Alexander II reforms and assassination

Question 1

What was Russian autocracy like in 1855 Russia?

Answer 1

Empire divided between govt, and Tsar’s subjects (rich+poor etc)
Power lay in hands of rich
Tsar + church hierarchy wanted obedience + had authority to secure it

Question 2

Political strengths

Answer 2

Power concentrated to Tsar

Westernisation spreading, exposing autocracy which was good for ppl but bad for tsar

Question 3

What was a dual-capital country?

Answer 3

Where power was spread over a large area e.g Russia

Question 4

Political weaknesses

Answer 4

Absolute monarchy prevents reform + encourages censorship
No legal restriction to tsar’s power
Bureaucracy known for being ineffective, slow and corrupt
No freedom of speech

Question 5

Social strengths

Answer 5

Easier to rule + stay in control as serfs were stupid and easily influenced
Had worlds largest army of 1.5 million
Taught to show devotion to tsar and ppl didn’t rebel

Question 6

What percentage of the population were serfs?

Answer 6

90%

Question 7

Social weaknesses

Answer 7

Lots of censorship
Weak army, forced to serve 25 years
Lack of education, close minded and relied on religion
Less than half the population were Russian in 1855 so hard to control different cultures

Question 8

Economic strengths

Answer 8

Vast empire with lots of raw materials, Europe’s main exporter of agricultural produce

Question 9

Economic weaknesses

Answer 9

Considered backwards, hadn’t industrialised as dependent on serfs
lack of education meant lack of good jobs so no development
Size and climate of Russia slowed development

Question 10

When was the Crimean War?

Answer 10

1853-1856

Question 11

Why was Russia defeated in the Crimean War?

Answer 11

R only committed 1/4 of army + used old weapons
Anglo-French weapons more modern
Nick’s conservatism was self-defeating`

Question 12

How did the Crimean War end?

Answer 12

Ended with signing of Treaty of Paris forcing Alexander II to remove all troops from Black Sea

Question 13

When did Nicholas I die?

Answer 13

2nd March 1855

Question 14

Why was emancipation seen as necessary?

Answer 14

Was essential if they wanted to see social and economic development or would fall further behind
Humiliation of Crimea showed army needed improving and could only happen with free population

Question 15

What did Alexander say about serfism?

Answer 15

‘It is better to abolish serfdom from above than to wait for the time when it will begin to abolish itself from below’

Question 16

What were the uprisings and outbreaks like between 1840+1844?

Answer 16

More than 30 outbreaks of disorder per year and doubled over next 15 years due to landowners pushing serfs to produce more/ pay higher rates or conscription

Question 17

How did Alexander begin his reforms?

Answer 17

By releasing political prisoners, pardoning Decemberists, relaxed censorship, cancelled tax debts + restored some rights to catholic church

Question 18

When was the emancipation of the serfs?

Answer 18

19th February 1861

Question 19

What were some of the positive terms of the emancipation?

Answer 19

Kuluk class (prosperous land owners) were able to buy extra land so produced surplus grain
Some land owners used compensations offered to get themselves out of debt
Over next 20 years 85% former serfs became legal landowners

Question 20

What were some of the negative impacts of the emancipation?

Answer 20

Peasants thrown into lifetime of debt to pay for land over 49 years at 6% interest
Mir (responsible for collecting taxes) constrained peasants, stopping them from leaving
Landowners retained most of the best land

Question 21

Emancipation summary

Answer 21

Seen as missed opportunity by Alex, didn’t solve much but better than nothing
Long-term resulted ultimately in Communist revolution + didn’t solve economic issues

Question 22

When were the military reforms?

Answer 22

1874

Question 23

What was included in the military reforms?

Answer 23

Conscription for men over 20 made compulsory for all classes
Service reduced from 25 to 15 years, 9 years out of this in reserves
Military colleges est. + welfare improvements

Question 24

What were the results of the military reforms?

Answer 24

Smaller but better army created and decreased govt. cost for army
Literacy improved (military colleges) but upper classes served less time or bought their way out of army

Question 25

When were the local govt. reforms?

Answer 25

1864 and 1870

Question 26

What was included in the local govt. reforms?

Answer 26

Zemstvas (local councils) established
Chosen through electoral colleges with notes receiving most influence over election but townspeople, church and peasants could still vote
Had power to improve public services, administer poor relief + develop industry

Question 27

What were the results of the local govt. reforms?

Answer 27

First sign of representation but dominated by nobles giving peasants little power
Limited control over state and local taxes
Attracted intelligentsia who used meetings as opportunity to criticise govt.

