Alexander II & III - Review Flashcards
What are the two memorable Nick 1 quotes?
“Autocracy, orthodoxy and nationality”
“Hold on to everything”
What were the conditions in the army like for Alex 2?
- Severe consequences in the Crimean war, only 60,000/1,000,000 showed up
- Undertrained, antiquated gear
- Mandatory service for 25 years
What were the conditions surrounding serfdom for Alex 2?
- 90% of population are serfs (40-50m)
- Contributed to the status of nobility
- After emancipation, 85% of former serfs were landowners in 20 years.
What were the conditions surrounding the church for Alex 2?
- Orthodox
- Supported the Tsar, run by the Tsar ‘divine rights’
What were the conditions surrounding bureaucracy for Alex 2?
- 114,000 administrators
- Poorly administrated
- 45% of the budget goes to the military
What were the conditions surrounding the nobility for Alex 2?
- The Romanov dynasty, which had been around for approx. 250 years
- Fully in support of the Tsar
- Feudal Social hierarchy, landowners
What were the conditions surrounding the police and judiciary for Alex 2?
- No judiciary
- Had police and a secret police force
What were the conditions surrounding the middle class for Alex 2?
- Free, educated people (business owners, traders, lawyers)
What were the conditions surrounding taxation for Alex 2?
- Peasants pay 90% of the taxes
What was the Wallace HSQ?
“So long as serfage existed it was a mere mockery to talk about reorganizing Russia”
What was the Peter Kropotin PSQ?
“They so much valued the abolishment of their personal enslavement that they accepted the ruinous charges”
HSQ’s
“Starting reforms in Russia is dangerous, but it is much more dangerous to stop them.” - Radzinsky
“The most dangerous movement for a bad government is when it begins to reform.” - de Tocqueville.
What were some of the impacts of Alex II?
- Slavophiles wanted to keep Russia the way it is
- Westerners wanted to introduce some Western ideas.
What were the five factors contributing to the growth of opposition in Alex II?
- Expectations to satisfy everyone
- Relaxation of censorship spreads new ideas
- Students abroad are exposed to new ideas
- Zemstvo, middle class wanted ‘revolution from below’
- More conservative thinkers (right) felt reforms were to radical
What was the Grenville quote (Alex 2)?
“The reforms of the 1860s did not liberate the Russian people.”