Alexander II

Edward Crankshaw - There was no hand center to the reign. There was no discernible pattern. In the end everything turned sour.

John Westwood - with the exception of Khrushchev, no other Russian ruler did so much to reduce the suffering of the Russian People.

Harry Hearder - Its reign which started in high hope ended in futile tragedy.

Boris Chicherin - Alexander set out to remodel completely the enormous stage which had been entrusted to his care.

Werner Mose - Alexander proved himself a disappointing liberal and inefficient autocrat

1863 - cruelest forms of punishment in the army were abolished, changes in the court procedure

1868 - length of military reduced from 16 to 10 years and 5 in reserves

01.01.1874 - The Conscription Act (reduced to 6 years + 9 in reserves, education shortened service

11.1864 - new legal code: defense lawyer, call witnesses, open to public

1865 - new sets of rules for writers and editors: daily newspapers & book over 160 pages didn’t have to be submitted for censorship

1863 - University Statue, introduced by Golovnin: greater autonomy, allowing women

1864 - The Secondary Education Statue

1865 - The Elementary Education Statue

1864 - local government changes, commission set in 1860, put into effect, zemstva,

1862 - first comprehensie budget

1868 - church reforms, allow more capable priests to rise through the Church hierarchy