Lecture Notes on Alexander II and Russian Reforms

Reasons for Emancipation of the Serfs

• Economic Necessity
  • Lack of labor for industrial development.
  • No incentive for trade due to high landowner rents on successful serfs.
  • Agricultural stagnation led to serfs and landowners incurring debt.
• Military Needs
  • Defeat in Crimean War highlighted inadequacies in Russian military.
  • Long conscription terms and liberation after military service undermined serfdom.
• Social Pressures
  • Poor humanitarian standards for a Western power called for equality.

Implementation and Effects of Emancipation

• Stages of Emancipation

  1. Freedom for serfs, continued work for landowners for two years.
  2. Temporary obligation to pay rent and redeem land.
  3. Redemption payment over 49 years at high interest rates.
  4. Varied terms for state and household serfs.

• Successes

  • Nominal success in abolishing serfdom, peasants becoming landowners.
  • Reduction in peasant uprisings and an opportunity for enterprising peasants.

• Failures

  • Unfavorable land allotments due to landowner manipulation.
  • Continued debt and economic issues, with peasants receiving poor land.
  • Enforced reliance on traditional farming by the mir, stunting modernization.

Further Reforms by Alexander II

• Local Government

  • Establishment of zemstva for local self-government.
  • Limited impact due to retained provincial control by Tsar-appointed governors.

• Military

  • Introduction of conscription for all classes, reducing service length.
  • Improved training and promotion by merit, but still bureaucratic.

• Legal System

  • Western-style court system, with trained judges and lawyers.
  • Persistence of government influence and partial application of reforms.

• Economic Changes

  • Government intervention in banking and transport.
  • Mixed success with increased industry but persistent poverty.

• Education and Censorship

  • Expansion of education, allowance of non-church-controlled schools.
  • Reversal of reforms after 1866 assassination attempt.

Opposition and Reaction to Alexander II

• Increased Opposition

  • Discontent from conservatives and radicals.
  • Growth of radical extremism leading to assassination in 1881.

• Alexander II’s Late Reactionary Phase

  • Increased censorship and police powers.
  • Reluctant to establish a parliament, preferring autocratic rule.

Reflections

• Alexander II’s reforms were significant in attempting to modernize Russia but remained constrained by continued autocratic governance and resistance from traditional power structures. The emancipation of the serfs, while a landmark reform, was fraught with challenges, and its incomplete success laid the groundwork for continued unrest and eventual revolution.

These notes provide a detailed summary of the motivations behind and the outcomes of Alexander II's reforms, particularly focusing on the emancipation of the serfs and subsequent changes in governance, military, and legal systems in 19th-century Russia.