Chapter 2 – Alexander, the ‘Tsar Reformer’ • Decembrists were a group who had been Other domestic reforms witnesses + written evidence was prepared by
Emancipation of the serfs involved in a plot to assassinate his father • Military reforms (1874-75): Dmitry Milyutin landowner or police. New system was fairer + less
• Freeing Russia’s 51m serfs in 1861, was followed • Alexander Ii relaxed controls on censorship, created smaller, professional, less expensive corrupt but it meant the intelligentsia lawyers could
by reforms in other areas. Influenced by his lessened restrictions on foreign travel, etc. army; conscription compulsory for all classes criticise the regime with public in the open courts +
romantic poet tutor, Vasily Zhukovsky, his own • 1858-59 he toured the countryside making pro- form age 21 but service reduced to 15 yrs + 10 trial by jury was never established in Poland, the
travels around the Empire, his brother, Grand emancipation speeches to try to win noble in reserves; punishments less severe + military western provinces and the Caucasus, while
Duke Konstantin, aunt and other enlightened support. Edict initially applied to privately owned colonies abandoned, medical care established; ecclesiastical and military courts were excluded
bureaucrats. Historian Terence Emmons claims serfs only but state serfs received freedom in modern weaponry and new command from the reforms + peasantry volost courts were
the reform was only to maintain tsarist authority 1866. Granted freedom and an allotment of structure introduced; military colleges set up still treated differently
and a manipulation of society land, while landowners received govt to provide better training; literacy within army • Education reforms (1863-64): Under Alexander
• Nikolai Milyutin – favoured reform with Slavophile compensation. Freed serfs had to pay improved with mass-education campaigns in Golovin –Minister for Education, 1862-67,
tradition and in 1859-61 was largely responsible redemption payments to govt for over 49 years 1870s-90s universities were given opportunity to govern
for drafting the terms of the Emancipation edict and had to remain in their mir until they were • Officer class remained highly aristocratic, themselves + app. Own staff; responsibility for
and he supported the establishment of the paid. Mir made responsible for distributing problems of leadership, struggled in war schooling was transferred from the Russian
Zemstva allotments, controlling farming + collecting + against Turkey + defeated by Japan orthodox church to the zemstvo; primary +
• Dmitry Milyutin – Minister of war from 1861-81; paying peasants’ taxes • Local govt reforms (1864-70): Zemstva (system secondary education extended with ‘modern
recognition for his military reform. The two • Volosts were established to supervise mirs + of elected local councils) to replace rights of schools’ established at secondary level for those
brother’s views were shared by other members of from 1863 they ran their own courts, replacing former surf owners. Zemstva chosen through who didn’t want traditional education offered in
Russian intelligentsia who believed holding Russia landlords’ jurisdiction over serfs system of electoral colleges – individuals vote a gimnaziya – students from both could go to
back economically, serfdom was morally wrong • 2 yr period of temporary obligation before for others who then cast votes on their behalf uni. Schools open to everyone; primary schools
• Alexander’s natural tendencies were conservative freedom granted; landowners kept meadows, ie. Peasants vote for members of an electoral rose from 8000 in 1856 to 23,000 in 1880 and
rather than liberal but increase in peasant pasture, a personal holding etc but open fields college who then vote for nominee for the no. of children from 400,000 to over 1m. Primary
uprisings since 1840s would have been likely to given to mirs zemstvo. Zemstva given power to improve education content restricted; secondary –
alarm him • Around 15% peasants still remained ‘temporarily public services, develop industrial projects – in students have a choice of study in classics or
• 1840-44, fewer than 30 outbreaks of disorder per obligated’ to their landlords until 1991 when 1870, town councils called dumas were set up. modern. 3600 uni students to 10,000 by 1870s
year on privately owned estates but it more than redemption was made compulsory Zemstva had no control over state or local • Censorship reform (1858-70) – initial relaxation;
doubled over next 15 years partly due to: • Kulaks did well out of land allocations + brought taxes; provincial governors could overturn restrictions on publishers reduced, foreign
landowners pushing peasants to produce more or extra land so could produce surplus grain for zemstvo decisions publications were permitted with govt approval
pay higher rents in order to maintain their own export. Those who sold their allocation or had a • Judiciary reforms (1864) – new system + press allowed to print editorials with comment
incomes; and protests against military passport to leave the mir, found work in city modelled on the west; equality before the law, on govt policy – lead to short lived growth in no.
conscription during Crimean war. Disorders didn’t • Small allotments were increasingly divided as innocent until proven guilty + could have a of books, journals, newspapers on sale. No. of
end after war ended in 1856. Tensions increased several sons inherited land; mir system was lawyer; system of local, provincial and national books published grew from 1020 in 1855 to
since alexander was delayed in announcing highly traditional so progress was backwards, in courts. Criminal cases heard before barristers 1836 in 1864. However, a growth in critical
freedom of serfs conscripted to fight once war 1878 only 50% of peasantry was capable of and a jury, selected from lists of property writing brought a re-tightening of govt control in
ended producing a surplus owners. Judges app by tsar and given 1870s
• Humiliations and inefficiencies of Crimean war • Unrest in countryside continued over land- improved training + pay; local justices of the • Half-hearted attempt to eliminate corruption in
were main catalyst for action. Dmitry Milyutin holding and redemption payments – 647 4 peace elected every 3 years by zemstvo and lower reaches of Russian orthodox church +
believed the army needed to be modernized and months after the decree; noble bankruptcies were independent; courts open to the public some reform of condition of Jews + ethnic
only a free population would provide labour continued and proceedings could be freely reported. minorities undertaken initially. Mikhail Reutern
needed for military improvement National trials were recorded in a govt brought some economic liberalization at ministry
• Alexander II began his reign by releasing political newspaper, the Russian courier. Previously of Finance but period of reaction in 1870s ended
prisoners and pardoning the Decembrists there was no jury, no lawyers and no hope of church reform
