Alexander II interpretations Flashcards
How Liberal was the Russian gov 1855 to 1881 ? 2 debates
tsar liberator or only made concessions to gain support
tsar liberator zmestva + education
1864 zemstva work in education 1855 55% illiterate – 8,000 to 23,000 primary schools
tsar liberator
1861 emancipation – 23 million
concessions to win support zemstvo
1864 creation zemstvo divert attention from reformist nobility demand for reform
concessions to win support peasants uprising
712 peasant uprising 1826 to 1854 – grant concession to intelligentsia – lessen social + political threat posed = ulterior motive
concessions to win support - zemstva limitations
no control over taxes + appointment officials – 1914 43/70 provinces provincial assembly
concessions to win support populists - actions
15000 populist ‘go to ppl’ arrested - annoyed against lack of land + taxes
concessions to win support - populist - repercussions
1877 trial of 193 populists – spread propaganda against Russian gov
To what extent did reforms made by Alexander II improve the status of the Russian peasants? - 2 debates
state Russian peasant improve or do not improve
state russian peasant improve - nobility land reduce by
1905 land owned by nobility reduce by 40%
state russian peasant improve skl
1864 – zemstvo control schools 8,000 to 23,000 primary skls
state russian peasant improve - urban migration
peasants migrate to cities + form ‘aristocracy of labour’ – special skills offered as teams (‘artels’)
state russian peasant no improve - no change emancipation
49 yr redemption payments
-lose 4.9% of prev land holding
state russian peasant no improve - mir connection
peasants remain answering to mir – mir forces subsistence farming ( no surplus) therefore no incentive to improve land + working conditions
state russian peasant no improve - Tolstoy exam system
Tolstoy manipulates exam system so only noble children in uni 3500 in 6 unis
state russian peasant no improve - agriculture / counter urban migration point
80% population dependent on agriculture – rural society
state russian peasant no improve - polish uprising
1863 Jan Polish uprising – upset not emancipated
How Far were Alexander II’s reforms due to the Crimean War
crimea war causation or correlation
crime war = reform - milyutin reform
Milyutin reforms due to military failure – jan 1874 – military conscription for all social classes not just peasantry
crimea war = reform - industry
industrial development accelerated by Crimea
crimea war = reform - death toll
220,000 russian death but 21,000 british - death toll limits economy dependent on low skilled labour -
crimea war not reform - railway demand
growing industry e.g. railway routes – trans Siberia – demands more labour – serfdom needed to be abolished
crimea war not reform - Alex II tutor
population pressure on subsistence farming
-Alex II tutor – Zhukovksy – romantic poet – liberalism
Crimea war not reform - climate
1853 – met with nobility to discuss serfdom
-Russian climate could not depend on agriculture – need industrialisation for stability –
