Tsarist and Communist Russia - The 1861 Emancipation - Advantages and disadvantages table in A Level and IB History

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Created on: 16-03-21 15:28


	Tsarist and Communist Russia - The 1861 Emancipation
	Advantages Peasants were no longer subject to their masters’ whim and had free status. Somepeasants,the prosperous kulaks, did well out of the land allocations, buying up extra land and exporting surplus grain. Some peasants sold their land, obtained a passport to leave the mir, and raised their living standard by finding work in the cities. Some landowners used the compensation offered to get outof debt. Enterprising landlords made profits through investment inindustrial enterprises. ‘	Disadvantages Land allocations were rarely fair Since the land in each mir hadto be divided betweenallmale peasants, most peasant holdings grew increasinglysmaller as the population grew. The allotments were small, allowing little opportunity toadopt new farming methods. The mir system was highly traditional - subsistencefarming and technical backwardnesspersisted - by 1878, only 50% had a surplus Resentment of kulaks and disputes over landholding and redemption payments led to further violence. Noble bankruptcies continued, as landowners had to sell or mortgage their own allocated land. . Landowners resented their loss of influence. The newspapers ran articles about their disappointments and a wave of student protests and riots occurred in StPetersburg, Moscow and Kazan
	Evaluation Overall, the Emancipation was certainly a pathway to greater modernisation. Prior to Alexander II as the 'great reformer', Russia existed as a largely backward country, and thus the emancipation enabled both further liberalism and economic growth. That being said, it was merely a start to further modernisation, as it was underpinned by large errors. It's perhaps more credible to assert Alexander's other reforms as more liberal, with finance ministers such as Reutern and Vyshnegradsky providing better economic growth.

Tsarist and Communist Russia - The 1861 Emancipation

Advantages

Peasants were no longer subject to their masters’ whim and had free status.
Somepeasants,the prosperous kulaks, did well out of the land allocations, buying up extra land and exporting surplus grain.
Some peasants sold their land, obtained a passport to leave the mir, and raised their living standard by finding work in the cities.
Some landowners used the compensation offered to get outof debt.
Enterprising landlords made profits through investment inindustrial enterprises. ‘

Disadvantages

Land allocations were rarely fair
Since the land in each mir hadto be divided betweenallmale peasants, most peasant holdings grew increasinglysmaller as the population grew.
The allotments were small, allowing little opportunity toadopt new farming methods.
The mir system was highly traditional - subsistencefarming and technical backwardnesspersisted - by 1878, only 50% had a surplus
Resentment of kulaks and disputes over landholding and redemption payments led to further violence.
Noble bankruptcies continued, as landowners had to sell or mortgage their own allocated land. .
Landowners resented their loss of influence. The newspapers ran articles about their disappointments and a wave of student protests and riots occurred in StPetersburg, Moscow and Kazan

Evaluation

Overall, the Emancipation was certainly a pathway to greater modernisation. Prior to Alexander II as the 'great reformer', Russia existed as a largely backward country, and thus the emancipation enabled both further liberalism and economic growth. That being said, it was merely a start to further modernisation, as it was underpinned by large errors. It's perhaps more credible to assert Alexander's other reforms as more liberal, with finance ministers such as Reutern and Vyshnegradsky providing better economic growth.

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Tsarist and Communist Russia - The 1861 Emancipation