Alexander II

Question 1

On what date did Alexander ascend to Tsar?

Answer 1

2 March 1855

Question 2

What and when was the Treaty of Paris?

Answer 2

It ended the Crimean war (in defeat for Russia) on 30 March 1856

Question 3

When was emancipation enacted?

Answer 3

3 March 1861

Question 4

What were the positives of emancipation?

Answer 4

Kulak class emerged 
Showed a move to liberalisation 
Compensation gained by nobility was invested in industry

Question 5

What were the limitations to emancipation?

Answer 5

Landowners lost influence, peasants were oppressed and nobility barely benefited
Mir enforced backward institutions
Redemption payments
Ex serfs tied to the peasant commune

Question 6

What were the motivations for emancipation?

Answer 6

Peasant discontent
Boost a failing economy
Prevent rural poverty
Display a move of modernisation and liberalisation to compete with western nations

Question 7

When was the zemstva established?

Answer 7

1864

Question 8

What were the local government reforms?

Answer 8

Zemstva formed representative government (forum for debate)
Council elected through indirect voting that was a less corrupt system
Still favoured the noble vote and tsarist governors could overturn decisions

Question 9

Who was the Minister of Education who reformed it in 1864?

Answer 9

Alexander Golovnin

Question 10

What were the educational reforms?

Answer 10

Free primary education made available to all
Universities made self governing
Literacy and numeracy rates increased and welfare improved
Universities still required fee that eliminated poorer classes

Question 11

How much did numbers in primary schools rise from 1856 to 1880?

Answer 11

Tripled from 8000 in 1856 to 23000 in 1880

Question 12

When were the military reforms?

Answer 12

From 1862 to 1874

Question 13

What were the military reforms?

Answer 13

Conscription made compulsory
Service length lessened to 15 years
Punishments reduced
Better weaponry
Was reorganised to be more efficient, profession and was less expensive
The wealthy could buy their way out of service
Issues of leadership remained

Question 14

What were the Polish revolts?

Answer 14

Underground urban youth in Poland rebelled against Russian rule in favour of independence
The rebel armies weren’t effective and were successfully repressed by the Tsarist armies
Was met with Russification

Question 15

When did the Polish revolt occur?

Answer 15

Jan 1863 - Apr 1864

Question 16

Who was the Head of the Third Section under Alexander II and what happened to him?

Answer 16

General Mezenstev - assassinated by Land and Liberty in 1878

Question 17

When were the judicial reforms?

Answer 17

1864

Question 18

What were the judicial reforms?

Answer 18

Equality before the law established
Local Justices of Peace elected by Zemstva
Court proceedings opened to public
Was fairer and less corrupt but publicity of proceedings made jurors more lenient to the guilty

Question 19

What percentage of zemstva assemblies were nobles?

Answer 19

74%

Question 20

When were the censorship reforms?

Answer 20

1858-1870

Question 21

What were the censorship reforms?

Answer 21

Relaxation of press censorship
Foreign publications permitted
Publications could comment on government policy
It was short lived as critical writing caused re-tightening in 1870s

Question 22

By how much did the number of books published rise from 1855 to 1894?

Answer 22

1020 in 1855
1836 in 1864
10,691 in 1894

Question 23

What were the Church reforms?

Answer 23

Attempt to eliminated corruption in Russian Orthodox Church in 1868

Question 24

Who was Loris Melikov?

Answer 24

Minister of Interior during Alexander II who formulated liberal constitution (Loris Melikov Consitution) which suggested constitutional monarchy

Question 25

Why were the liberal reforms countered?

Answer 25

Death of Alexander’s son and heir Series of assassination (5) attempts from 1866 to 1880 Polish revolts 1863

Question 26

What was the intelligestnia?

Answer 26

The more educated members of society including writers and philosophers who possessed humanitarian and nationalist concerns

Question 27

How did Dmitry Tolstoy counter the liberal education reforms?

Answer 27

Censored education Banned opinions provoking subjects in universities Student organisations were banned Women refused the right to education

Question 28

What were the police and law counter reforms?

Answer 28

Increased work of the Third Section | In 1878 crimes were tried in secret and more people were exiled

Question 29

Why was Russia economically backward in 1855?

Answer 29

Much of the landscape was inhospitable (Tundra) Russia was vast so much of the land was untouched A self based economy - backward in ideology and economic effectiveness

Question 30

What was serfdom?

Answer 30

Russian peasants were the property of their owners who worked on land in village communes (Mirs)

Question 31

Why was trading used instead of purchasing?

Answer 31

Money was irrelevant in the economy - there was no internal market demand

Question 32

Why did industrial growth have to be promoted by the state?

Answer 32

Because their was no middle class to push the growth themselves

Question 33

Who was the Minister of Finance from 1862-78?

Answer 33

Milhaud Von Reuters

Question 34

When was Von Reuters Minister of Finance to and from?

Answer 34

From 1862 to 1878

Question 35

What reforms did Von Reutern implement?

Answer 35

``` Reformed the Treasury New tax collections put in place Foreign investment encouraged Banks centralised - state led bank introduced in 1860 Import duties reduced in 1863 ```

Question 36

When was the first State led bank introduced?

Answer 36

1860

Question 37

What were the pros of Von Reuterns reforms?

Answer 37

6% annual growth rate as enterprise increased Railway network expansion New industries emerged - oil and iron

Question 38

What were the cons of Von Reuterns reforms?

Answer 38

Textiles remained the largest industry Remained comparatively weak to western economies A third of government expenditure went on repayment of debts

Question 39

How much of government spending went on repayment of debts?

Answer 39

1/3

Question 40

What was the annual growth rate after Von Reuterns reforms?

Answer 40

6%

Question 41

Why was there still a land issue after emancipation?

Answer 41

High taxes Grain requisitioning Redemption payment Traditional farming practises

Question 42

Who was the little agricultural improvements credited to?

Answer 42

The Kulak class

Question 43

What did Dmitry Milyutin say reform would do?

Answer 43

Reform would “strengthen the state and restore dignity” after Crimean war defeat