Alexander II Part 2 - Emancipation and Other Reforms Flashcards
After what period of time would serfs be free after the Emanciption Edict?
2 Years. State serfs would be free after 5 years and they got better land.
Why did serfs have to wait to be free?
The social system.
What would freed serfs be given?
Ownership of land they worked on. 75% got land 20% less than regulated. Household serfs were only free, they were given nothing.
What were serfs expected to pay?
Redemption dues for 49 years at 6% interest, the serfs had no money though.
What was the response from peasants and the nobility?
- Peasants tended to be dissatisfied they believed the land they worked on should belong to them. They see it as too moderate.
- Nobility resented their loss of social status. Feels they should have been consulted more. They see it as too radical.
How many Peasant riot followed the Emancipation edict?
647
Historians view on the success of the Emancipation edict?
Viewed in leagl terms amd civil liberaties as a success.
Viewed as better success than US slavery abolition.
85% of serfs became landowners in 20 years.
Achieves immediate goals.
Reduced riots almost entirely for the next 40 years.
How did it fail?
Implemented reform at a local level and favoured the nobility.
Inflated land prices and bad land conditions. Domestic serfs got 0 land.
Peasants under control of the Mir (local gov’t of peasants and nobles), they restricted travel and enterprise endeavours.
Wanted traditional farming techniques (not good).
Failed to solve industrial backwardness.
Mir =
Backwards
What were the legal reforms?
1864 he introduced an independant judiiary system.
“equal for all our subjects” Alex II
Courts were well suported and judges paid well to avoid corruption.
“The court-room was the on eplace in Rusia where real freedom of speech prevailed.” Setton-Watson
Political cases were removed from the court. Secret Police still acted out side of the the judicial system.
What were the government reforms?
1864 forms local government, the Zemstvo followed by the Dumas in 1870.
A degree of local self-gov’t, tried to replace old system of landlords.
It helped to appease nobility.
Always short of money and weighted towards nobles and elites.
What did the Zemstvo have power over?
Health, roads, prisons, agriculture and education.
Tsar still controlled police and could overturn anything.
What were the military reforms?
Length of service reduced from 25 to 6 years. 9 years in reserves.
Universal service to all men over 20, the wealthy included too.
