Czar Alexander II (1855-1881)
Bookmark this page

Russia was the most backward of the 19th century major powers (had little industry, an autocratic gov. w/ no constitution and mainly an illiterate peasant pop.)

• Brought the Crimean War (against Franco-British forces) to an end.
• Instituted ‘Liberalization’ processes
• Edict of Emancipation (1861): peasants had no obligations to nobles / peasants were given 50% of the agric. land / the nobles were compensated through taxes for the loss of land / the commune (Mir) became a basis for tax collection & distribution of land
• The establishment of the Zemstvo, which was elected local councils with the resp. for collecting taxes, building projects, levying rates…
• Trial by jury (in public) was introduced / censorship lessened
• Town councils were established (1870)
• The army was reformed (conscription for all classes — 1870), service time was reduced, and training and education facilities were improved.
• The national budget became subject to audit and transparency / a state bank was established. (transparency was not extended to the national gov. and the Czar remained an autocrat)
• Social protest:
• The Populist (mainly students and intellectuals) / in 1866 a student attempted to assassinate the Czar à tighter control of education / reduction in # of poor at Univs. / increased censorship / power of Zemstvo reduced / increased activity of the Secret police / political trials were taken to military court.
• The Land and Liberty Party — rebellion from below (the peasants) led by the anarchist Michael Bakunin
• Evaluation of his reign:
• Serfdom was ended
• Reduction in the power of nobles
• Develop. of industry.
• Failure to carry out political change à basis for revolution

Other Notes in this Category

1. Czar Alexander II (1855-1881)
2. Czar Alexander III (1881-1894)
3. Czar Nicholas II (1894-1917)
4. End of the Tsars according to Orland Figes
5. Foreign Policy 1919 to 1934
6. Russia Time-Line
7. The Civil War 1918-1921:
8. The New Economic Policy (NEP)
9. The Period of Lenin’s Rule (1917-24)
10. The Period of Stalin’s Rule (1924-53)
11. The Russian Revolutions of 1917

Didn't find this useful?

• Visit Coursework.Info for over 14,000 GCSE, A-Level and University Essays