Alexander II's reforms

When was Alexander’s reign?

1855-1881

What was crop labour called?

Obrok

What was the labour service in homes called?

Barschina

How much of the population were serfs?

90%

What were the reasons for emancipation?

• Alexander was a liberal reformer

• Serfdom was ruining the economy

• Failure in the Crimean War

• Opinion was turning against serfdom

• The tsar wanted emancipation

• increase in rural disturbances

Why was the serfdom bad for the economy?

Labour was tied down in the countryside so a capitalist economy couldn’t develop

How many Russians died in the Crimean War?

250,000

When did Alexander II make a famous speech on serfdom?

1856

What did Alexander II say about serfdom

It is better to abolish serfdom from above, rather than to wait until the serfs begin to liberate themselves from below

When did Alexander II tour the provinces?

1858

How many rural disturbances were there in 1860?

108

When did Alexander II set up a secret committee on emancipation?

January 1857

Who was instructed to set up local committees of the gentry to emancipate the serfs?

Governor Nazimov

When was the secret committee renamed the main committee?

January 1857

When was the emancipation law introduce?

February 1861

What were Nazimov’s original orders?

To emancipate the peasants without giving them land

How much of the land that they had previously farmed did the peasants receive?

½

How long were Redemption Dues repaid for?

49 years

How much of the cost were the landowners paid by the government?

80%

Who had to repay the other 20% of the cost?

the peasants

How many peasant disturbances were there in March-May 1861

1300

In 1880 how much of their debt had the peasants repaid?

22%

Who claimed that emancipation gave serfs full freedom?

Petrov

What was the traditional peasant commune called?

The Mir

What did the peasants have to do to be emancipated?

Join a Mir

What happened if a peasant wanted to permanently leave?

They had to surrender their land

What did the Mir also restrict?

The peasants’ choice in farming - remained on the strip system

Who was subject to the poll tax?

The peasants

How much less land did the nobles have in 1905 than in 1861?

40% less

Increase in schools?

8000 to 25000

What was the problem with how emancipation was carried out?

It was too carefully thought out and thus too rigid

When was the assassination attempt on Alexander II?

1866

When did Alexander reform local government?

1684

What was Alexander II’s aim in reforming local government?

To decentralise some authority from St Petersburg + reduce noble opposition after emancipation

What were the local governments called?

the Zemstva

When was the Judicial reform?

1864

What were some problems with the judicial system?

• Cases could drag on for decades

• Too many, varied courts

• Masses could not get justice

• Judges were illiterate and untrained

What were the peasant courts called?

Volost courts

Who were the judicial reforms meant to benefit?

The nobles

What judicial changes were introduced?

• All citizens were equal before the law

• Court system simplified

• New professional lawyers

• Jury system

What were the nobles now eligible for in 1875?

Military service - substitutes could not be bought

What was the military service reduced to

15 years from 25 years

What was created in 1878?

5000 mounted police

Why did students worry the authorities?

• they tended to be older and more politically motivated

• a growing proportion was poor

• students began to organise

When did students try to set up a “free university”

1862

When were new university laws introduced?

1863

In 1863 which new university laws were introduced

• Universities were controlled by a council at each institution

• Salaries were raised

• Rebellious students were tried by a court of 3 professors

When was the reform of primary education considered?

1858

When were Sunday schools shut down?

1862

Why were Sunday schools shut down?

They were seen as hotbeds of sedition

When was a new code on secondary education introduced?

1864

What did the new code on secondary education do?

• Gave attention to modern languages, science and math

• helped select students for university

Who tried to assassinate Alexander II

Karakozov

What did Tolstoi do after Alexander’s assassination attempt?

• took science away from schools

• limited university entry

• devoted more hours to Latin and Greek

• allowed police to discipline students

When were girl’s schools and teacher training courses introduced

1870s

When was a single state bank set up?

1860

When was a united treasury set up?

1862

When was excise duty placed on alcohol

1863

Why was the attempt to stabilise the currency abandoned

Because it depleted the state’s metal reserves so much

How much higher was poll tax in 1870

80% higher

Did Church reforms achieve anything?

They generally failed and only improved the position of a few churchmen