Chapter 3 - Autocracy of Alexander II and III

Question 1

what happened in 1866, following an attempt on Alexander II’s life

Answer 1

Alexander adopted a more repressive policy except some areas such as the military where reform continued

Question 2

when did Alexander III’s reign begin

Answer 2

1881

Question 3

what was Alexander III’s reign characterised by

Answer 3

reaction

Question 4

reasons for reaction

Answer 4

reactionary conservatives emphasised that reforms had gone to far and were wearing the church and nobility
four assassination attempts between 1866 and 1880
alexanders eldest son and heir died - spent more time with his mistress

Question 5

when did Alexander II’s oldest son and heir die and why did it add to the reasons for reaction

Answer 5

1865
it caused him to spend more time with his mistress and less time with the reformists grand duchess Elena and grand duke Konstantin

Question 6

who are the two reformists that influenced Alexander II the most

Answer 6

grand duke Konstantin
grand duchess elena

Question 7

what actions did Alexander take in 1866 to prevent more reforms

Answer 7

he replaced four reformist ministers with conservatives

Question 8

who became the new minister for education in 1866

Answer 8

Tolstoy

Question 9

what did Tolstoy want

Answer 9

tight control over education
eradicate western liberal ideas and growing criticism of the autocracy

Question 10

what actions did Tolstoy take after becoming the minster of education

Answer 10

reduced zemstvas powers over education
church regained authority over rural schools
modern schools were no longer allowed to send students to university
in universities liberal coursed were replaced with a traditional curriculum
higher gimnazii schools had to follow a traditional curriculum

Question 11

who was appointed as the new head of the third section

Answer 11

shuvalov

Question 12

what did shuvalov do

Answer 12

strengthened the police
increased persecution of ethnic and religious minorities

Question 13

what were show trials

Answer 13

they were aimed at deterring others from revolutionary activities however it had the opposite effect and in 1878 political crimes were transferred to special secret courts

Question 14

when political crisis was deepening in the late 1870s what did Alexander try to do

Answer 14

he tried to reduce unrest by widening democratic consultation
he appointed a new minister for internal affairs

Question 15

who was appointed as the new minister for internal affairs

Answer 15

loris melikov

Question 16

what did loris melikov originally do

Answer 16

relaxed many restrictions
abolished the third section

Question 17

why was loris melikovs action of abolishing the third section not very successful

Answer 17

its powers were transferred to a new special section of the regular police known as the okhrana which were just as oppressive

Question 18

when did loris melikov produce the ‘loris melikov constitution’

Answer 18

1880

Question 19

what did loris melikovs report aim to do and what happened to it

Answer 19

iy recommended incudling elected representatives in debating some state decrees.
although Alexander accepted it, this was the same day that he died

Question 20

when did Alexander II die and how

Answer 20

13 march 1881
assassination - bomb

Question 21

what was Alexander III afraid of

Answer 21

revolutionary activity

Question 22

who was Alexander III strongly influenced by and what did he believe in

Answer 22

His tutor - Pobedonostev who believed in absolutism, nationalism and anti semitism

Question 23

what were Alexander III’s views on how the country should be ruled

Answer 23

He alone should decide what was right for the country
He thought the duty of his subjects was not to question but not just love and obey

Question 24

what did Alexander III do at the start of his reign

Answer 24

publicly hanged conspirators involved in his fathers assassination
abandoned the loris melikov constitution
accepted resignations of former reforming ministers such as Dmitry Milyutin, and relied on conservatives

Question 25

what manifesto did Alexander III issue as the start of his reign

Answer 25

Manifesto of unshakeable autocracy

Question 26

how did policing change under Alexander III

Answer 26

number of police increased
new branches of the criminal investigation department were set up
spies and ‘agents provocteurs’ were recruited
Okhrana investigated communists, socialists and trade unionists

Question 27

what was passed that gave the police tremendous power under Alexander III and when

Answer 27

1882 Statue on Polic surveilence
police could search, arrest, detain, question, imprison or exile anyone who committed a crime, was suspected, knew about a crime, was likely to have committed it, or was related to a crime

Question 28

what changes happened to education under Alexander III

Answer 28

universities for women were closed
low class children were restricted to primary school education which was under church control
went against the governments attempts to promote economic modernisation
university appointments has to be approved by the education ministry

Question 29

what percentage of the population were literate by 1897

Answer 29

only 21%

Question 30

examples of some of the positive change under Alexander III

Answer 30

1881 - redemption fees reduced
1885 - poll tax abolished and inheritance tax introduced - helped shift burden of taxes away from just the lowest classes
Rights to appeal to higher courts allowed
1883 - peasants land bank established