Alexander II 1855-1881 [Depth] Flashcards
Alexander II [1855-1881]
Crimea war 1853-56
(loss)
Crimea War 1853-1856
• Russia had attempted to increase its interest in the Balkan Area (following the downfall of the
Ottoman Empire).
• They had sent troops into an area by the Black Sea, controlled by Turkey.
• Britain & France came to Turkey’s defence & to stop Russian expansion.
• Russia suffered a humiliating defeat in the war
the war caused problems for Russia:
• Trade had been disrupted through the Black Sea causing: food shortages, peasant uprisings
+ had shown the weakness of Russia & economy.
Alexander II [1855-1881]
Crimea War conclusion 1853-56
Treaty of Paris 1856
The Crimean War ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1856
• this reduced Russian influence in the Black Sea & prevented Russian
warships from being there
Alexander II [1855-1881]
Problems in Russia the Crimean War had Highlighted
Problems shown by Crimean War for Russia:
Poor Military
• lack of weapons (1 musket for every 2 soldiers)
• outdated weapons
•serf conscripts were not well trained & illiterate
• brutal punishments & low morale.
Poor Transport
• no railway system to transport weapons & men to the frontline (some
men died from starvation/sickness on the long journey)
• Slow transport (coach & horses)
• poor roads – also made communication difficult with the soldiers.
So Alexander II decided he needed to fix this in Russia to avoid this hummiliation repeating itself
Alexander II [1855-1881]
Why did Alexander II become Reformist after the Crimean War?
Political Ideas
Political ideas that made Alexander II reformist after the Crimean war:
LIBERAL IDEAS
• Reform and liberal ideas now seemed more justified
e.g. General Milyutin wanted
to modernise the army and also considered serfs were inadequate for military
NICHOLAS I OPPOSITION
• Nicholas I had been authoritarian – however had opposition.
NOBILITY
• Nobility = unhappy with the Tsar – (cuz increase in peasant uprisings)
and Their incomes had fallen – due to reliance on serfs
(who were at war and had lack of incentive to produce more than needed)
Alexander II [1855-1881]
Why did Alexander II become Reformist after the Crimean War?
His Own Views
Alexander II decided to become reformist after the failure of the Crimean war due to
HIS OWN VIEWS
• He believed in autocracy & strength of Tsardom
( however, he was realised if
Russia was going to compete with the West – it needed to modernise)
• His Travels abroad – had highlighted that SERFDOM was OUT OF DATE & Russian needed to
INDUSTRIALISE.
Alexander II [1855-1881]
Why did Alexander II become Reformist after the Crimean War?
Economic Ideas
Alexander II became Reformist after the failure of the Crimean war due to
ECONOMIC IDEAS
Problems created by Serfdom/how it limited industrialisation
• serfs were not free to move
to towns to work in factories
• capital (money) increase did not happen – (serfs only produced
what needed, no reason to produce more)
• Agriculture was primitive (machinery &
farming methods)-
as any surplus/profit would go to the land owner, so the serfs had no reason to modernise.
• Population increase (doubled in the first half of 19th century)
- serfs could not produce enough
food & any surplus.
- Frequent Famine – in poor weather & and had to hand grain to the nobles.
• Greater competition with Western Europe
– Britain & France had modern
methods & machinery for agriculture
- = prices down & made it harder for Russian nobles to sell abroad
- (Therefore, reduced profits & many had to take out mortgages on their
land to maintain living standards.)
Alexander II [1855-1881]
Why did Alexander II become Reformist after the Crimean War?
MORAL IDEAS
Alexander II Had become Reformist after the failure of the Crimean war due to
MORAL IDEAS
• Intelligentsia (reformers & Westerners)
– wrote & campaigned for reform along western lines
(representative assemblies, economic reform etc)
– arguing that serfdom was backward &
immoral.
• so modernise russia
• However
– Slavophiles believed Russia needed to be modernised, but keep it’s culture
& heritage based around the Orthodox Church.
• so atleast industrialise Russia
Alexander II [1855-1881]
Emancepation of Serdom 1861
Development of the terms
The development of the terms of the Emancipation edict of serfdom in 1861:
Early stages:
• The process was slow
– in 1856 a group of nobles asked to make suggestions, this failed
- replaced by secret committee of leading officials in 1857
- these too were slow
• Alexander decided to be more involved in the process
- toured the country from 1858 making
speeches
- (other nobles were preparing details of land, holdings, dues, debts etc).
• Alexander’s tours
– also make people loyal to him, he spoke of ‘personal bond’.
Long process:
• Alexander II faced concerns from nobles who wanted to keep economic control over the peasants & not want to lose financially
– however, (partly) due to peasant uprisings-
an edict was finally made law in 1861.
Alexander II [1855-1881]
Emancipation of the serfs 1861
Terms
Terms of the Emancipation decree:
• 1861 applied to privately owned serfs, then state owned serfs in 1866.
• Free from ties to landowner, free to marry, own property & business, travel, legal rights.
• Serfs keept their cottage & land
– landlords received compensation from government bonds:
- serfs had to pay the government ‘redemption payments’ (tax) (for 49 years)
• However
– serfs had to stay within the commune until redemption payments had been payed
• the Mir (village elders) organised allotments, farming patterns, collected & paid the taxes of the peasants.
• For 2 years peasants still had to do labour service for landlord (before freedom)
• landowners kept woodlands, meadows & pasture.
