Alexander II the Tsar Reformer

Question 1

How many serfs did the Tsar emancipate

Answer 1

51 million

Question 2

What where the motives for reform

Answer 2

• Tutor Zhukovsky
• Earlier travels around the empire
• Party if St Petersburg progress
• Bureaucrats , Milyutin brothers

Question 3

What were the economic motives to abolish serfdom

Answer 3

Free peasants
Greater incentive to work
Grain surplus
Export of grain providing money for landowners
Investment in industry within Russia
Mobile peasantry moving to towns to work in industry
Greater prosperity

Question 4

What were the social reasons for reform ?

Answer 4

Peasants uprising had increased since 1840a

Question 5

What was the main trigger in reform ?

Answer 5

Defeat of the Crimean war, Dmitry Milyutin argued that only a free population would provide the labour needed to improve the army

Question 6

What did Alexander reform in the year of his First reign

Answer 6

• released political prisoners
• relaxed controls on censorship
• lessened restrictions on forgiven travel and uni entrance
• cancelled tax debts
• restored some of the rights of Poland and the Catholic Church

Question 7

When was emancipation edict

Answer 7

1861

Question 8

What were serfs granted with emancipation

Answer 8

• freedom and a land allotment
• landlords were compensated by the government
• open fields were given to the Mir
• pay 49 years of redemption payments - had to remain with the Mir till it was payed off

Question 9

What was the Mirs job?

Answer 9

They would distribute the allotments control the farming and collect and pay the peasants taxes

Question 10

What were Volosts

Answer 10

Established to supervise the mirs and from 1863 they ran their own courts

Question 11

What was temporary obligation

Answer 11

A two year period where around 15% of peasants remained temporarily obligated to their landlord until 1881

Question 12

Positive results of emancipation

Answer 12

• peasants no longer subject to their masters
• some peasants the prosperous kulaks did well out of land allocation buying extra land and exporting surplus grain
• some peasants sold their land obtained a passport to leave the Mir
• some landowners used the compensation offered to get out of debt
• Enterprising landlords made proteus through investment

Question 13

Negative results of emancipation

Answer 13

• land allocations were rarely fair
• loss of former benefits restriction of travel and the burden of redemption payments
• resentment of kulaks and disputes over landholding led to violence
• Nobel bankruptcies continued and had to sell of mortgage their own allocated land

Question 14

How did the Mir hinder emancipation

Answer 14

• allotments were small allowing little opportunity to adopt new farming methods
• Mir system was highly traditional subsistence farming and technical backwardness
• holdings grew increasingly smaller as the population grew

Question 15

When was the local government reforms

Answer 15

1864-70

Question 16

Who replaced the rights and obligations of the serf owing gentry

Answer 16

Elected local councils zemstva

Question 17

Outline the Zemtava job role

Answer 17

Given power to improve public services, develop industrial projects and administer poor relief

Question 18

What was set up in 1870?

Answer 18

Elected town councils called Dumas were set up in the towns

Question 19

How was the zemstva chosen

Answer 19

Electoral colleges 5)343 was a separate college for nobles townspeople, church and peasants allowing a degree of popular representation

Question 20

Who composed the zemstva

Answer 20

Men who understood the locality and it’s needs

Question 21

How was the Zemstva limited

Answer 21

Power was strictly limited
No control over taxes
Voting procedure favoured the nobility
Provincial governors continued to appoint officials and could overturn zemstvo decisions
The councils were never truly people’s assemblies

Question 22

When was judiciary reforms

Answer 22

1864

Question 23

What was the judiciary system previously lacking

Answer 23

Jury system, lawyers and examination of witnesses

Question 24

What was the new judiciary system like ?

Answer 24

• A single system of court’s established equality before the law
• Criminal cases were heard before barristers and a jury - judges appointed by the Tsar and given improved training and pay
  Local justices of the peace were elected every 3 years
• courts were opened to the public

Question 25

What was the negatives about the new judicial system

Answer 25

Lawyers could criticise the regime
New juries sometimes acquitted the guilt out of sympathy

Question 26

When was the education reforms

Answer 26

1863-64

Question 27

Under Golovnin what reforms did he introduce

Answer 27

• uni could govern themselves
• responsibility for schools was transferred from the church to the zemstva
• primary and secondary education was extended
• schools were declared to open to boys and girls of all classes

Question 28

What was the negative about the eduction reforms

Answer 28

Unis new independence increased the number of radical thinkers

Question 29

When was the military reforms

Answer 29

1874-75

Question 30

What was the military reforms

Answer 30

Conscription became compulsory for all classes
Lengthy of service now 15 years
Punishments made less severe
System of military colonies was abandoned
Modern weaponry was introduced
Military colleges were set up

Question 31

Was were the negatives about military reforms

Answer 31

Richer people often found substitutes to serve from them
The officer class remained largely aristocratic

Question 32

What were the other reforms introduced

Answer 32

Press censorship relaxed
Attempted to eliminate corruption in the lower e levels of the church
Some reform of the condition of the Jews and ethnic minorities