Alexander II's Reforms

When were local government reforms?

1864

What was the name of the assemblies introduced in local government reforms?

zemstvas

How were zemstvas elected?

by nobles, town dwellers and peasants

Who did zemstvas favour?

the nobility

How much did the nobility dominate these assemblies?

they made up 40% of the zemstva and 70% of councils

What did councils have responsibility for?

health, education and local economic affairs

What was the ‘Third Element’?

employed teachers, doctors and lawyers

What improvements did the Third Element bring in?

they built better roads, health facilities and primary schools, also they developed transport, drainage and water supply

What did the Third Element demand?

social reform and improvements to living conditions

Why was progress for the Third Element slow?

they were only introduced to a limited number of provinces and results were patchy

Who vetoed some of the decisions made by the Third Element?

local Marshalls of the Nobility

When were censorship reforms?

early 1860s

What was allowed during censorship reforms?

newspapers, books and periodicals no longer had to submit to prior censorship, newspapers could discuss government policies and editors were given more freedom

When were military reforms?

1861-81

What was introduced for all under military reforms?

universal conscription

What did universal conscription entail?

that all social classes were liable for military service at the age of 21

What was the standard age of military service reduced to?

15 years (6 active and 9 in the reserve)

From 1862-70, the reserve of the military increased from…

210,000 to 550,000

How was officer training radically improved in military reforms?

military colleges were established and education was required for comission, also modern artillery was introduced

However, what was there still a lot of in the military?

class priviledge-high proportion of the nobility among officers

When were judicial reforms?

1864

Why was the justice system in need of serious reform?

they were corrupt, inefficient and very delayed, favouring the rich, with most judges having no legal training and many of them being illiterate (written evidence was never challenged)

What were some changes introduced in judicial reforms?

each province had its own court, judges were paid good salaries, civil/criminal courts were open to the public

What position was established to deal with smaller cases?

JPs (Justices of the Peace)