Alexander II Reforms (quiz #2) Flashcards
Who were local issues handled by before Alexander II’s legal reforms took place?
The landlord
Who had the hardest chance at justice?
The poor
What year did Alexander II introduce a system aimed to be an independant judiciary equal to everyone?
1864
How did the legal reforms plan to avoid bribery in court?
pay juries and judges well
What is now described as one of Alexander II’s most progressive reforms?
The introduction to an independent judiciary system
What happened to political cases in Russia?
They were taken out of the court and the secret police were allowed to make arrests without trials
What were zemstvos?
local government assemblies set up to replace the authority of the nobals in local affairs
What year was zemstvo put in place?
1864
What was zemstvo a potentially radical liberal measure towards?
local self-government
What were Dumas?
Urban assemblies
What year did Dumas set in?
1870
What did Alexander II intend zemstvo to support?
The traditional government system
What did the local goverment assemblies have power over?
public health care, prisons, roads, agriculture, education
What were the limitations of zemstvo?
The police were under central control, the provisional government could overrule zemstvo, they were short in funds permanently, the voting system was weighted towards landowners
Who dominated the assemblies?
Conservatives
Who was Dimitri?
minister of war
What years did Dimitri carry out military reforms?
1874-1875
What were the two military reforms that took place?
Reduced length of service and universal military service for all males over 20 years old
What was the new military service requirement?
6 years plus 9 in reserve
What did the military reforms do for the military?
They helped make the army more civilized and efficient in that there were no more brutal punishments and it was no longer a life sentence to serve
What did the relaxation of press censorship and more liberal education policies create in Russia?
A new atmosphere of toleration
When did university reforms take place?
1863
What four things changed with the university reforms?
Lectures on european law and philosophy were allowed, scholars could study abroad, liberal professors came and replaced the conservative ones from Nicholas I reign, and poor students did not have to pay
In 1859, how many students were exempt from paying fees at Moscow University?
2 of 3
What did the zemstvo help to increase regarding education?
The number of primary schools
From 1856-1878, what happened to the number of primary students in Russia?
More than doubled
What was the main con from the university/education reforms?
They led to increasing student radicalism
In 1861, how much was the Russian railway system developed?
From 1600 km to 22 000 km
What did the railway growth improve in Russia?
communication and internal trade
What did foreign investments help Russia create?
new industrial areas
What did the steady population growth help grow also?
the market for manufacturing goods
Why was the ‘peasant market’ so fragile?
Because it depended on a good harvest and transport difficulties hindered the market development
What was the con to the economic reforms by Alexander II
the government taxation policies saw little reform
What did peasants continue to have to pay even after the economic reforms?
poll tax
How much did the poll tax rise during Alexander II’s reign?
80%
In the 1870s, how many rubles were collected annually?
59 million
