The nature of government: Alexander II Flashcards
Give three ways in which autocracy was viewed in 1855.
- Subjects were expected to be totally submissive to the tsar on the basis of religious faith. 2. The tsar was appointed by god and had a paternalistic duty to ‘protect’ his subjects, he was strongly supported by the Orthodox Church. 3. Autocracy was seen as practical and necessary because of Russia’s vast size, ethic differences and mainly illiterate population.
What slogan had been used by Nicholas I to promote autocracy and did Alexander II continue this belief?
“Orthodoxy, autocracy and nationality.” Despite having reforming impulses, Alexander was totally committed to the autocracy and adhered even more strongly to it after the assassination attempt in 1866.
What did Alexander establish in 1861 to replace the personal chancellery of his imperial majesty?
The committee of minsters, 13 men who had a responsibility for a part of the administration of Russian affairs, these included: the minster of the interior, the minster for war, the minster of finance and the chief procurator of the holy synod.
Give two facts about the committee of ministers
- Minsters had merely administrative roles and did not formulate policies and were answerable to the tsar, 2. Members did not consult each other, leading to them pursuing conflicting policies which led to major issues.
Give two features of local government before 1861
- Provinces were under the jurisdiction of nobles and village issues were discussed by the mir. 2. Nobility acted as a bridge between central government and the outreaches of the empire, this changed with the emancipation of the serfs.
What were the zemstva and why were they set up?
Elected local councils set up in 1864, they were put in place to manage and maintain local affairs such as road construction and poor relief. They had no political power and soon became dominated by the nobility.
What was set up in 1870?
The town Dumas, urban equivalents of the zemstvas, voting qualifications were even tougher, thus excluding the urban proletariat.
What judicial changes did Alexander make in 1864?
- Introduction of trial by jury. 2. Better pay for judges. 3. Opening up of courts. 4. Defense lawyers permitted for the accused. 5. Hierarchy of courts created to cater for different types of case. 5. Equal courts for all classes
What happened in 1877?
A new department of the senate was set up to try political cases in private, the 1878 Vera zasulich case (she assassinated the governor of St. Petersburg in broad daylight yet was found not guilty) showed that the new senate policies had failed.
What was the secret police like under Alexander II?
He replaced the 3rd section with the softer okhrana.
What was the army like in 1855?
- It numbered 1.4 million men, mainly peasant conscripts. 2. Officers were drawn from the nobility and at any time it could be used to deal with law and order.
What was Alexander’s attitude to censorship?
He embraced glasnost and relaxed censorship in 1865. Government departments also published newspapers and there was an increase in the number of books published from 1020 in 1855 to 1836 in 1864.
Give two facts about the narodniks
- They were populists, consisting of intellectuals who had greater freedom to criticize the tsar after his reforms. 2. They were influenced by the writings of Marx.
What happened to land and liberty in 1879?
They split, forming into the more moderate black partition (which was destroyed by arrests in 1880) and the more radical people’s will.
Why did Alexander II make judicial reforms?
After the emancipation, it was no longer possible for landowners to simply impose local justice, before his reforms, there were no defense lawyers allowed for the accused and evidence was only given by police and land owners.
