Alexander II the Tsar reformer

What did Alexander II’s travels around the empire allow him to do

Give him a first hand experience of serfs’ life

What was there an increase of in 1840s which was a contributing factor to emancipation

peasant uprisings

What did the failure in Crimean War result in

Milyutin wanted army to be modernised with a free population

4 of Alexander’s initial reforms

• Released political prisoners

• Relaxed censorship control

• Less restrictions on foreign travel and uni entrance

• Restored some rights of Poland and Catholic Church

When was the emancipation edict and how many serfs were freed

1861 - 51 million

Limitations of emancipation edict

• Had to pay redemption payments for 49 years

• Had to remain in the mir

• 2 year period of ‘temporary obligation’ before freedom but 15% of peasants remained obligated until 1881

What was established to supervise the Mir

Volosts

What was the Mir made responsible for

distributing allotments, controlling farming, collecting peasants’ taxes

Who were the Kulaks

Wealthy peasants who bought up extra land to sell surplus grain for export

Issues with allotments

• Average peasant only had 4 hectares of land

• Land became even smaller as father’s allotment was divided among sons

• Subsistence farming persisted

How much of the peasantry produced surplus grain by 1878

Only 50%

What did Landowners resent

their loss of influence

What did some landowners do

Move to towns and cities to become entrepreneurs

What did Milyutin do to the army

make it more professional

Army reforms

• Universal conscription from age of 21

• Length of service reduced from 25 years to 15

• Punishments made less severe and military colonies abolished

• Modern weaponry

• Military colleges set up

When was the zemstva set up

1864

Limitations of zemstva

• voting weighed in favour of the nobles

• Provincial governor appointed officials could override zemstva decisions

• No control over taxation or police

Zemstva success

• Could improve public services like roads, schools and public health

• Raised intelligentsia’s hopes of National Assembly

When were town dumas established

1870

Judiciary reforms

• Equality before law

• Trial by jury

• could employ lawyers

• Open courts

Limitations to judiciary reforms

• Trial by jury never established in Poland

• Sometimes jury acquitted accused out of sympathy - Vera Zasulich

What did emancipation increase the need for

peasants education

Who were the education reforms under

Golovnin

What could universities do after education reforms

govern themselves and appoint their own staff

Who controlled the schools

Transferred from church to zemstva’s control

What happened to primary and secondary education

extended

What was created as another option to the traditional gimnazii

‘Modern schools’

Who were schools open to

All, regardless of gender or class

What did the increased independence of universities allow for

the growth of radical thinkers

How many children were in primary schools in 1880 compared to 8,000 in 1856

23,000

How many children were in primary education in 1880 compared to the 400,000 in 1856

1 million

Censorship reforms

• Restrictions on publications reduced

• Foreign publications allowed with government approval

• Press allowed to comment on government policy

• Retightened in 1870s