AII: EMANCIPATION & REFORM Flashcards
What was the first act in Alexander II’s series of “Great Reforms”?
Emancipation of 50 million serfs.
Why did the social structure of Russia do nothing for the nobility? (P)
Nobels income fell and were still dependent on serfs.
What happened to the population of Russia in the first half of the 19th century? (E)
Doubled.
What were Alexander II’s own views about serfdom?
Serfdom was morally wrong according to Alexander’s liberal education. In order for modernisation to happen the serfs had to be emancipated.
What date was the emancipation signed and published?
3rd March 1861.
How did the Crimean War make Alexander emancipate the serfs?
Realised that Russia has to industrialise and develop.
What was the total number of Russian deaths as a result of the Crimean War?
374,600
What group thought that the serf system was morally wrong?
The intelligentsia.
What were the three traditional belief of the Tsars?
Autocracy, Orthodoxy and Nationality.
How were politics threatened by serfs?
Serf riots had become more frequent since the 1840s.
What is the famous quote from Alexander II regarding serfs political threat?
“Better to abolish from above, than have it forced upon us from below.”
How did the serfs overall feel about their emancipation?
Perplexed. Most were illiterate and relied on semi-literate serfs to translate the announcement.
How many incidents of peasant riots were there in the four months following the publication of the emancipation in March 1861?
647.
Who was Anton Petrov? What did he do?
Semi-literate and caused confusion by interpreting the emancipation incorrectly.
Why were the serfs worse off than before?
They had to pay redemption payments.
Who was the legislation prepared by? Why did this cause further confusion?
Educated bureaucrats. Written from a theoretical and abstract point of view, adding to the confusion.
Who replaced the control of the landowners in the eyes of the serfs?
The Mir.
Where did the redemption payments go?
Swallowed up by debts owed by noblemen.
From 1861-1905, how much did noblemen’s land fall?
Fell by 42%.
What happened to bonds paid by the government?
Depreciated in value.
How was the social status of the noblemen decreased?
Had to sell off land as it became unprofitable.
Who benefited from the emancipation more? Serfs or Nobels?
Nobels.
Give a change in censorship rules under Alexander II.
1865: The ministry of the interior produced a new set of rules to guide writers and editors. Editors no longer had to get approval for their texts.
Give a change in education under Alexander II.
1870: The first schools to offer girls non-vocational education were authorised.
