russification

multi-ethnic/diverse population of Russia (with over 100 different ethnicities and a growing Muslim population due to Imperial expansion into Asia) was a continuos challenge for tsarist autocracy, partuclarly in developing a NATIONAL IDEOLOGY because it provoked ethnic minorities to assert their distinctive identities. some examples:

    -Polish NATIONALISM revolt in 1830

    -Finish underground language pressure group SET UP in the 1840's

    -FOUNDATION of local newspapers in the Baltic region

    -Brotherhood of Saints Cyril and METHODIUS who PROVOKED a national consciousness that aimed to seperate Ukranian Slavs from Russian Slavs

this resulted in Russian determination to ASSERT their national superiority

A2 was more concerned with control over racial superiority

another polish rebellion in 1863, where 200,000 Poles who had joined in creating an underground National Government of Poland were using guerilla warfare tactics, was met by a swift and strong response from a2 where he sent his own brother, viceroy duke Konstantin NIKOLAEVICH, to deal with the rebels, crushing them before the end of 1864

alexander did not ENGAGE in SYSTEMATIC persecution of ethnic minorities; he used concessions as a method of keeping control

- via 2 decrees in 1864 AND 1875 he allowed the Latvians and ESTONIANS to revert back to Lutheranism;   allowed Finland to form their own diet (parliament)

 BUT(had to look at notes to remind) the period of reaction at the end of his reign CAUSED GROWING intolerance IN his ministers and advisors because they wanted to reinforce autocracy AND THE TSARIST REGIME. Some examples:   prohibition of Ukranian language in media 1876

and this hostile reaction would become a FAR more agressive campaign under A3

a  moderate Jewish population had legally settled in Moscow

- anti-semitism was common among the poorer ELEMENTS OF SOCIETY because of the teachings of the orthodox church and resentment of jewish money-lending and wealth

despite this, Alexander allowed them to settle outside of the Pale of Settlement to which they had been confined to since 1736. However, the polish rebelion frightend a2 into rescinding the concession and decreasing jewish influence in government. this lead to an increase in anti-semitism THAT WOULD BE ENCOURAGED UNDER A3

A3 & HIS MINISTERS - ESPECIALLY POBEDONOSTEV - engaged in a policy of cultural russification to merge all of subjects into one SINGLE NATION WITH shared feeling of unity, in accorance with Pobedonostevs creed of Autocracy Orthodoxy, Nationality which established the difference between Russia and the rest of the world

to achieve this shared unity, they wanted to destroy all non russian cultures, including 

- Poland - National Bank closed in 1885, school subjects taught in russian, literature studied in russian translation, administration changed to curb independance

- Finalnd - idiet reorganised to weaken political influence

- the loyal Baltic Germans - russian language and universities renamed

- Ukraine - further language laws,increased area for military conscription and those conscripts were widely disperesed in the russian army to precent groupings

encouraged orthodoxy through numjber of measures and laws: