Alex II, Emancipation and Reforms

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yfm8dEnL9VE

Alexander II -

Born 29th April 1818

Ruled from 2 March 1855 - 13 March 1881

The Emancipation Edict - 1861

• Granted freedom to serfs with an allotment of land

• Landowners received government compensation

• Free serfs had to pay “redemption payments”

• Had to remain in their peasant communes - mir

• Volosts supervised the mirs

Results of the Emancipation Edict

• Kulaks - well-off serfs

• Could buy extra land - to produce surplus grain for export

• Others sold up their allocation or obtained a passport to leave

• Many peasants felt cheated - land allocations rarely fair

• Loss of former benefits, restrictions on travel, burden of redemption payments

• Landowners hated their loss of influence

Military Reforms

• Conscription made compulsory for all nobles from age of 21 - length of service reduced to 15 years from 25 years

• Punishments were…