Alexander II's Own Views

Alexander the II's own views.

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  • Created by: keisha_
  • Created on: 13-01-15 16:55
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  • Alexander II's own views
    • Alexander was not a Liberal
    • He was fully committed to keeping autocracy and tsarism going and doing his 'god-given' duties.
    • He believed part of his responsibilities was to restore Russia to a prestige and respected country in Europe.
    • He was fully aware that Russia needed to change and was willing to make a series of reforms that granted limited freedom to allow Russia to develop but also maintained his autocracy.
    • Alexander had had the opportunity to witness first hand the problems which Russia was facing.
    • He had taken the control of the government while his father was away and had served on a number of committees including one on Serfdom and one on railways.
    • He had travelled all around the empire and had ever visited Siberia to experience first hand what life was like there.
    • His experience had told him that Russia needed to modernise in order to move away from Serfdom and stop relying on it.
    • Although he was mindful of the consequences that large amounts of change could bring he knew it was essential to push Russia to economic change.
    • He was supported in his reforms by other members of his family such as his brother the grand Duke Constantine and his aunt the grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna
    • He was surrounded by a number of 'informed bureaucrats' who pushed him for change on the Western borders.
    • Nicholas Milyutin, Alexander's minister for internal affairs was anxious to carry out reforms and moved in many imperial circles.
    • Alexander set the tone of his reign when he addressed the Moscow nobility in 1856.
    • Alexander's first actions in coming to power seemed to confirm that he was going to reign in a good way.
    • He released political prisoners and even pardoned those involved in the plot to kill his father (The Decembrists)
    • He relaxed controls on censorship, lessened restriction on foreign travel and university entrance, cancelled the debts of those who were in trouble with paying their taxes and restored some of the liberties to Poland and the Catholic Church.

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