alexander II depth study Flashcards
what was russia like in 1855?
the land was largely empty with the majority of the population being being peasants, working the landed estates for the tsars, church and the nobility
who was the family that ruled russia since 1613?
the romanovs
what was the role of the tsar?
to provide military success abroad and political stability within russia in return for loyalty
what percentage of the population was made up of peasants in 1855?
90%
when did tsar nicholas I die?
march 1855
who took over as tsar after nicholas I died?
his son alexander II
what was alexander II known as?
the star reformer
what war was russia going through when alexander II came into power?
the crimean war
when was the crimean war?
1853-1856
why was the defeat of the crimean war a major blow to national pride?
russia prided themselves on their huge army
why was russia defeated in the crimean war?
the army heavily relied on serf conscripts who were resentful, poorly trained and poorly equipped, so they weren’t motivated to try
what were alexander II main aim when reforming?
modernising the russian military and reforming many areas in russian society
what was the biggest reform alexander II made?
the emancipation of the serfs
how many peasant uprisings were there under alexander II (before the emancipation of serfs)?
300 where landowners were murdered
what are 3 political reasons alexander II would have wanted reforms?
- there was increasing politicisation of groups, including the intelligentsia
- nicholas I had maintained a large amount of spies and used repression to maintain control (unsustainable in the longer term)
- increasing incidents of peasant unrest where many landowners were murdered
what are 3 economic reasons alexander II would have wanted reforms?
- peasants were unable to pay their taxes
- continued use of serfs meant that there was no incentive for mechanisation so land was less productive and profitable
- debt was rising amongst the land-owning nobility due to changes in agricultural practices in the west meant russian grain was in less demand
what were 3 moral and intellectual reasons alexander II would have wanted reform?
- pressure for reforms was increasing
- some groups wanted a more western approach
- arguments about the morality of owning serfs circulated
what was the nature of the russian government?
1) tsar - had unrestricted power on policy. no national government
2) ministers and state council - advised the tsar on policies but had no power to make decisions
3) local government - tsars affairs were looked after by povincial governer
what was the connection between the autocratic system of government and the orthodox church?
the orthodox church said the tsar was appointed by god and they supported his ideas and his autocracy. the priests were also the voice for the tsar
when was the zemstva created?
1864
what was the zemstva?
locally elected councils of which 70% were nobles
what were some of the zemstva’s responsiblities?
public education and schools, public health and welfare (hospitals and asylums), poor relief and maintenance of prisons
when was a dumy created?
1870
what was a dumy?
a local, elected council that towns and cities of a certain size should have
why was the emancipation of the serfs so important for russian economy?
the economy couldn’t modernise unless labour was free to move from the countryside to the towns. serfdom was holding back modernisation due to the static nature of workforce
what was a serf?
a bonded labourer
what were the 2 different types of serfs?
privately owned by members of nobility and state serfs who worked on the tsars land
what was the rent that serfs paid called and what did it mean?
obrok which meant they were free to practice trade
what was barschina?
some serfs paid with labour by working 3 days a week
how did alexander I try to abolish serfdom in 1803?
made it legal for landowners to sell land to their peasants
how did the baltic states try and abolish serfdom in 1816-19?
they abolished serfdom but had not granted land to their peasants
