Essay - autocracy weakened/strengthened

Question 1

Examples of Alexander making Russia economically stronger?

Answer 1

• Mikhail von Reutern helped reform Russia’s economy: under his office, the Russian railway network increased its capacity from around 2,200 miles to 14,000 - he reduced tariffs making trade easier.
• An annual average growth rate of 6%.

Question 2

Examples of Alexander making Russia economically weaker?

Answer 2

• Russia had 1 million rouble debt. A third of all government expenditure went on the repayment of debts
• Emancipation of the serfs: redemption payments for 49 years - poorest were in debt.
• Obligation period - the serfs couldn’t leave the Mir without permission - no mobile workforce.
• During this period Russia made slower economic progress than the other great European powers.
• The Russian currency remained unstable

Question 3

Examples of Alexander making Russia politically stronger?

Answer 3

• Russia won the Russo-Turkish War in 1887 emphasising its military power to the rest of the world once more.
• Military reform: the nobles were satisfied with military reform as they still held the positions of power within the army.

Question 4

Examples of Alexander making Russia politically weaker?

Answer 4

• Creation of the zemstvo: intellectuals could discuss radical ideas that contradicted those of the Tsarist autocracy.
• Alexander ostracised the nobility through the Emancipation of the Serfs - 30 March 1856 Alexander II made a speech to the Marshals of the Nobility that lead to process of emancipation - but through the process of liberation the nobility lost power and influence.
• Censorship struggles: during the first half of his reign Alexander II allowed the relaxation of censorship rules, this meant that radical ideas could develop. However, in the second half of his reign Alexander tightened censorship when Shuvalov was appointed at head of the Third Section - this weakened autocracy as the reactionary behaviour showed that the ideas were a threat to Alexander’s power.

Question 5

Examples of Alexander making Russia socially stronger?

Answer 5

• Changes to education: more state teacher training colleges were set up, but to increase Tsar control, rather than improve education.
• At the end of his reign the Orthodox Church had control of education again thanks to the reforms of Tolstoy.
• Most terrorists or other opposition did not appear to pose a serious threat to the regime - e.g. Black Partition: hoped to stimulate social change without violence, however ceased to exist following arrests in 1880-81.

Question 6

Examples of Alexander making Russia socially weaker?

Answer 6

• Emancipation of the serfs: after proclamation, Milyutin (it’s architect) was sacked - Tsar wanted to appease the unhappy nobility.
• Emancipation of the Serfs left the serfs unhappy - instead of squashing peasant unrest Alexander heightened it they was 467 reported incidents in the 4 months after the proclamation.
• Assassination attempts: people were unhappy with Alexander there were five attempts on his life before the ‘People’s Will’ killed him in 1881.
  Judicial reforms: Pahlen set up ‘show trial’ to try and deter people from acting out against the Tsarist regime: but ‘The Trial of 193’ backfired as revolutionaries had good defence lawyers and weren’t convicted of any major crimes.