Alexander II Revision Flashcards
Chapter 1 - Nature of Government
Chapter 1/4
Ideologies (Autocracy):
What did A2 do in 1856?
He made peace with Crimea after the Crimean War
What is an A2 quote in 1856 about abolishing serfdom?
‘it is better to begin abolishing serfdom from above than wait for it to begin to abolish itself from below’
What was one of his reforms in 1865?
He relaxed censorship in 1865 - gave writers greater freedom of expression
What did he form in 1864?
Zemstva - regional council
Developments in Central Administration:
What did A2 abolish in 1861 and what did he replace it with?
- In 1861 he abolished the Personal Chancellery of the Imperial Majesty
- Replaced it with the Council of Ministers
What was the role of the Council of Ministers?
The Council of Ministers discussed legislation which could be given royal assent or passed on to the Committee of Ministers
What was the Committee of Ministers and how many ministers were there?
The Committee of Ministers was 13 ministers who were all responsible for a particular aspect of the administration
Purely administrative and ministers were answerable to the Tsar
What were the 4 most important roles on the Committee of Ministers?
Minister of :
- the interior
- war
- finance
- Chief Procurator of the Holy Snyod
Changes in local government:
What was local government before 1861? (3 points)
- Provinces under the jurisdiction of noble landowners
- Village issues discussed by the mir
- Local nobility a bridge from the central government to the outreaches of the empire
What were changes to local government after the Emancipation Edict in 1861? *2x
- Nobility no longer owned the peasants
- Zemstva introduced in 1864
What percentage of the Zemstva was nobility?
74%
What were judicial changes under Alexander II?
- In 1864 a jury system was introduced
- In 1877 a new department in the Senate was set up to try political cases
What is an example of a case that was tried in the Senate?
The Vera Zasulich case
Repression and Enforcement:
What was the role of the Third Section of the Imperial Chancellery?
To catch dissidents
When was the Third Section replaced with the Okhrana?
1880
How many assassination attempts were there on A2?
5
How many were killed when a bomb exploded in the Winter Palace in 1880?
11
When and where was A2 assassinated?
13th March 1881 in St Petersburg
What did A2 use the army to do?
To put down the Polish Revolt in 1863
Despite censorship being relaxed in 1865, what could the government still do?
Withdraw books after publication
What newspaper did the government publish?
Ruskii
How many books were published in 1864?
1836
What book was translated into Russian in 1872?
‘Das Kapital’ by Karl Marx
What two opposition groups were there during A2’s reign?
- The Populists and the People’s Will
Who made up The Populists?
Middle and upper-class intellects who wanted political change
What prominent figure of The Populists organised the ‘Going to the People’ movement of 1873-74?
Pyotr Lavrov
What was Pyotr Lavrov influenced by?
Marxism
What happened to The Populists and what was formed as a result?
The Populists split into two camps, led to Land and Liberty forming in 1876
When was the People’s Will formed?
1879
What was the primary objective of the People’s Will?
To assassinate the Tsar
What did the People’s Will do in 1881?
Assassinate A2
What caused a number of revolts around Russia?
The 1861 Emancipation Edict
What was the largest peasant revolt and when did it happen?
Bezdna revolt in April 1861
How many peasants gathered in the Bezdna revolt and how many were killed when the army opened fire?
5000 gathered and 91 were killed
Chapter 2 - The Impact of dictatorial regimes on the economy and society
Chapter 2/4
Extent and reasons for economic change: Industralisation
What was one of the reasons for A2 deciding to industralise?
He wanted to prevent peasant unrest
Who was appointed as Minister of Finance in 1862?
Mikhail Reutern
What businessman from Manchester developed the Russian textile industry?
Ludwig Loop
What company did JJ Hughes set up in Russia?
The New Russian Coal, Iron and Railmaking company
What % of steel production in Russia was JJ Hughes responsible for?
50%
What % of railways were private by 1880?
94%
How many miles of railway were built in 1862?
