Domestic Reforms of Tsar Alexander II PDF

Preview

Summary

Why did Alexander II want to reform?
Emancipation Edict (Feb, 1861)
Legal Reforms
Army Reforms
Education Reforms
Economic Reforms
Were Alexander II’s reforms successful?
Alexander II and the Growth of Opposition
Types of Opposition
Consequences o...

Description

Domestic Reforms of Alexander II Alexander II’s reign can be split into 2 distinct phases 1) 1855-1866  early liberal phase committed to reform 1866  first assassination attempt 2) 1866-1881  later conservative phase, where he turned against his earlier reformism Why did Alexander II want to reform?       

Desire to strengthen and consolidate the Tsarist autocracy He believed it was ‘better to abolish serfdom from above rather than wait for the time when it will begin to abolish itself from below’  avoiding rebellion This would lead to peace and stability in the countryside and a happy and prosperous peasantry Then, Russia would be able to move away from an agrarian economy and focus on industry to strengthen and modernise the economy and army Sustain their growing population Wanted to secure Russia’s position as a super power after the humiliation in Crimean war Impact of the Crimean War  Russia had a very weak military standing  25 million men were subject to military service but only 800,000 fought  High casualties and 500,000 died of illness and disease not fighting  Impacted the Tsar’s power and international prestige  they began the war as patriotic soldier as the Tsar led them to believe they were going to win, but as the war went on many began to dissent, it was a huge embarrassing international defeat for such a large country. Also the Russian people did not believe they were going to lose (lack of information due to censorship) so the shock was profound  The war highlighted the economic backwardness of the country  Russia had a lack of supplies, modern weaponry and money – they were exhausted by 1855  Also highlighted the need for political reform  some saw the West as a source of all Russia’s problems and therefore they had to grow their towns and cities and spread liberal ideas

Emancipation Edict (Feb, 1861)  Within 2 years, the peasants were granted personal freedoms including the right to own land, marry freely, use law courts and set up their own businesses  Freed peasants were granted ownership of their houses and land that they had farmed  The local Mir was made responsible for collecting and paying the redemption taxes  so they had control over the peasants  State serfs were given the same terms – but the transition period was 5 years not 2, and they mostly received greater plots of land



Household serfs received no land, just their freedom

Strengths of the Edict -A monumental success  40 million Russians were liberated and this symbolised a dramatic break from their social and economic past -85% of the former serfs become landowners of some sort within 20 years of the reform -Peasant disturbances were reduced in the next 40 years so it achieved its immediate objectives -Serfdom was abolished without provoking an immediate major rebellion – from the serfs or the nobility

Weakness of the Edict -The impact of the reform as reduced by the problem of implementing the reform at a local level  as success depended on the support of the nobility, it was a slow process which favoured the landowners at the expense of the peasants -So, the land they were given to farm was 20% smaller than what they had farm before, and it was 80% of the size considered necessary to feed a peasant family -The landlords were compensated for the land they lost – on a very high valuation of the land -Serfs were required to pay this back (Redemption taxes) over 49 years at 6% interest -Domestic serfs received no land at all -In many cases (in the short-medium term), emancipation worsened living and working condition of the serfs -They were still under the control of the Mir (village community) – who could restrict travel and freedom of enterprise in the village -So they were not transformed into a new class of prosperous consumers because they could not leave their villages to move to towns and lacked land and faced economic difficulties

Legal Reforms  Legal issues were no longer handled by the landowners (as before there was no lawyers or juries for the poor, and they were presumed guilty until proven innocent – very little chance of justice)  1864  Modern Western-style independent judicial system introduced which was equal for rich and poor alike. Juries were introduced, judges received better pay to reduce bribery and corruption and courts were open to the public. This was very liberal and progressive as it offered Russians a fair trial for the first time, courtroom offered many new career options and seemed to be the ‘only place where real freedom of speech prevailed’  Political cases were removed from theses courts and the Secret Police could still arrest people at will  1964  Zemstva introduced. It was a radical, liberal measure with a degree of local selfgovernance – But this was appeasing local nobility by giving them local power  Zemstvo and Dumas (1870)  had local power over public health, prisons, roads, agriculture and education – gave new political participation opportunities.  Police remained under central control, the provisional governor could overrule all Zemstva decisions, and they were permanently short of money – which limited their practical options  The voting system was heavily weighted towards landowners - which made it easy for the conservative nobility and their interests to dominate assemblies