• Some peasants were allowed additional land (beyond their cottage land)
• Volosts (peasnt courts) established to supervise the Mir
- providing communal government & some self government.
• The whole process took over 20 years
Alexander II [1855-1881]
Emancipation of the Serfs 1861
Positives that has come out of Emancipation of the serfs (1861)
improvements due to emancipation:
• Some peasants prospered + bought more land
– made money from surplus produce (Kulaks).
• Some landowners
– used the compensation money to invest in industry.
• Extra money from Kulaks & Landowners being taxed?
– aided growth of railways, banking, industry etc.
• Some peasants sold their land & moved to towns & cities
– better wages & helpful for industry (Starts industrial workers class and emergance of middle class owners)
• Some nobles enjoyed new roles with the creation of the Zemstva
– in local government. Others participated in the new intelligenisa (intellects who read and sometimes oppose the gov) movement.
• 40 million Serfs freed from land (kinda cuz of Redemption) to work, or move to citys and become workers in factorys, creating factory owners and therefore the middle class in Russia (only start tho, not kick off till AIII)
Alexander II [1855-1881]
Emancipation of the Serfs 1861
Problems created/continued as a result of Emancipation
problems that still existed/arised form Emancipation:
• Peasants hated redemption payments
– believed it was their land anyway.
• Some felt not enough land to live on
- especially as pasture & woodland had been kept as private property by the landowner.
• Redemption payments = high
– decided by the landowner, some peasnts forced to continue working for them.
- (Therefore – less consumer demand & this held back the economy)
• Small plots
– Peasants couldn’t adopt new farming methods, restricting production.
• Some peasants fell into debt & relied on loans from Kulaks
– causing resentment.
• Mir
- was too traditional
- peasants were tied to commune land
- land was passed to each male child
– restricting growth.
• travel was difficult as the Mir issued passports
- Restricted movement (damaging mobile labour force needed for industry).
• Nobles
– fearful as some riots due to redemption payments.
- Many became financially worse off
– redemption payments = only enough to pay off debts.
- Many were forced to sell their land
- others had high mortgage payments.
- = Landowners/nobels resented the government & Tsar for their loses
Alexander II [1855-1881]
Reformist
Military Reforms [1874-5]
terms
Military Reforms By a Reformist Alexander II from [1874-5]
• Dmitrii Milyutin (minister of war 1861-81)
- made reforms to create a professional army, these included:
• Improvements in medicine, equipment & food.
• Length of service
– active service reduced from 25 to 15 years.
- 10 years for reserves
• Conscription for all classes
– from the age of 20.
• Corporal punishment & flogging were abolished.
• Modern weaponry
– iron steamships, strategic railways to improve transport.
• Military colleges
– better training for officers (including non-nobles so Meritocracy).
• new code of conduct (& for military courts)- soldiers & sailors.
Alexander II [1855-1881]
Reformist
Military Reforms [1874-75]
Outcome of the reforms +/-
The Outcome of Alexander II and Dimitry Milyutin’s reforms:
• A smaller but better trained army
- reduced government expenditure
• However:
– some peasant soldier remained illiterate
- officer ranks were mainly nobility as a result.
Wars:
• Success against war with Turkey in 1878 +
- (although it took longer than expected)
• defeat to Japan in 1905 —
• losses in World War 1 —
Alexander II [1855-1881]
Reformist
Local Government Reforms and outcomes [1864-70]
(Zemstva and Local Duma)
A Reformist Alexander II introduced local Government Reforms Between [1864-70]
New roles were needed localy due to the gap left when landowners no longer had control over the local
population & upkeep of the area (following the emancipation).
• A Commission in 1860 (led by Nicholas Milyutin & then Valuev), made changes:
• Zemstva
– local elected councils, voting through an electoral college system
- (peasants voted for electoral college members, who did the official voting for people to be Zemstva members).
– Separate electoral college for peasants, townspeople, nobles, Church
– nobles dominated.
• However
- this influence did partially appease nobles, who had lost power in emancipation
• Role of the Zemstva:
- manage & organise public services:
– roads, schools, public health, poor relief etc. - Therefore effective local government & improvements made in the above areas.
• 1870
– this system (Zemstva) was brought into towns, called and Dumas.
• Zemstva & Duma
– dominated by liberal professionals (lawyers, doctors, teachers etc).
- Made them well organised & professional
– however they criticised & did debates on the central government & the Tsar.
• However, limits to their power:
– no control over local/state taxes
– law & order was the responsibility of the Provincial Governors (appointed by the Tsar)
-who could also overturn Zemstva decisions.
so overal
- limited rep of the peasnts and workers due to mainky nobels and intelligensia members
- had power to make some changes
- but meetings just talk politics
- AND provincinal govener could tell them no to whatever they tryed to do
Alexander II [1855-1881]
Reformist
Judiceral Reforms [1864]
Terms
Judiceral reforms [1864] by a Reformist Alexander II
New laws were needed due to new freedom of the serfs & their new rights/demands for justice
- (previously had had few rights).
• New court system
– local courts (minor offences)
– district courts
– chambers & Senate (serious
crimes).
Reforms consisted of:
• Cases heard by a jury
• open proceedings
• better training for judges
• Senate used for serious
crimes
• local courts for minor offences (magistrates elected by the Zemstva)
• Volost courts
– for newly freed peasants
• cases recorded & reported in the press.
• However
– judges still appointed by the Tsar.
