Key debate 3: How far were AII’s reforms due to the Crimean war?

What were the effects of the Crimean war?

• Realisation that Russia’s economic and social infrastructure was outdated - esp. serfdom

• EMANCIPATION OF THE SERFS (1861)

• Modernisation of the military

• MOST IMPORTANT - forced changes in local government!

• AII bridged the gap between the isolated newly-emancipated peasants and the rest of society with the zemstva

• Appeared to introduce some democracy to Russian government

Overview of Crimean war: Who was it against? How did it end? What was the peace treaty?

• Russia vs Ottoman Turks (supported by Britain + France)

• Siege of Sevastopol - Russian troops surrendered

• Treaty of Paris (1856) - Russia conceded territory in Bessarabia

When was the Treaty of Paris signed by Russia, Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire?

March 1856

What did the treaty of Paris highlight?

the weak position Russia found itself in

Casualties:

over half were Russia

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

Reasons for Russia’s failure

• Outdated technology eg: inferior muskets (1 per 2 soldiers), still used sails + wooden bottom ships (vs metal bottomed/steam powered)

• poor transport - took longer to equip front line

• inadequate leadership (bcs given jobs due to status not ability)

• Serfs - lacked training/skill

How serious was the defeat in the Crimean war to Russia?

very serious + humiliating

How was the army organised in the Crimean war?

officers taken from nobility

forced conscription of tax paying serfs 25 year term of service

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

Who made up the most of the Russian army

serfs

Why was having serfs making up most of the army a draw back?

• they weren’t trained to the same standard as the professional armies of Britain and France

• were inclined towards revolt, and given their other responsibilities, were probably not as committed

What did people (especially Slavophiles) think after the Crimean war?

• Were upset with humiliating defeat + questioned how great Russia was

• thought Russia’s status as a great world power was severely damaged

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

• revealed weaknesses in the way Nicholas I had ruled

• The army was recruited from serfs

• Soldiers had been poorly supplied; the production of armaments and uniforms was inadequate

What were the weaknesses of NI’s rule revealed in the Crimean war?

the maintenance of serfdom under strict autocratic rule didn’t fit with staging modern warfare

What was the soldiers being poorly supplied a reflection on?

the way the economy was organised and how Russia had been slow to industrialise

What did Alex II's ministers agreed on after the Crimean War?

The need to build railways and to get money to do that

What were the army reforms in 1856?

• no recruitment or military colonies

• conscription for all men over 20 but for less time

• more humane and efficient training

Why did the Crimean war help lead to the 1863 Polish uprising?

• led to a series of protests and riots against Russian rule in Poland and Lithuania

• A suggestion that Polish men should be conscripted to the Russian army → uprising

• Many believed that the Russian Empire had been seriously weakened and that a national uprising against it could now be a success

What were the reasons for AII's reforms apart from the Crimean war?

• Ethical:

  • pressure to abolish serfdom, as it was seen as a form of slavery

  • growing peasant unrest that could be traced back to the 1770s

• Economic

  • demands from some politicians and entrepreneurs for more labour to work on projects and railway routes

  • population growth, which put pressure on a farming system that was geared up to provide subsistence, not surplus

  • prevented peasants from moving to cities (factories → low industrialisation)

• Preserve autocracy

  • Tsarist autocracy depended on the nobility → much of nobility relied on serfs to make money - growing serf population meant declining incomes + many forced to mortgage their land

• Younger members of nobility had become apathetic/critical of regime → need for change

How did the Crimean war influence emancipation of serfs?

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

• This was especially true when it came to transport, communications and the use of technology in general

• 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 likely is it that the Crimean war was the reason 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’

• not likely to be sole reason - EE was in 1861 (several years later), however probs a large contributing factor

• BUT reason for time b/w end of war + edict could be bcs Russian society was structured on top of serfdom

What happened to peasant uprising due to the Crimean war?

• increased

• 1840-44 = 30 uprisings per year

• 1845-60 = 60 uprisings per year

What did Russia need to do in order to keep their status, highlighted by Crimean war?

modernise

What was the time frame of the military reforms?

1862-1874

Outline some of the military reforms + the effect

• reduced service in the army to fifteen years

• modernised training and provided rigorous instruction for officers

• The result was a far more professional army and one that was more in line with that of Western rivals

• the army, in theory, could be relied on to help maintain civil order at home as well as fight wars overseas now

What was the model of the military reforms?

The Prussian military system

What reforms cannot be linked to the Crimean war?

• Church reforms

• education reforms

How much money was spent on the railway construction?

How much did the railway increase by?

Using foreign loans, nearly 2 billion roubles

B/w 1860-77: 1,600km → 22,000km

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 did Russia want to reform military bcs of the Crimean war?

If they wanted to keep their status they needed to modernise

results of army reforms

• a far more professional army and one that was more in line with that of Western rivals

• the army, in theory, could be relied on to help maintain civil order at home as well as fight wars overseas now

What’s the evidence that AII’s reforms were motivated by desire to preserve autocracy?

• RPs (over 49 years)

• Temporary obligation (meant to be 2yrs, 15% still temporarily obligated in 1881)

• Landowners could decide what land they kept, and the peasants got

• Mir now controlled the peasants, instead of land owners (still controlled)

What’s the evidence that AII’s reforms WEREN’T motivated by desire to preserve autocracy?

• Many nobles/ministers thought reforms went TOO FAR → destroyed new order + allowed influx of western ideas

• Several westerners were very against the Serfdom in Russia - trying to catch up w/ west?