Emancipation as a result of the Crimean war

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

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

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

• The war revealed weaknesses in the way Nicholas I had ruled

• The army was recruited from serfs who were not trained to the same standard as the professional armies of Britain and France

• Soldiers had been poorly supplied

How were the soldiers poorly supplied?

what was this a reflection of?

• the production of armaments and uniforms was inadequate

• This was a reflection on the way the economy was organised and how Russia had been slow to industrialise

Why was the majority of the army being serfs a weakness?

serfs were inclined towards revolt, and given their other responsibilities, were probably not as committed as the British and French might have been

What weaknesses in the way Nicholas I had ruled were revealed?

the maintenance of serfdom under strict autocratic rule did not seem to fit with staging modern warfare

How many casualties

650,000 - 750,000

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

Losses:

over half were Russia

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

How did the Crimean war influence emancipation of serfs?

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

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 much of a catalyst was the Crimean war for the EE?

War was a major catalyst in these changes – although this should not be over exaggerated as talks had already been made prior to the war about a possible emancipation, as Alexander stated he would rather ‘reform from above’

What proportion of the casualties did Russia make up?

over half

What happened to peasant uprising due to the Crimean war?

increased

1840-44 = 30 uprisings per year

1845-60 = 60 uprisings per year

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