Emmancipation of the serfs Flashcards
(25 cards)
What year did Alexander II emancipate the Russian serfs?
1861
How many Russian serfs were emancipated by Alexander II?
51 million
What was Alexander II hailed as due to the emancipation of the serfs?
The first humanitarian tsar of Russia
What was the economic transition that Alexander II aimed for in Russia?
From a pre-industrial economy to an industrialised, developed nation
What was the citizenship status of serfs in Russia?
They did not have Russian citizenship
Could serfs be bought and sold?
Yes
What percentage of serfs were privately owned versus state-owned?
50% privately owned, 50% state-owned
Why did Alexander II decide to continue with emancipation?
A serf-based economy limited progress and there was no social mobility
List the steps in the economic cycle envisaged by Alexander II.
- Free the serfs
- Greater incentive to work
- Grain surplus
- Export more grain
- Fund industrial development
- Mobilise the peasantry
- Create greater prosperity
True or False: Alexander II believed that reform should be bottom-up rather than top-down.
False
What was the method Alexander II used to gain support for emancipation?
He toured the countryside
In what month and year did Alexander II make a decree regarding serf emancipation?
February 1861
What happened to privately-owned serfs in 1861?
They were given freedom
What year were state-owned serfs freed?
1866
For how many years did freed serfs have to pay redemption payments to the government?
49 years
What legal change occurred in 1863 regarding serfs?
Volost courts replaced landlord jurisdiction
What was the term used for ‘compulsory freedom’ granted to serfs in 1881?
‘Compulsory freedom’
What did some freed serfs do with their allotments?
Sold them, bought passports, and left the mir
How did moving to industrialising cities affect the living standards of some serfs?
They increased their living standards
Why did many serfs feel cheated after emancipation?
Land allocations were rarely fair
What happened to the already small allotments of land after emancipation?
They were divided up between children into even smaller plots
What percentage of serfs produced surplus crops by 1878?
50%
What type of unrest occurred in major cities following emancipation?
Riots
What was the effect of emancipation on landowners’ influence?
Landowners lost influence
