Alexander's Domestic Reforms Summary Flashcards
Alexander’s Domestic Reforms Summary
Socially - Emancipation supposed to free the peasants, but they remained trapped in 49 years of redemption payments at 6% interest, passed down to relatives resulted in intergenerational destitution.
- Mir ensured they couldn’t move more than 20miles away.
- Size of land farmed was 20% less than before on average.
- State serfs (owned by gov) in the northern provinces had their average plot size decreased by 44%
- Poor quality land as landowners were able to choose which land to keep.
- Remained 2nd class citizens and had their own court system, the Volost courts.
- 647 Peasant revolts in the 4 months after the reforms reported by the Ministry of the Interior.
- However, peasant mortality decreased by 5.6 deaths per thousand people and army draftee records show that average height in the provinces w the most severe form of serfdom (corvee, barschina) increased 1.6cm.
- In 1858 AII removed most of the censorship on media
- Legal Reforms started in 1864, improving efficiency, adding juries and increasing Judges pay to reduce corruption risk
Poltically - Zemstva introduced in 1864. They were dominated by the nobility, 57% of votes, and had little real power -> Zemstvo decisions could be overruled by the district governer.
Only 43/70 provinces had zemstva by 1900.
Zemstvo impact was limited further as AIII introduced Land Captains in 1889 who essentially had unlimited power over the peasantries, appointing elders who could prosecute peasants without trial.
- Alexander II was adamant that he had the god-given right to rule autocratically, thus rejecting any form of constitutional government
Economically - Strip farming and 3-field crop rotation was inefficient, keeping many peasants poor.
Retention of the Mir hindered modernization and capitalist development in rural areas, as the periodic equalization of land meant it was almost impossible for successful farmers to accumulate land and become more entrepreneurial.
However, railways increased from 3,000km to 22,000km -> building the foundations of a modern industrialised state. This was done through state-guaranteed railway bonds sold to Europe
- In the average province, industrial output increased 60% & Industrial employment more than doubled
In the average province, industrial output increased
Markevich (2015) suggested that Russia’s National Income per capita would have been double as much as it actually was in 1913 if the Emancipation had occurred in 1820 rather than 1861
- Ministry of Finance created in 1862, with von Reutern as head. Removed private tax farmers to increase revenue.
- Chronic budget deficit was removed by 1867 and surpluses achieved from 1873, although von Reutern was eventually sacked after deficits were incurred during the Russo-Turkish War (1877-78)
- In 1860 there were 78 joint-stock companies, with a capital of less than 8 million rubles each. Between 1861 in 1873, businessmen set up 357 joint-stock companies with a capital of 1.1 billion rubles
Poverty synonyms
Penury, Indigence, Destitution
2019 Question on AII
How liberal was AII / How far were his reforms caused by the Crimean War
Passage A didn’t mention the Crimean War at all and focused on his personal motives which weren’t that important, passage B was right saying that he wasn’t liberal but was otherwise forced into reform by the defeat in Crimean war
A used evidence in the form of primary sources, whereas B did not. A also discredited other possible reasons such as a ‘demand for labour or increase in capitalism’
Evaluation of AII’s Reforms
Socially - Average. Emancipation was huge change but ultimately a failure, 674 revolts in 4 months after illustrates that it did not improve peasant lives. However, should be noted that this was a huge and difficult change to get right. Censorship and Legal reforms were certainly positive
Politically - Little meaningful change. Firmly autocratic, opposed to any form of constitutional government. Did create the Zemsva but these were dominated by Nobles (57% of votes) and ineffective
Economically - Successful. Made huge reforms, greatly increased Railway infrastructure (3k to 22k), removed the chronic budget deficit and increased entrepreneurship (capital from 8million Roubles to 1.1.Billion)
