Tsar Alexander II

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  • Alexander II  (1864-1881)
    • Reforms
      • Military    (1874-75)
        • Conscription made compulsory
        • Modern weaponry introduced
        • Literacy improved through education
      • Education(1863-64)
        • schools open to all regardless of gender or class
        • universities allowed to govern themselves
      • Judiciary (1864)
        • Equality before law introduced
        • Courts were made public  + could be reported on
        • New system based on the West
      • Local government (1864-70)
        • The zemstva was created in 1864
        • The zemstva had no control over taxes.
        • Voting reforms favoured the nobility
    • Economic
      • Change
        • Tax farming was abolished and the tax system reforemed
        • import duties reduced in 1863, to promote trade
        • Government subsidies offered to develop railways
        • joint-srock companies were reguiated, encouragiong investment
        • Government support offered to those in the cotton industry
        • annual growth of 6% annually
        • 1871- Oil extraction began in the Caspian sea
        • Ironworks set up in Donetsk (1872)
        • Kulak class contributed positively to agriculture
      • Continuity
        • A third of all expenditure went on repaying debts
        • Tax system kept the peasantry  poor and domestic markets remained small
        • tariffs were raised in 1878 to improve income
        • The rouble had fluctuations in value
        • Peasants had too little land to be profitable
    • Opposition
      • Radical opposition
        • "The organisation" was set up in 1863, calling for reform
        • Karl Marx communist manifesto was introduced in 1869
        • The Tchaikovsky circle was set up in 1869, + mainly produced propaganda
        • Narodniks believed revolution should start with the peasants
          • Failed due to the ignorance of peasants (1600 arrested)
        • Land and Liberty (split in 1879)
          • Black repartition wanted to share the Russian land with peasants (peaceful)
          • The Peoples Will, declared the tsar had to be removed in 1879, orchestrated numerous assassination attempts.
            • Successful in 1881
      • Moderate liberal opposition
        • Intellligentsia had travelled to Europe and wanted change
        • Nihilism and anarchism
        • Slavophiles favoured a superior Russian path
        • Westernisers wanted "western ways" implemented
    • Emancipation of the Serfs (1861)
      • Reasons to Emancipate the serfs
        • Alexander II liberal upbringing
        • Economic
          • There was plans to build a railway
          • Nobles were in debt due top the inefficient estates
          • There was little internal trade
          • emancipation would lead to a more productive peasantry
        • Social
          • Intelligentsia wanted change as it was immoral
        • Political
          • The social structure did little for the nobility meaning they were dependent on the serfs
            • 1870 - Zemstvas were extended to towns where Dumas were created
            • The former serf-owning gentry were replaced by the zemstvas between 1964-1870
        • Military
          • Crimean War (1853-56)
            • Russia reduced conscription
            • Realised they had to change
            • Lost, against Turkey
          • Russo - Turkish War (1877-78)
            • Defeated again, in attempt to help Christians
      • Issues with the emancipation
        • Peasants were given less land, which was less fertile
        • Peasants paid more tax and had to sell all their grain
        • Landlords used the payments to pay their debts rather than aide the economy
        • Majority of peasants still ties to the land/mir

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