Emancipation of serfdom 1861

Question 1

Alexander II

Answer 1

reign = 1855-1881
tutor = Vasily Zhukovsky (liberal and romantic)

Question 2

Emancipation of serfdom 1861

Answer 2

serfdom abolished
serfs could marry, travel, vote and trade
right to buy land

Question 3

why did the Peasants feel cheated

Answer 3

felt cheated as they believed land was owned by those who worked on it
had to pay a 49yr redemption payment
1,000 disturbances in 1861 including 10,000 peasants
army had to restore order
peasants tied to the mir and had to get permission to leave

Question 4

Landowners

Answer 4

nobles felt they hadn’t been compensated for loss of power, status and influence
‘cut-offs’ 20% of common land given to LO
compensated for loss of peasant labour through state-bonds
cashed in and spent frivolously = many bankrupt in 20yrs
number of LO fell from 115,000 –> 107,000

Question 5

intelligentsia

Answer 5

brought about rev intelligentsia = beginnings of RR
radical intelligentsia reacted badly as they believed emancipation cheated peasants and protected nobles
opposition to the regime grew
minority of landowning gentry were also critical of Tsarism after 1861

Question 6

strengths

Answer 6

thousands of serfs freed
slavery abolished
serfs gained full rights of citizenship

Question 7

limitations

Answer 7

serfs received less land than they needed to survive –> civil unrest
redemption payment too high and unfair
lack of control as 40mil state serfs roamed freely

Question 8

overall impact

Answer 8

highly flawed
disliked by many across the diff classes
hierarchy remained