Army Reforms  Modernizing Russia’s army was seen as crucial following the defeat in the Crimean war  Reduced the lengths of service for conscripts from 25 years to 6 years (9 years in reserve) – no longer a ‘life sentence’  Introduced universal military service for all males over 20, including the wealthy  Reforms made the military more civilized and efficient – training and discipline no longer included brutal punishments  Education programmes were introduced to increase literacy Education Reforms  More toleration and reform, liberal education policies  University reforms  gave universities much more autonomy in their affairs  Lectures of European law and philosophy were allowed  Scholars were allowed to go abroad to study  Texts from abroad were allowed in Russia – uncensored  1872  Moscow University introduced their first courses for women  Nicholas  New liberal professors replaced the conservative ones  Poor students did not have to pay fees – by 1859  2/3 of students at Moscow were exempt from paying fees  1862  A Ministry of Education was established to move schooling out of the control of the church  Number of students attending primary school increased considerably as the Zemstva continued to increase the number of primary schools (400% more rural primary schools)  1856-1878  the number of children in primary school more than doubled (450,000 to over 1 million)  Student radicalisation grew and teaching lectures promoted political instability Economic Reforms      



1862  Government budgets were introduced for the first time Railway system developed from 1,600 km (1861) to over 22,000 (1878)  This helped give Russia improved communications and stimulate internal trade However, this was small compared internationally , and given Russia’s huge size Considerable increases in oil and coal production, new industrial areas emerged But most of them were dependent on foreign investment Steady population growth  led to a growing market in the country for manufactured goods BUT it was extremely fragile because it depended on a good harvest and there was still transport difficulties Peasant still forced to pay high Poll Tax, which the gentry were exempt from. It rose over 80% during Alexander II’s reign

Were Alexander II’s reforms successful? For Alexander?

 He did not stabilise Russian politics and he lost his grip on successful autocracy as he was eventually assassinated by political radicals who wanted to overthrow the Tsarist regime  Half-hearted reforms (legal and local government) upset the liberal who wanted more freedom and the conservatives who resented the loss of power  The education reform and relaxation of censorship backfired and allowed opposition to the Tsar to generate instead  The Emancipation Edict had serious flaws and did not hugely benefit them  He partly achieved his aim of making Russia great power, using economic reforms which moved Russia’s economy more towards industrial (rather than agrarian)  Industry and railway developed  Overall industrial output increased significantly  Progress was uneven  1881  Russia was still an agricultural economy  Taxation system had not changed and prevented the Russian economy from expanding For the people?  Reforms opened up Russia’s political and social climate  liberation of the Serfs, establishment of Zemstvo and Dumas and Western education system all showed a step away from traditional authoritarian rule and paved way for a more modern and democratic Russia  Reforms changed the lives of many people  scholars had more freedom and independence, lax censorship benefitted the people, less years in the military for young men

Alexander II and the Growth of Opposition  Reforms led to greater political opposition  it was difficult for Alexander II to find a middle ground that would appease both liberals and conservatives BUT the reforms led to crisis of rising expectations (raised hopes not being met) because of Alexander II’s fears of undermining the autocracy, especially calls for national assembly (parliament) and a written constitution defining and limiting the Tsar’s power  BUT his later reactionary impulses that tried to reduce these rising expectations only angered reformers further and encouraged the growth of radical extremism against the state  More liberal political atmosphere and more toleration of western ideas in University led to the growth of radical student who opposed the Tsarist system and demanded fundamental changes to Russian autocracy and society  In the 1860’s Alexander had made key reforms, but then later remained firmly committed to autocracy in the later stage of his reign  This led to increased opposition and even assassination attempts  In the 1870’s, Alexander enacted a series of more conservative measures, that some historians believe were to contrast his earlier liberal movements  So, between 1866 and 1881, there was more repression  1866  first assassination attempt, led to Alexander II increasing repression and giving the Third Section (secret police) greater powers to arrest and clamp down on radicals...