Alexander III Reforms and Policies (quiz #4) Flashcards
Why was censorship increased?
the government wanted to limit circulation of ‘harmful’ ideas
What were so called ‘harmful ideas’?
opposition, revolutionary ideas
Why were school fees raised?
to keep lower class kids out of schools
What did Pobedonostsev believe regarding peasant children and education?
It was a waste of time, that they should be preparing for the agriculture life
Who was Pobedonostsev regarding the Orthodox church?
The procurator of the Holy Synod
What policy did Pobedonostsev create?
russification to be followed
Who was affected the worst with the policy of russification?
The Jewish population
Who was Narodnaya Volya?
Alexander II’s assassin who was jewish
What were pogroms?
Violent riots to persecute religious groups
What did Alexander III’s anti-semetic legislation mean for Jews?
They were banned from civil service, limited education, where they could live
Which type of reforms did Alexander III resist?
social and political reforms
Who was Alexander III’s first minister of finance?
Nikolai Bunge
What did Nikolai Bunge create in 1882 to help peasants purchase farms?
Peasants’ Land Bank
What did Nikolai Bunge create in 1885 to give land owners better loan rates?
Nobals’ Land Bank
What was abolished in 1886?
Poll tax
How did Bunge try to reduce the appeal of socialism?
By offering concessions to workers through laws to protect workers’ rights
When was the First Russian Labour Code put into place?
1886
What did the First Russian Labour Code do?
(tried) to have factories inspected, payment and dismissal regulations
Why were the laws regarding workers’ rights inefficient?
They were hard to enforce due to only 300 inspectors
Who ended up being Nikolai Bunge’s replacement?
Ivan Vyshnegradsky
What was Ivan Vyshnegradsky most focused on?
industrializing
What did Vyshnegradsky launch with the help of French loans?
Huge export drive of grain
What did the Russian State bring for the first time ever in 1892?
a surplus
What improved in production from 1881-1894?
Coal production doubled, pig-iron more than doubled
What were the 3 positives of Alexander III’s reign?
- policies provided a period of stability (Russian State strengthened, pride restored)
- little revolution disturbances (proof that oppresssion of opposition was successful)
- successful economic policies improved government finances
What were the 3 negatives of Alexander III’s reign?
- the period of stability was thought to be an illusion
- 1.5-2 million peasants died in famine (1891-1892)
- The government’s failure to respond to peasants’ suffering encouraged revolutionary opposition and the people wanted democracy
What are the traditional view of historians of Alexander III’s reign?
oppressionary and reactionary
What did economic policies see Russia make progress towards?
being a modern, industrialized nation
What is seen as Alexander III’s greatest failure?
His refusal to modernize Russia socially and politically
What was autocracy developed for that no longer really applied in Russia?
Uneducated peasants
