Alexander II- Reforms Flashcards
1
Q
What were the military reforms?
A
- Service in the army couldn’t be a punishment from court.
- Length of service was reduced from 25 years to 15.
- Conscription made compulsory for all classes- including the nobles -from the age of 20.
- More modern technology: iron clad steamships and more strategic railways.
- Military colleges set up to provide better training
2
Q
What was the result of the military reforms?
A
- A smaller, but better trained army.
- Reduced expenditure on army
- Improved literacy in army
- Officer class remained largely aristocratic.
3
Q
Why did Alexander set up the reforms?
A
- Encourage economic modernisation.
- ’’ This should come about from above, rather than from below.’’
- Peasant unrest: 300 peasant uprisings.
Depended on social structure to maintain Tsarist autocracy and the nobles incomes were falling. - Serfdom prevented industrialisation as it limited workers moving to factories.
- Paid work increases productivity to develop agriculture.
4
Q
What was the governments debt by 1855?
A
54 million roubles
5
Q
What were the terms of the Emancipation Ukase?
A
- Serfs became free men and had legal rights.
- Landlords receive compensation of loss of land.
- Serfs required to pay redemption payments of 49 annual payments at 6% interest.
- Serfs required to remain in a Mir until redemption payments had been repaid.
- Mir allocated land, controlled farming and collected and payed taxes of peasants in the Mir.
6
Q
When were privately owned serfs emancipated?
A
1861
7
Q
When was this extended to the 20 million state owned serfs?
A
1866
8
Q
In 1881, what percentage of serfs were still obligated to a landowner?
A
15%
9
Q
What were the local government reforms?
A
- A system of elected local councils known as Zemstva.
- The zemstva were to be elected bodies in electoral colleges but votes were to be arranged where the nobility dominate.
- The zemstva had the power to improve public services such as roads, schools and public health.
10
Q
What was the impact of local government reforms?
A
- Nobility retained many positions of authority to compensate them for the loss of serfs.
- Effective in fields such as education and welfare.
- Zemstva was made up of liberal minded professional people and often debated and criticised the central government.
- Limited peasant representation.
11
Q
Before emancipation, how would a serf be prosecuted?
A
- Little chance of obtaining justice.
- Presumed guilty, no jury, no lawyer and no examination of witnesses.
12
Q
What were the judicial reforms?
A
- Judges given better training and pay to avoid bribery.
- Introduction of juries for fairer trials.
- Freedom of the press was extended to legal reporting. This was to be recorded in a government newspaper called ‘‘The Russian Courier.’’
13
Q
What was the impact of the judicial reforms?
A
- Fairer and less corrupt system.
- Opening up the courts to the public was popular.
- However, open courts allowed lawyers to openly criticise the regime.
- Jury system undermined the governments control.
- After the Vera Zasulich case in 1878, political crimes were to be tried under the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
- Revolutionaries were dealt by the Third Section until 1880.
14
Q
What were the educational reforms?
A
- In 1864, responsibility for schooling went to the Zemstva from the church.
- Extension to primary and secondary education.
- Schools were declared open to all regardless of class and sex.
15
Q
What was the impact of the educational reforms?
A
- Restricted primary curriculum.
- Increase in number of radical and militant thinkers.
- The government reasserted control in 1866.
