions on foreign travel and uni entrance
what did AII ask nobles for in March 1856
asked them to produce suggestions for an emancipation measure
how did AII try and win noble support for emancipation
toured countryside giving pro emancipation speeches
who did emancipation edict initially apply to
privately owned serfs
when did state serfs receive freedom
1866
what did emancipation edict grant
serfs freedom and an allotment of land
what did landowners receive under emancipation edict
government compensation
what were freed serfs required to pay
redemption payments to the government over 49 years
where did the serfs have to stay until redemption payments were made
within the mir/peasant commune
what was the mir made responsible for
distributing allotments, controlling farming and collecting and paying peasants taxes
what were volosts established for
to supervise the mirs
what were volosts
peasant communities consisting of several villages/hamlets
from when did the volosts run their own courts
1863
what did the volosts replace
the landlords jurisdiction over serfs
what period was there befpre freedoms were granted
a two year period of temporary obligation
what happened during the temporary obligation period
allocations were worked out
what land did landowners keep
meadows, pasture, woodland and a personal holding
what land was given to the mirs
open fields
how many serfs remained ‘temporary obligated’ to their landlords until 1881
15%
when was redemption made compulsory
1881
who did well out of land allocation
kulaks
why did kulaks do well
bought up extra land-produce surplus grain- export
who raised living standards
those who obtained passport to leave Mir- worked in industrialising cities