2.1 The emancipation of the serfs

Question 1

When were private serfs emancipated and how many?

Answer 1

51 million privately owned serfs were freed on the 3rd of March 1861

• 2 year administration period

Question 2

When were state owned serfs emancipated?

Answer 2

State owned serfs were emancipated in 1866

Question 3

How much land were state owned surfs given?

Answer 3

State owned serfs were given 8 acres of land - less when they were on their master’s estate

Question 4

How long did serfs have to pay reparations for?

Answer 4

Ex-serfs had to pay reparation fees for 49 years

Question 5

Who were Key influences on Alexander II? (4)

Answer 5

• Romantic poet Zhukovsky
• His own travels around Europe
• Milyutin brothers
• Brother and Aunt

Question 6

What triggered the Emancipation of serfs & what did Dmitry Milyutin say?

Answer 6

The ‘humiliations and inefficiencies’ exposed by the Crimean War were the ‘main catalyst’

Dmitry Milyutin who was Minister of War 1861-81 pleaded for reform in order to strengthen the state

Question 7

How much did peasant uprisings increase?

Answer 7

Peasant uprisings had increased – 1840-44 less than30/year though this more than doubled over the next 15 years

Question 8

What were some of the results of emancipation? (8)

Answer 8

• Could now own land, but had to pay for it
• Government surveyors divided the landbetween the owners and serfs
• Could leave their estate, but had to have apassport
• Didn’t have to work on noble’s land
• The government paid the owner reparations
• Ex-serfs had to pay reparations for 49 years
• Each year the ‘elders’ divided the land accordingto the numbers in each family
• Themir(village commune)collected the debtinstalments