Should Alexander II Reform Russia?
History AS - Unit 1
YES
Defeat in Crimean War:
- backward economy compared to prosperous Western countries (difficult to maintain)
- defeat in Crimean War - reduced Russia's power (Black Sea declared a 'neutral zone')
- short supply of weapons - poor war tactics
- bad communication system; lack of railways - improving would increase trade
- pressure from Intelligentsia (Great Aunt)
- 300 peasant uprisings - military conscription (peasants disagreed)
- Serfdom is holding back Russia's economy; should be abolished - limited capital accumulation + prevented movement of workers to factories
- Russia in great debt (cannot afford to maintain extent of military features required)
- mistreatment/unfair treatment of peasants etc.
- French Revolution - uprising/awareness of distress/turmoil in France
NO
- too much freedom; potential overthrow
- abolishing serfdom - compensation must be paid/given to landowners - lose properties (+ Russia has no money to give)
- must conserve autocracy - political stability
- massive re-organisation required
- does not want to repeat 1986 issues in France with reform
- unavoidable institutional reform
- alienating existing support
OTHER
- Reform from above vs. Reform from below - unbearable pressure - potential revolution
EMANCIPATION OF THE SERFS - 1861
- serfs released from bondage; free men (free to marry, own property, set up businesses, travel etc)
- serf families - keep cottage/allotment
- landlords received compensation
- peasants required to pay 'redemption payments' - had to stay within mir until all was paid (49 annual payments + 6% interest)
Pros + Cons of Emancipation - PEASANTS
Pros:
- free serfs; freed from obligations
- new organisation
- perpetual use of land
- landowners/government agreed to lend assistance + adapt to their needs
- rights to earn wages
- could buy extra land from 'less prosperous' neighbours - increased estates + more surplus produced - ability to export
Cons:
- arrangement would take 2 years (had to be obedient until then)
- peasants lost other areas of land; did not want to pay when it was originally theirs - disliked 'redemption payments'
- some given less land than due/had to pay more
- freedom to travel - restricted
Pros + Cons of Emancipation - LANDOWNERS
Pros:
- great respect from government for compromise
- better relationship with serfs
- compensation - ability to escape from debt + invest more
Cons:
- limited rights over peasants
- some material losses - peasants allowed full ownership over lands
- legislation no longer favours upper/middle classes
- mistreated - no reason to hand over their land
- disputes over landholding (647 riot incidents - army often had to step in - 70 dead)
- noble bankruptcies/lack of profit - used to pay government debt
- some had to sell up/move to town - blamed government for losses
ALEXANDER II'S OTHER REFORMS
Military
- service in army - no longer a punishment
- military colonies abandoned - better provisioning/medical care
- length of service reduced from 25 years to 15 years (6 years army + 9 years reserves)
- conscription compulsory for all classes (from age 20) - education could reduce length of service
- military punishments - less severe
- military colleges set up - better training + privates could rise to officer rank
- modern weaponry/steamships + railways constructed - improve transport
Educational
- universities could govern themselves (appointing own staff) - needed approval of 'Ministry of Education'
- responsibility for schooling transferred to zemstva (from Church)
- primary/secondary education extended (quadrupled) - less traditional offered 'gymnazii'
- schools 'open to all' (including women)
Government
- system of elected local councils - 'zemstva'
- 'electoral colleges' - separate for nobles, townspeople, church + peasants - nobility dominate
- ability to improve public services; roads, schools, public health etc
- administer relief during hard times
Judicial
- new principle of equality before law
- judges appointed by Tsar
- proceedings open to public - accused could see judge/employ defense
- judges - better training + pay
- senate heard appeals for most dangerous crimes
- Freedom of Press extended legal reporting
Censorship
- placed under control of 'Ministry for Internal Affairs'
- foreign publications could be sold in Russia (with government approval)
- press allowed to print editorials with comment on government policy
- press/book publishers received new codification of regulations - reduced restrictions
- Ministry of Internal Affairs could stop publications/fine publishers - fairer court system
Economic
- treasury reformed - new system for collecting taxes etc
- tax-farming abolished
- banks/credit facilities extended; 1860 - state bank, 1862 - municipal banks, 1869 - savings bank
- liberal trade policies/lower tariffs
- foreign investment encouraged + supporting development of cotton industry etc
- private entrepreneurs able to develop railways (needed to be increased 14X in next 20 years)
- Jews allowed to trade throughout Russia (not just Pale of Settlement)
Church
- talented/educated/charismatic priests - promotion to key positions in church hierarchy