Alexander II

Question 1

when did Alexander ii became tsar

Answer 1

1855

Question 2

how were the tsars and the Orthodox Church intertwined

Answer 2

There was an Over-Procurator of the Holy Synod who was appointed by the tsar to run Church Affairs. Archbishops and bishops at the head of the church hierarchy were subject to Tsarist control over appointments, religious education, most of the churches finances and issues of administrations

Question 3

who were the main advisory bodies for Alex ii about land

Answer 3

edicts (advisers and ministers)

his main advisory bodies were the Imperial Council or Chancellery (35 to 60 nobles) and the Council of Ministers

Question 4

summarise what the role were of the council of ministers

Answer 4

ministers in charge of different government departments

Question 5

what are the bureaucracy and state some issues surrouding them

Answer 5

a system of government in which most of the important decisions are taken by state officials rather than by elected representatives

it was riddled by internal corruption and incompetence

Question 6

summarise the army in 1855

Answer 6

1.5 million conscripted serfs
serfs forced military service of 35 years
serfs made to live in a military colony
military made up 45% of the annual spending

Question 7

what was the secret police called

Answer 7

Third Section

Question 8

summarise the economic situation in 1855

Answer 8

agriculture based economy
severely behind in terms of the west
11:1 ratio of rural to urban life

Question 9

what were the reasons for Russia’s economic backwardness in 1855

Answer 9

The territory was inhospitable (size and climate)

communications between the rest of Europe was poor

serf based economy

self-sufficiency (lack of trade)

Question 10

what were the serf communes called

Answer 10

mir

Question 11

summarise the social situation in 1855

Answer 11

division between the land-owning elite and serfs

no middle class

Intelligentsia

Question 12

when did the Crimean War take place

Answer 12

1853-1855

Question 13

give 3 reasons why Russia lost the Crimean War

Answer 13

outdated technology

poor transport

inadequate leadership

military defeats (Balaclava, Sebastopol)

Question 14

how many serfs were there in 1861

Answer 14

51 million

Question 15

when were the serfs emancipated

Answer 15

1861

Question 16

give 3 reasons why the serfs were emancipated

Answer 16

increase in peasant uprisings

inefficiencies in the Crimean War

pressure from ‘enlightened bureaucrats’ (Milyuitn brothers)

Question 17

give 2 reasons why peasant uprisings increased in 1855

Answer 17

landowners pushing serfs to produce more

protests against military conscription during the Crimean War

Question 18

summarise the Emancipation Edict 1861

Answer 18

1858-59 set off on a tour of the countryside making pro-emancipation speeches to try to win noble support

Question 19

give 3 reasons why the serfs felt like they were cheated by the emacipation

Answer 19

unfair land allocations

substinence farming and technical backwardness persisted (50% of the population by 1878 were capable of producing a surplus)

redemption payments for 49 years

Question 20

how benefited from the emancipation

Answer 20

kulaks

Question 21

how organised the military

Answer 21

Milyutin

Question 22

give 5 examples of military reforms

Answer 22

conscription was made compulsory for all classes

conscription went from 25 years to 15 years

punishments were made less severe

military colonies were abandoned

modern weaponary was used and a new command structure was established

Question 23

when was the Russo-Turkish war

Answer 23

1877-1878

Question 24

summarise the local government reforms

Answer 24

zemstva was introduced, dominated by nobility, the role was to improve the public services, had no control over state and local taxes

Question 25

summarise judiciary reforms

Answer 25

the new system was modelled on the west: volost courts dealt with peasant cases judges were appointed by the tsar Local Justices of peace were elected every 3 years courts were open to the public

Question 26

what internal and domestic problems had the crimean war caused

Answer 26

trade disrupted through the black sea causing food shortages, peasant uprisings and had shown weakness in the regime (leading to the emancipation)

Question 27

why did political ideas influence the need to reform after the war

Answer 27

liberals now seemed justified (General Milyutin wanted to modernise the army and considered serfs were inadequate) rise of the intelligentsia (Leo Tolstoy) opposition of the Nic II who was previously oppressive nobility had become more threatened due to peasant rising and income had decreased

Question 28

summarise early stages of emancipation of the serfs

Answer 28

Alexander tours and spoke of 'personal bond' slow process due to failures such as asking a group of nobility to make new suggestions, this failed and then was replaced by the secret committee of leading officials in 1857 who were too slow many nobles who wnated to keep economic control over the peasants and did not want to lose financially but due to peasant uprisings the emancipation law of 1861.