Question 28

When were the judicial reforms?

Answer 28

1864

Question 29

What was included in the judicial reforms?

Answer 29

Est. single system of local and national courts + criminal cases were before barrister + jury
Judges appointed by tsar, given better training +pay
Local Justices of the Peace elected every 3 years by zemstva and were independent from political control

Question 30

What were the results of the judicial reforms?

Answer 30

All classes judges equal before law + proceedings open to public and reporters
Fairer, less corrupt system
However, judges could undermine govt. control look at Vera Zasulich
Judges became celebrities

Question 31

When were the educational reforms?

Answer 31

1863-1864

Question 32

What was included in the educational reforms?

Answer 32

Zemstva now responsible for primary education (replacing the church)
Free prim education made available to all
Vocational schools set up at secondary level so could go to uni
Unis made self governing + offered liberal courses

Question 33

What were the results of the education reforms?

Answer 33

No. of prim schools tripled, no. of kids in prim education doubled, greater selection of subjects for girls + boys
No. of uni students tripled
Prim curriculum still based our religion and secondary still cost

Question 34

When were the censorship reforms?

Answer 34

1858-1870

Question 35

What was included in the censorship reforms?

Answer 35

Under Nick, censorship had relaxed on books, newspapers and foreign publications
Led to short-lived growth in no. of books etc.
But growth of critical writing brought re-tightening of govt. control in ’70s

Question 36

What was the overall outcome of the reforms?

Answer 36

Start to developments, better than nothing
Led to opposition as ppl more educated
Gave ppl false hope that reforms would go further but couldn’t without threatening autocracy
His failure to fully reform ultimately led to his assassination in 1881

Question 37

What happened in Alexander II’s assassination attempts?

Answer 37

April ‘66 former student of noble status shot at Alexander but missed
‘67 Polish immigrant fired on a carriage carrying Alex and 2 sons but missed
‘79 bomb intended to blow up Alex’s carriage missed and blew up wrong carriage
‘80 mine placed under Winter Palace, killed 13 ppl but not Alex

Question 38

What was Alexander’s reaction to the assassination attempts?

Answer 38

Alex appointed reactionary minister, Tolstoy, military and economic reforms continued but others halted or reversed

Question 39

How did Alexander reverse the education reforms?

Answer 39

Tolstoy ensured authority went back to church
Secondary schools stopped from teaching science Entrance to uni made much harder, all applicants had to have attended a gimnazium
Many now chose to study abroad

Question 40

How did Alexander reverse police and law courts?

Answer 40

Appointed Shuvalov (head of Third Section- secret police)
He persecuted religious an ethnic monorities
Political crimes were tried in secret in military courts
1879, governor-generals were given emergency powers to use military courts and impose exile

Question 41

Show trials under Alexander

Answer 41

Pahlen (Ministry of Justice) help open show trials to try and deter other from revolutionary activity but whole experiment backfired and courts made secret

Question 42

What was happening in Alex’s personal life and how did this impact his attitude?

Answer 42

1865 Alex’s son and heir dies and his wife with TB withdrew from public appearances so he had a mistress Catherine, distancing him self from his fam
This, on top of assassination attempts made him more aloof so became less resistant to reactionary conservatives who were undoing his reforms

Question 43

Who was Count Loris-Melinkov?

Answer 43

Was appointed as Minister of Internal Affairs

Question 44

Why was there a political crisis in Russia in the late 1870s?(related to Loris-Melinkov)

Answer 44

Russo-Turkish war so army bogged down
Famine swept countryside
Industrial recession had begun
Further attempts on tsar’s life made Alex think that unrest would be solved by widening democratic consultation

Question 45

What did Loris-Melinkov do?

Answer 45

Released political prisoners, relaxed censorship, reduced zemstva’s restrictions, removed salt tax, abolished Third section (replaced by Okhrana)
Loris-Melinkov constitution as well

Question 46

What was the Loris-Melinkov Constitution?

Answer 46

Report responding to zemstva’s demands, wanted to be more representative, wasn’t really a constitution but Alex agreed and was going to sign it but was killed that day

Question 47

When was the assassination of Alexander II?

Answer 47

13th March 1881

Question 48

What happened with the assassination?

Answer 48

Alex on way to Winter Palace in closed carriage
People’s Will positioned themselves along route with concealed bombs
First 2 bombs thrown missed
Tsar got out of carriage to check on wounded and bomb thrown at him and died immediately