Problem of Reform in Imperial Russia
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- Created by: peanutbutterlove
- Created on: 03-05-14 18:13
Problems of Reform in Imperial Russia
- Many members of ruling class believed that major reforms were needed
- The major barrier was a disagreement about Russia's true character as a nation:
- 'Westerners' believed Russia would have to adopt the best features of the political and economic system of Western European countries
- 'Slavophiles' urged Russia to preserve itself as 'holy Russia' by glorying in its Slav culture and separate historical tradition
- The autocratic structure of Russia was also a bar to planned reform:
- Change could only come from the top
- No tsar would introduce measures that might weaken his authority
- Significant periods of reform were a response to some form of national crisis or humiliation
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Local government reform
- Alexander II was quite a reforming Tsar:
- Emancipated the Serfs in 1861
- Set up Zemstvos (network of elected rural councils) in 1864
- Zemstvos were not truly democratic:
- Voting regulations heavily weighted against the poor
- Zemstvos in the hands of the landowners
- Did provide Russia with a form of representative government:
- Offered some hope to those who longed for an extension of political rights
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Legal reforms
- Number of legal reforms introduced:
- Simplify court procedures that had led to corruption and injustice through delays
- Alexander II relaxed controls over the press and universities
- This encouraged the development of an intelligentsia
- NB: Intelligentsia - Cross-section of the educated, literate and more enlightened members of Russian society:
- Wanted to see Russia adopt progressive changes
- Critical of the tsarist regime
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Limited nature of the reforms
- Alexander II saw reform as a way of lessening opposition to the tsarist system
- 'Introduce reform from above to prevent revolution from below':
- Reforms greeted with enthusiasm by progressives in the intelligentsia
- Alexander II abandoned his reformist policies and returned to oppression because he feared he had gone too far
- His assassination by the People's Will meant his successor, Alexander III imposed even more severe measures:
- So oppressive that they were called 'the Reaction'
- Nicholas II comes to throne in 1894:
- Looked as if he were to be repressive too
- Intelligentsia felt betrayed - many turned to revolution
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'The Reaction' - Measures
- The Statute of State Security, 1881:
- Special gov-controlled courts set up (operated outside existing legal system
- Judges, magistrates and officials sympathetic to liberal ideas removed from office
- Powers of Okhrana extended
- Censorship of press tightened
- Statute was supposed to be temporary but remained until 1917
- The University Statute, 1887:
- Universities brought under strict gov control
- The Zemstva Act, 1890:
- Decreased independence of local councils
- Gov officials given power to interfere in Zemstva decision-making
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Early reign of Nicholas II, 1894-1905
- Came to throne in 1894
- Man of weakness and limited outlook:
- Came to power when Russia needed a Tsar of strength and imagination
- Never showed statesmanship the times required
- His upbringing:
- Tutored by Konstantin Pobedonostsev:
- Chief minister in Russian gov 1881 - 1905
- Procurator of the Synod (head of the governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church)
- 'Grand Inquisitor' - repressive attitudes, conservative, distasted democracy
- Believed only autocracy was good for Imperial Russia
- Nicholas took on his views
- Tutored by Konstantin Pobedonostsev:
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Early policies under Nicholas II
- Russification:
- Began under Alexander III
- Severely enforced policy of restricting the influence of the non-Russian national minorities within the empire - emphasised the superiority of all things Russian
- Discrimination against non-Russians had existed but was previously well hidden - became more open
- Affected Baltic Germans, Poles and Finns the most
- State interfered with their education, religion and culture
- Anti-Semitism:
- 600 new measures introduced
- Imposed heavy social, economic and political restrictions on Jews
- Pogroms by the 'Black Hundreds' increased sharply - proved that the tsarist regime was actively encouraging the terrorising of the Jews
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Response to policies
- Tight controls imposed didn't lessen opposition to Tsardom:
- In fact, opposition became more organised
- Number of political parties came into being
- Many political and national became increasingly frustrated by the coercion and incompetence of the tsarist sytem
- Russification:
- Critical stage in development, cohesion and unity were needed
- Russia treated half its population as inferiors or potential enemies
- Persecution of Jews
- Alienated 5 million Jews in Russian population
- Many fled to western Europe and North America - carried a hatred of Tsardom
- Many stayed and formed a large community within the empire
- Large influx of Jews into anti-tsarist movements in 1890s - Jewish revolutionary 'Bund' formed in 1897
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