Tsar Alexander III Reforms

• 1881:  Defeat for proposals for constitutional reform
• 1881: Law on Exceptional Measures passed - gave government more power to interfere with civil liberties, trials without hearing
• Okhrana formed - secret police
• Increased bureaucratic control and number of officials - centralization
• 1890: Zemstva Act passed - reduced peasant representation, increase in intelligentsia

• 1882: Higher education for women gradually closed
• 1883: Dissenters not allowed to engage in religious activity
• 1883: Peasants' Land Bank creasted, abolition of poll tax
• 1884: State control over universities established
• 1887: Increase in university fees to exclude poor
• Church given more control in education: number of schools increased from over 4 000 to over 31 000
• Life expectancy in 1897 was 32 - poor standards of living/work, no implementation of new factory laws

• 1885: Minister for Justice given increased disciplinary powers
• 1887: Introduction of trials without a dury
• 1889: Local courts abolished: government has full power over judiciary system

• Aimed to enforce Russian culture in order to centralize the country
• 1882: Provisional Rules for Jews: banned from settling in rural areas, from holding admin. office, from running schools, from printing books, from having right of appeal in courts
• 1890: Deportation of foreign Jews
• Increase in revolutionary activity

• Sergei Witte was the minister responsible for the economic reforms
• High import duties imposed 1887 and 1891 to protect against foreign competition
• Foreign investment encouraged - rose from 26-41% between 1890-1915
• 1897: New rouble introduced linked to the gold standard
• Taxes raised
• Tras-Siberian Railway constructed 1892-1904

However:

• Poor conditions in factories, harsh discipline - discontent amongst workers
• 1891: Famine, 500 000 died