Chapter 3

Question 1

What events made Alexander II more reactionary

Answer 1

• Five assasination attempts in less than 15 years from 1866
• Death of his eldest son in 1865 pushed him towards his mistress Yekatrine Dolgurokova, and away from the refoming elements within his family

Question 2

Fear that reactionary ministers had under Alexander II

Answer 2

“Western” ideas had become too prevelant

Question 3

Examples of how Alexander II replaced ministers from 1866

Answer 3

• Tolstoy for education
• Shuvalov as Head of Third Section

Question 4

Educational reforms for Alexander II’s reactionary period under Tolstoy

Answer 4

• Subjects encouraging critical thinking forced out in favour of maths and Latin
• More state teacher-training colleges establihsed to increase tsarist control

Question 5

How did Shuvalov change the Third Section under Alexander II’s reactionary period

Answer 5

• Increased search and arrests
• Sought after radicals who had fled to Switzerland and Germany

Question 6

Judicial reforms under Alexander II’s reactionary period

Answer 6

• Show trials established after 1878 due to Vera Zasulich
• In 1878 political cases were transferred to special courts

Question 7

What did Vera Zasulich do

Answer 7

Shot and seriously wounded the Governor of St Petersburg in 1878 but was found not-guilty due to a sympathetic jury

Question 8

Importance of Count Loris-Melikov

Answer 8

• Abolished Third Section
• Drew up constitution with zemstva demands

Question 9

Date of Alexander II assasination and where going

Answer 9

• 13th March 1881
• On way to discuss Loris-melikov constitution with Council of Ministers
• Blown up on the way by ‘The People’s Will’

Question 10

Potential reason for Alexander III’s reactionary outlook

Answer 10

Tutored by Konstatin Pobendonostev who brought him up with the belief that he alone could decide what was right for the country

Question 11

How did Alexander III begin his reign to show his reactionary attitude

Answer 11

• Public hanging of Alexander II’s assasins
• Issued the Manifesto of Unshakeable autocracy
• Abolished the Loris-Melikov consitution

Question 12

Political importance of Alexander II’s assasination

Answer 12

Refoming ministers forced to resign (like Milyutin)

Question 13

Key introduction - July 1889

Answer 13

Land Captain

Question 14

Powers of Land Captains

Answer 14

• Override zemstva desisions
• Override court judgements
• From 1889, had direct jurisdiction over volost courts

Question 15

Change in police system under Alexander III

Answer 15

• Okhrana introduced 1881 and just as opressive as Third Section
• More spies, counter-spies and agent provactaturs
• In 1882, any area of the Empire could be searched to arrest or exile any suspect of commiting or anyone related to someone who had commited a crime

Question 16

What did the Okhrana often use

Answer 16

Torture

Question 17

Educational reforms under Alexander III

Answer 17

• In universitites, professors were appointed by their religous, moral and patriotic orientation, rather than academic grounds
• Primary education placed back in hands of Church

Question 18

Extent of education under Alexander II and Alexander III

Answer 18

21% literate by 1897 census

Question 19

Censorship fact under Alexander III

Answer 19

From 1882, Tolstoy began to close newspapers and put lifetime bans on editors

Question 20

Progressive reform under Alexander III at start of reign

Answer 20

In May 1881, cancelled the arrears of ex-serfs in 37 of the central provinces

Question 21

Progressive reform under Alexander III at end of reign

Answer 21

Introduced the right to appeal to higher courts