Effects of the Crimean War

Includes background on war but don't need to memorise this - only memorise effects

Overview of Crimean war: Who was it against? How did it end? What was the peace treaty?

• Russia vs Ottoman Turks (supported by Britain + France)

• Siege of Sevastopol - Russian troops surrendered

• Treaty of Paris (1856) - Russia conceded territory in Bessarabia

When was the Treaty of Paris signed by Russia, Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire?

March 1856

How was the army organised in the Crimean war?

• officers taken from nobility

• forced conscription of tax paying serfs, 25 year term of service

How many people were in the Russian army in 1853?

1,400,000

How serious was the defeat in the Crimean war to Russia?

very serious + humiliating

What did Alex II's ministers agreed on after the Crimean War?

The need to build railways and to get money to do that

What were the army reforms in 1856?

• no recruitment or military colonies

• conscription for all men over 20 but for less time

• more humane and efficient training

What did the Crimean war highlight for the army?

the need for reforms

Why did the Crimean war help lead to the 1863 Polish uprising? NOT NEEDED FRO MOCK

• led to a series of protests and riots against Russian rule in Poland and Lithuania

• Many believed that the Russian Empire had been seriously weakened and that a national uprising against it could now be a success

What observations is the causal link between Alex II's reforms and the Crimean war based on?

• revealed weaknesses in the way Nicholas I had ruled

• The army was recruited from serfs

• Soldiers had been poorly supplied; the production of armaments and uniforms was inadequate

What were the weaknesses of NI’s rule revealed in the Crimean war?

the maintenance of serfdom under strict autocratic rule didn’t fit with staging modern warfare

Why was having serfs making up most of the army a draw back?

• they weren’t trained to the same standard as the professional armies of Britain and France

• were inclined towards revolt, and given their other responsibilities, were probably not as committed

What was the soldiers being poorly supplied a reflection on?

the way the economy was organised and how Russia had been slow to industrialise

What were the reasons for Alex II's reforms apart from the Crimean war?

• pressure to abolish serfdom, as it was seen as a form of slavery

• growing peasant unrest that could be traced back to the 1770s

• demands from some politicians and entrepreneurs for more labour to work on projects and railway routes

• population growth, which put pressure on a farming system that was geared up to provide subsistence, not surplus

Who was the Crimean war between?

Russia vs Ottoman empire (later supported by Fr + GB)

What did people (especially Slavophiles) think after the Crimean war?

• Were upset with humiliating defeat + questioned how great Russia was

• thought Russia’s status as a great world power was severely damaged

What led to public discussions about the future of the Russian empire?

• The poor showing of the Russian military

• the stipulations of the treaty of Paris

How many casualties

• 650,000 - 750,000

• far heavier casualties than any other EU war fought b/w 1814-1914

Break down of losses for each country:

• Britain - 22,000

• France - 90,000

• Russia - 450,000

• Turkey - 150,000

• 1 in 5 lost their lives in battle, most died of disease

What did the treaty of Paris highlight?

the weak position Russia found itself in

What did the Crimean war indirectly act as a catalyst for?

a number of significant economic, social, and political reforms

How did the Crimean war influence emancipation of serfs?

• revealed Russia, in comparison to the other powers, to be backward and underdeveloped

• This was especially true when it came to transport, communications and the use of technology in general

• industrialisation was way behind GB + Fr, many believed this is bcs of serfdom (no work force bcs they are farming/in the army for 25 years)

How likely is it that the Crimean war was the reason for the EE?

• not likely to be sole reason - EE was in 1861 (several years later), however probs a large contributing factor

• reason for time b/w end of war + edict could be bcs Russian society was structured on top of serfdom

What proportion of the casualties did Russia make up?

over half

Reasons for Russia’s failure

• Outdated technology eg: inferior muskets (1 per 2 soldiers), still used sails + wooden bottom ships (vs metal bottomed/steam powered)

• poor transport - took longer to equip front line

• inadequate leadership (bcs given jobs due to status not ability)

• Serfs - lacked training/skill

What happened to peasant uprising due to the Crimean war?

• increased

• 1840-44 = 30 uprisings per year

• 1845-60 = 60 uprisings per year

What did Russia need to do in order to keep their status, highlighted by Crimean war?

modernise

Who made up the most of the Russian army

serfs

What was the effect of poor accommodation?

disease spread (killed more people than battle)

What did poor accommodation coupled with lack of decent clothing/equiptment mean?

low moral in troops

What was the time frame of the military reforms?

1862-1874

Outline some of the military reforms + the effect

• reduced service in the army to fifteen years

• modernised training and provided rigorous instruction for officers

• The result was a far more professional army and one that was more in line with that of Western rivals

• the army, in theory, could be relied on to help maintain civil order at home as well as fight wars overseas now

What was the model of the military reforms?

The Prussian military system

What reforms cannot be linked to the Crimean war?

• Church reforms

• education reforms

How much money was spent on the railway construction? how long was the track? When was it built?

Using foreign loans, nearly 2 billion roubles

20,000 km of track

from 1861 to 1878

What were the effects of the Crimean war?

• Realisation that Russia’s economic and social infrastructure was outdated - esp. serfdom

• EMANCIPATION OF THE SERFS (1861)

• Modernisation of the military

• MOST IMPORTANT - forced changes in local government!

• AII bridged the gap between the isolated newly-emancipated peasants and the rest of society with the zemstva

• Appeared to introduce some democracy to Russian government