to what extent was the emancipation of the serfs a turning point?

alexander II was more liberal and more involved

1837:went on tour of 29 provinces

1839:european tour-western ideas

part of commitees:peasant reform/development of railways

grand duke constantine

brother who assmebled younger officials to work on reform

grand duchess elena pavlovna

provided a forum for liberal thinkers

moral reasons (reasons for emancipation)

• criticism of system based on degradation and ownership of people

• seen as blot on russias international reputation

risk of revolt (reasons for emancipation)

• 1840-44: 30 outbreaks per year - doubled over next 15 years

• landowners increasing rent

• protest against military conscriptions

• unsettled by 1848 revolutions in europe

the crimean war (reasons for emancipation)

• dimitri milyutin minister of war (1861-81) pleaded for reforms

• believed army had to be modernised and only free population would provide labour

economic reasons ( reason for emancipation)

• forced labour impoverished the population and stopped the growth of domestic demand

1. free peasants

2. greater incentive to work

3. produce grain surplus

4. export grain for profits-provide money for landowners and state

5. money for investment in industry

6. more machines and industrial work

how were serfs emancipated? (1861)

• serfs legally free- marry whoever, travel, vote in local elections,trade freely

• allocated strips of land

• redemption payments over 49 years

• peasants under control of mir

• nobility continue policing

• landowners compensated for loss of land

• volosts ran own courts, replacing landlords

• jurisdiction over serfs

key aspects of arrangements (peasants land)

• peasants recieved less land than they had worked before

• affordable, good quality land for peasants was limited

• recieved land was difficult to maintain and yielded little food/ profit

key aspects of arrangement (landowners)

• landowners allocated land to peasants

• landlords= 2/3 of land

• peasants=1/3 of land

key aspects of arrangement power of mir strengthened)

• if peasants left,land reverted to mirs

• peasant not allowed to sell it

• mir issued passports

• aimed at keeping peasants in countryside

social effects of emancipation

• peasants unsatisfied

• 647 peasant riots in thr first four months

• 1861-70 peasants killed

• peasants had to rent more land from nobles

• [peasants did not possess full citizen rights

• population rise put pressure on land

economic effects for emancipation

• encouraged growth of railways, banking, industry, cities

• encourage free atmosphere

• agricultural production not revolutionised: gentry indebted and peasants impoverished

• peasant farms did not produce natural surplus

• 1861-1/4 of farms not self-sufficient

• peasants did not form a strong market for industrial goods- burdened by redemption payments

political effects of emancipation

• gentry loss of serfs caused them to ask for more political power

• growth of liberalism among gentry

• most gentry still conservative

number of peasantry capable of surplus (1878)

only 50% of peasantry capable of surplus

number of disturbances 1861 (consequences of emancipation)

1000 disturbances

one involving 10,000 peasants

landholdings:1862-1905 (consequences of emancipation)

• landholdings fell from 87 million to 50 million