War and revolution: Alexander II Flashcards
What caused the Crimean war?
Disputes between orthodox (Russian) Christians and french Catholic Christians who both claimed the right to the holy lands which were part of the Ottoman Empire.
Why did Nicholas I involve Russia in the Crimean war?
He wanted to preserve Russia’s status as one of the great powers, it was important to him to stand up to the British and French so the Russian people would maintain faith in the autocracy.
What happened during the Crimean war?
- The Russians destroyed the Turkish fleet at Sinope in 1853 and refused to withdraw from the principalities. 2. Britain and France declared war on Russia in 1854. 3. October 1854-September 1855 saw the siege of Sebastopol. 4. By august 1856 Russia was suffering 3000 causalities per day, so surrendered.
Give three consequences of the Crimean war
- 450,000 Russian deaths. 2. It highlighted the weaknesses of the Russian empire with its ineffective serf army and poor communications. 3. It acted as a catalyst for many of Alexander’s reforms.
What three things were agreed under the treaty of Paris?
- The duty to protect Christians in the Ottoman Empire was taken away from Russia. 2. Russia handed over a lot of Bessarabia. 3. Russia was prohibited from maintaining a fleet in the Black Sea.
How did the Crimean war lead to the emancipation of the serfs?
It revealed that Russia was backward in comparison to the European powers. This was mainly down to the fact that serfdom held Russia back and impeded industrialization
How did the Crimean war lead to local government reforms?
The emancipation (which was a direct consequence of the war) reduced the political role of the nobles at a local level, something was needed to fill this gap and this came in the form of the zemstva.
Who was in charge of military reforms?
Dmitri Milyutin, he reformed the Russian military on the model of the Prussian system and reduced service from 25 years to 15 years.
List four military reforms after the Crimean war
- There was proper training put in place for officers and soldiers were educated. 2. Military service was no longer allowed to be given as punishment for crimes. 3. Military colonies were banned. 4. Conscription was made compulsory for all males over 21.
What other reforms came from the Crimean war?
The expansion of the railway as the war had revealed how slow Russia had been to mobilize resources, over 2billion roubles were spent on railway building 1861-78.
When was the Russo Turkish war?
1877-78. It was caused by Russia helping fellow Slavs in Bosnia and Serbia rebelling against the ottomans. It should have been a quick and resounding victory for Russia as they were fighting a much weaker enemy.
What happened during the Russo Turkish war?
Russia faced early difficulties especially in Bulgaria, but, using their navy, they destroyed the Turkish fleet and captured Plevna.
What and when was the treaty of San Stefano?
March 1878, Russia was to regain south Bessarabia, Russia gained territory in the caucuses. Turkey was forced to pay an indemnity and a large Bulgaria was established.
What happened at the congress of Berlin?
Britian and Austria Hungary were unhappy with the treaty of San Stefano, so forced Russia to accept a new treaty. Austria Hungary was to govern Bosnia, Bulgaria became smaller and Britain took over the administration of Cyprus.
What was the consequence of the congress in Berlin?
Russian nationalists were very unhappy, the concessions were seen as unacceptable. This created a lot of unrest and seemed to some to represent a loss of world status.
