Alexander II

Question 1

What were the reasons for social and economic change under AII?

Answer 1

Russia was backwards and serfdom was seen as a handicap to industrialisation (caused low incentives for workers and prevented urbanisation)

Question 2

What % of the Russian population were serfs before the emancipation act?

Answer 2

85%

Question 3

What did peasants gain from the emancipation act?

Answer 3

• They gained freedoms such as marriage, travel, set up businesses
• Each serf family entitled to keep its cottage and an allotment

Question 4

What were the limitations of the emancipation act?

Answer 4

• Peasants continued to pay Obrok (rent) for a further two years before becoming free men
• Peasants were required to pay 49 yearly redemption payments at 6% interest.​

Question 5

What did peasants gain from other reforms under AII?

Answer 5

• Peasants were given the right to representation and a lawyer
• Number of pupils doubled in Alexander’s first decade as Tsar
• Censorship lightened: written publications no longer had to approved before release
• Conscription lowered to 6 years from 25

Question 6

What were the limitations of AIII’s other reforms?

Answer 6

• Peasants still governed by mir and lacked representation in local councils
• Still a lack of educational freedoms .e.g. Jewish schools closed due to Russification and women were not able to take degrees
• There was no national assembly and democracy was not achieved
• Reversal of reforms later in his reign tightened censorship and political freedom

Question 7

What economic problems did AII face?

Answer 7

• Constant strain of international debt (1/3 of government expenditure)
• Despite reforms industrial growth was slow and most of the country still worked in agriculture
• Progress of railway was slow and draining on Russian budget

Question 8

What improvements were made to the economy under AII?

Answer 8

• State bank established in 1860, as well as municipal and savings banks established later
• Government subsidies were offered to enable private entrepreneurs to develop the railways
• foreign investment in Russia was encouraged with a government guaranteed annual dividend

Question 9

How successful were economic reforms under AII?

Answer 9

• Remained very weak: no fundamental reform of the taxation system
• Peasants were becoming even poorer due to heavy taxes
• There was limitations on output on grain and industrial goods that could be sold

Question 10

Who was Mikhail Von Reutern

Answer 10

• Finance minister (1862-78), believed state money and control should direct economic change
• Encouraged the development of the railway systems (expanded from 1600km in 1861 to 22,000 in 1878)