Alexander ll

Question 1

what happened in Balaclava to Russia in the crimean war

Answer 1

• suffered humiliating defeats as Britain and France came to Turkey’s help

Question 2

what problems did the defeat in the black sea naval base cause

Answer 2

• trade had been disrupted through the black sea causing food shortages, peasant uprisings and had shown the weaknesses of the economy

Question 3

what problems had the crimean war highlighted

Answer 3

• lack of weapons (1 musket for every 2 soldiers)
• outdated weapons
• low morale
• transport inadequacies - slow and no railway system

Question 4

what was alexander ll’s views

Answer 4

• believed in autocracy and strength of tsardom
• needed to modernise and industrilise

Question 5

economic ideas of Alexander ll

Answer 5

• serfs weren’t free to move to cities to work in factories
• population increase that couldn’t be provided for
• greater competition with Western Europe

Question 6

what did the intelligenstia campaign for

Answer 6

• for reform along western lines e.g. representitive assemblies
• serfdom was backward and immoral

Question 7

what did slavophiles believe needed to be changed after the crimean war

Answer 7

• needed to be modernised
• keep culture and heritage based on the Orthodox church

Question 8

what were the early stages of the emmancipation (1856-8)

Answer 8

• in 1856 a group of nobles had been asked to make suggestions but this failed and in 1857 a secret committee of leading officials was created but they were too slow
• alex decided to be more involved and toured the country making speech which grew a personal bond with the people

Question 9

why did some nobles not agree with the emancipation

Answer 9

• wanted to keep economic control over the peasants and didn’t want to lose out financially

Question 10

what year was the emancipation edict made law

Answer 10

• 1861

Question 11

what were the terms of the emancipation decree

Answer 11

• free from ties to landowner
• free to marry
• own property and business
• had to pay redemption payments for 49 years
• mir organised allotments and collected taxes
• for 2 years peasants still had to do labour service for the landlord
• serfs could keep their cottage and land

Question 12

how many years did the emancipation take

Answer 12

20

Question 13

how were improvements made to serfs lives

Answer 13

• some made money from surplus (kulaks)
• some peasants sold their land and moved to towns and cities for better wages

Question 14

how were there still problems for the peasants

Answer 14

• many resented having to pay the redemption payments
• some felt there wasn’t enough land to live on as they had small plots
• some were forced to continue working for landowners as the redemption payments were too high
• some peasants fell into debt and relied on loans from kulaks
• mir was too traditional as land was passed down to families which restricted growth

Question 15

what military reforms did alexander ll create

Answer 15

• Dmitrii Milyutin who was the minister of war made reforms to remove abuses and create a more professional army
• included:
• improvements in equipment, food and medicine
• length of service reduced for 25 to 15 years
• conscription for all classes from the age of 20
• corporal punishment was abolished
• railways to improve transport
• military colleges to better train officers

Question 16

what was the outcome of alexander ll’s military reforms

Answer 16

• smaller but better trained army
• some peasant soldiers remained illiterate
• success against war with Turkey in 1878

Question 17

what local government reforms were made in 1864-70

Answer 17

• Zemstva were created, they were local elected councils peasants voted for an electoral college system who then did the official voting for people in the zemstva

Question 18

what was the role of the zemstva

Answer 18

• manage and organise public services such as roads, schools and public health

Question 19

what was bought in to towns in 1870

Answer 19

• dumas
• zemstva in urban areas

Question 20

what were limits to the zemstva

Answer 20

• no control over local taxes, law and order
• the provincial governors who were appointed by the tsar had control over law and oder and could overthrow the zemstva

Question 21

what judicial reforms were made by alexander ll in 1864

Answer 21

• new court system - needed due to the new freedom of the serfs
• local courts, district courts, chambers and senate
• cases heard by a jury
• open proceedings
• better training for judges
• cases recorded and reported in the press
• however judges were still appointed by the tsar

Question 22

what improvements were made to judicial system

Answer 22

• less corrupt
• many intelligentsia became lawyers who could criticise the regime

Question 23

what problems still existed in the judicial system

Answer 23

• juries were not extended to all parts of the empire e.g. poland

Question 24

what educational reforms were made by alexander ll in 1863-64

Answer 24

• universities could govern themselves, primary and secondary education was extended
• extension of modern schools
• women could attend secondary school from 1870

Question 25

what censorship reforms were made by alexander ll in 1858-70

Answer 25

• relaxation of press censorship
• foreign publications allowed
• publications were allowed that commented on government policies
• however the ministry of internal affairs could stop publications

Question 26

what economic reforms did alexander ll in 1860-78

Answer 26

• treasury reformed
• bank facilities extended
• state bank created in 1860
• foreign investment was encouraged

Question 27

what church reforms did alexander ll do in 1867-69

Answer 27

• allowed talented and eductaed priests to gain promotions in the church
• didn’t want to alter the systems of the church due to it weakening his autocracy

Question 28

what reforms were made in poland

Answer 28

• relaxed restrictions on catholicism and the polish language

Question 29

what reforms were made in finland

Answer 29

• semi-independent government allowed and finnish langauage accepted

Question 30

what was the assassination attempt in 1866

Answer 30

• Karakosov, a student with a noble background attempted to shoot alexander near his home

Question 31

due to the attempt what was changes were made to education

Answer 31

• zemstvas power over schools was reduced and church regained power over rural schools
• gimnazii had to follow traditional curriculum and only these could go to university
• censorship and publications increased

Question 32

due to the attempt what changes were made to the police, law and courts

Answer 32

• increased the third section
• show trials held to deter political opposition and political prisoners were exiled
• however the show trials backfired as the jury often showed sympathy which led to them being held in private

Question 33

why did alexander ll increase restrictions for non-russians

Answer 33

• a rebellion in poland against russian control in 1863

Question 34

how and why did the intelligentsia oppose the Tsar

Answer 34

• grown due to increase knowledge of western ways and growth of democracy
• students published a manifesto called young russia after wanting a new society based on science and away from the church

Question 35

how do socialist thinkers oppose the tsar

Answer 35

• Bakunin and Cherynyshevesky wanted peasants to be the superior group
• karl marx and das kapital spreading communist ideals

Question 36

how did the populists oppose the tsar

Answer 36

• led by Chernyshevsky and lavrov
• published what is to be done in 1863 concerning how to deal with poor peasants and marx

Question 37

how did the peoples will oppose the tsar

Answer 37

• wanted to use violence to start a revolution and made 4 failed attempts to assassinate the tsar

Question 38

what was the Loris Melikov constitution

Answer 38

• set up to try and reduce revolutionary activity
• made suggestions for a more representative government at national level
• alexander ll agreed to this but was assassinated before the official meeting to settle it