2194 miles
How many miles of railway were built in 1878?
13979 miles
Agriculture:
What freed the serfs in 1861?
The Emancipation Edict
When were serfs owned the state officially freed?
1865
What were the conditions on redemption payments?
Money to be paid back over 49 years with 6% pa
Extent and reasons for social change: Education
What % of the army was literate in the mid 1860s?
7%
Who was put in charge of education in 1864?
The Zemstva
Who was appointed Minister for Education in 1870?
Dmitri Tolstoy
How much did state school entrance increase by from 1855 to 1865?
The number of secondary school students doubled from 1855 to 1865
How many schools were there in Russia by 1880?
23,000
Food and Famine:
Why was A2 worried about food shortages?
He thought they would cause unrest
What were the Zemstva placed in charge of in times of famine?
They were put in charge of drawing up emergency measures to deal with famines in 1864
Limits of personal, political and religious freedoms:
What did A2 use as a form of social control?
The Orthodox Church
What did the state have control of?
Orthodox and non-orthodox religion
Chapter 3 - Impact of wars and revolutions
Chapter 3/4
Crimean War: Political Impacts
What did Russia remain after the Crimean war?
An autocracy
What two additions to government were there as a result of the Crimean War?
- Council of ministers
- Committee of ministers
How much land did the nobility own in 1914 in comparison to the mid 1870s?
- Mid 1870s : 200 million acres of land
- 1914: 140 million acres of land
Crimean War: Social Impacts
When were the serfs freed?
1861
What was the Bezdna revolt?
Literal peasant Bezdna said the EE was a lie. 5000 peasants gathered and 91 were killed when the army opened fire
How much did school intake from 1855 to 1865?
The number of secondary school students doubled
How may schools were there by 1880?
23,000
When was the jury system introduced?
1864
Crimean War: Economic Impacts
How much did railway track production increase by?
7x
How many miles of track were built in 1862 and 1878?
1862: 2194 miles
1878: 13979 miles
How much did the Russian economy grow every year under Mikhail Reutern?
6%
Russo Turkish War: Political impacts
Despite winning the war, why wasn’t the war a success for Russia?
They weren’t given any of the spoils (rewards) at the Congress of Berlin
Russo Turkish War: Economic impacts
What was the victory in the Crimean War a sign of?
Russian industry improving - the economy was able to handle the strains of war
Russo Turkish War: Social impacts
What happened as a result of the decision at the Congress of Berlin?
Social unrest
Chapter 4 - Russia and its empire, nationalities and satellite states
Chapter 4/4
What process did A2 start after the Crimean War and Polish Revolt?
The process of Russification
Finland: Political
What were the two political changes in Finland under A2?
- Created a Finnish Parliament in 1863
- Created a Finnish constitution in 1865
Ukraine: Social
What happened to Ukrainian secondary schools in 1862?
They were abolished
What happened in 1863 in Ukraine?
A decree stated that the Ukrainian language does not exist
What became illegal in Ukraine in 1876?
It became illegal to publish books in Ukrainian
The Baltic States: Social
What two bans were there in Lithuania?
- Lithuanian was banned in schools in 1865
- Lithuanians were banned from government jobs
Poland (Polish Revolt): Political
Who was Poland put under the control of?
War Minister Milyutin
What happened to the Polish nobility after the Polish Revolt?
They were exiled to Siberia - the Russian nobles took over
What did Poland become officially known as?
The ‘Vistula region’ of Russia
Polish Revolt: Social
What became the official language after the revolt?
Russian - taught in schools
What was the Catholic church banned from communicating with?
The vatican
What happened to the leading bishops?
They were arrested
Polish Revolt: Economic
What happened to the Polish serfs?
They were emancipated - had more rights than Russian peasants
How were the redemption payments different for Poles?
Redemption payments had to be paid by all landowners, not just peasants
Far East: Political
What city was established in 1860 after Russia took land off China?
The city of Vladivostok
