Reaction and counter-reform under Alexander III Flashcards
What was one way Alexander II reversed his liberal ministers?
Replaced them with conservatives. E.g., Dmitry Tolstoy for Minister for Education.
How was primary and secondary schooling tightened from 1966 onwards?
Primary education taken away from the zemstvo and returned to the church.
Inspectors appointed to keep an eye on the moral views conveyed by teachers.
How was the entrance into university tightened?
Pupils from modern schools could no longer progress to university
Entrance exams made more difficult, favoring the higher-rank nobility.
How was state control of Universities reinstated?
Liberal university courses reduced.
Universities no longer responsible for discipling their students - passed to police.
Students suspected of revolutionary views expelled.
How was state security tightened as opposed to individual rights?
Show trials were introduced in 1877 (although this backfired with the trial of 153 and 193 were Narodnik’s were acquitted via jury.
Political criminals could be tried in special courts from 1878 onwards - no jury and thus easier for state conviction.
Governor generals appointed in 1878 and given emergency powers to exile political offenders through military courts.
How was russification increased under Alexander III?
Controls on national groups in the Empire stepped up, especially against Jews.
The aim to promote Russian culture by suppressing local cultures and languages - wanted to weaken national identities and secure loyalty to the Russian state.
Brief summary of the Polish rebellion?
Occurred: Jan 1963-June 1864
More than 200,000 poles joined in creating an underground National Government for Poland, waged a form or guerrilla warfare against imperial masters.
Took over a year for the Russian Army to suppress and unsettled Alexander II, making him doubt his reforms.
Brief summary of Nihilists
Nihilists rejected:
Autocracy
Orthodoxy
Social inequality
Favoring:
Replacing autocracy
Reason over religion
Individual freedom
Committed to using violence/terrorism.
When was the first assassination attempt to Alexander II and what did it incite?
Attempted by Nihilist student Dmitry Karakozov, firing a shot but missing.
Made Alexander less tolerant and more inclined towards repression.
A further Assassination attempt was carried out by a polish national in Paris 1967.
What reforms that Alexander II had previously made caused him to rethink his decisions after his assassination attempt in 1866+67?
Relaxation of censorship - lead to a spread of literature which was critical of goverment
Extension of education: led to increasing literacy levels, more people to challenge regime.
Growing population of university students: led to several groups who discussed radical ideas.
Local Government: led to the creation of the Third element - zemstvo officials who had political at a local level but were demanding a national level.
New legal system: Was more independent making it harder for government to prosecute political prisoners.
How was the impact of his reforms underwhelming?
Failed to satisfy any major groups in society:
Conservative nobility were concerned at their loss of control and questioned the reforms.
Liberal intelligentsia argued that the reforms had not gone far enough
Peasant revolts had increased between 61-63 and poverty grew following Emancipation
Why was Alexander II dedicated to preserving the autocracy?
Believed it was his God-given right and responsibility to protect the empire and autocracy - repression was necessary.
Explain the growth of radical opposition during the 1870s?
Narodniks: revolutionary movement rooted in the intelligentsia.
Believed in the ideology of popularism - peasants could lead a revolution e.g., “go to the people” movement from 1764-66
Posed a direct threat to the autocracy and were strictly dealt with from 1875 onwards, especially in the judicial system.
How were the Narodnik’s suppressed in the judicial system during the 1870s?
Put on show trials yet the jury often took a sympathetic approach e.g., trial of 193 and 153 and the Zasulich Case of 1878.
So, special military courts were established to deal with Narodnik’s in 1878 where they could be prosecuted more easily without jury.
What where the Loris-Melikov proposals?
Establishing a democratically elected national assembly with advisory powers
Giving zemstvo powers
Increased civil liberties e.g., freedom of press/relaxation of censorship.