Question 29

what was the result of the military reforms

Answer 29

smaller but better trained army which reduced government expenditure officer ranks mainly consisted of nobility successes with Turkey in 1878 defeat to Japan in 1905 losses in WW1

Question 30

local government reforms (1864-70)

Answer 30

new roles needed due to the gap left when landowners no longer had control over the local population and upkeep of the area lead to the commission 1860 being made (new roles needed due to the gap left when landowners no longer had control over the local population- zemstva- voted through electoral college which the peasants voted in)

Question 31

when were the dumas brought in

Answer 31

1870

Question 32

what were the limits of power for the the zemstvas and dumas

Answer 32

no control over local or state taxes law and orders was the responsibility of the provisional governors

Question 33

did the judicial reforms have any improvements

Answer 33

less corruption many intelligentsia became lawyers lawyers could criticise the regime (e.g. Vera Zasulich case)

Question 34

how did the judicial reforms not make any improvements

Answer 34

problems and restrictions till existed revolutionaries dealt with by the 3rd section and arbituary arrest still exsisted for them juries were not extended to all parts of the empire

Question 35

summarise the educational reforms

Answer 35

peasants running their own small holdings now needed basic literacy and numeracy zemstva now in control rather than the church ran by minister of education- Golovin universities could now govern themselves primary and secondary school now extended women could now attend secondary school from 1870

Question 36

censorship reforms

Answer 36

relaxation of press censorship foreign publications allowed publications allowed that commented on governemnt policies increase in books published (theorists such as Marx)

Question 37

economy reforms

Answer 37

led by Reutern treasury reformed- new tax collecting system, budgets and auditing bank facilities extended (state bank created in 1860) government subsidies for entrepreneurs foreign investment was encouraged encouragement and support for the cotton industry and mining

Question 38

church reforms (1867-69)

Answer 38

reported created in 1862 called the Ecclesiastical commission which looked into the church organisation and practice however Alex II didn't want too much criticism of the church through fear this would weaken his authority 1868- new reforms allowed talented and educated priests to gain promotions in the church

Question 39

how did the reforms of education change after 1866

Answer 39

zemstvas power was reduced and church regained power over schools in the rural areas universities- literature, history and languages was replaced with more traditional studies such as maths and Latin teacher training schools controlled by the states introduced to increase tsarist indoctrination

Question 40

how did reforms of police, laws and courts change after 1866

Answer 40

Shuvalov increased the 3rd section and police especially rooting out opposition groups Pahlen also increased searches and arrests, political prisoners were exiled and show trials were healdto deter other oppositional groups however show trials were not successful such as the trial of 50 and trial of 193 where the defendents were acquitted deu to the jury having sympathy for their reforming ideas

Question 41

what happened in 1866

Answer 41

assassination attempt by Karakosov a student with a noble background

Question 42

attitudes to ethnic minorites

Answer 42

a rebellion in Poland against control in 1863 persuaded Alexander to increase restrictions of non-Russians especially Jews, Polish and Finns Ukranian language was not allowed in publications from 1876 however, Estonians and Latvians were able to convert to Lutheranism not just orthodoxy and Finns were allowed their own parliament (diet)

Question 43

loris melikov constitution

Answer 43

released political prisoners removal of the salt tax restrictions on the activities of the zemstva inclusion of elected representatives of the nobility

Question 44

when was alex ii killed

Answer 44

13th march 1881