Intro

• How large was the Russian Empire in 1855?

  Approximately 21 million square kilometres
• What primarily held the Russian Empire together in 1855?

  The power of the Tsar and the Russian Orthodox Church
• What type of government did Russia have in 1855?

  Autocracy
• Who was regarded as the embodiment of God on earth in Russia?

  The Tsar
• Who supported the Tsar in his rule?

  The Church, advisers and ministers, the nobility, the bureaucracy, and the army
• What role did the nobility play in the Russian Empire?

  They kept order on their estates and served as provincial governors
• What was the role of the bureaucracy in Russia?

  To pass orders from the central government to the provinces
• What was a significant issue within the Russian bureaucracy?

  It was riddled with corruption and incompetence
• How many conscripted serfs were in the Russian army?

  Approximately 1.5 million
• What percentage of the government's annual expenditure did the military absorb?

  About 45%
• What was the role of the elite regiments of mounted Cossacks?

  They acted as a personal bodyguard to the Tsar and as police reinforcements
• What characterized the police state in Russia?

  Restrictions on freedom of speech, press, and travel
• What was the role of the 'Third Section' of the Emperor's Imperial Council?

  To run the secret state security network
• What was the status of peasant serfs in Russia?

  They were classified as the 'property' of their owners
• What were the living conditions of most serfs like?

  They were primitive
• How did most peasants view change?

  They were deeply religious, superstitious, and hostile to change
• What was the political climate in Russia by the 19th century?

  Liberal ideas were spreading, and many intellectuals argued for a civil society
• Who reigned before Alexander II?

  Tsar Nicholas I
• What was a significant outcome of Tsar Nicholas I's reign?

  Military defeat in the Crimea
• What did the Crimean War reveal about Russia?

  Russia's military and administrative inadequacies
• What was the Treaty of Paris (1856) significant for Russia?


  It prevented Russian warships from using the Black Sea in peacetime
• What did the Crimean War lead to in terms of social unrest?

  Escalation of peasant uprisings
• What was the significance of the year 1855 for Russia?

  It marked the accession of a new Tsar, Alexander II, and a new generation of liberal-minded nobles
• What were the key characteristics of the Russian Empire in 1855?

  • Geographic, social, intellectual, economic, and religious divisions
  • Ruled by an autocratic Tsar with unlimited powers
  • Backed by the Russian Orthodox Church
  • Based on a feudal system of government
  • Politically, economically, and socially undeveloped compared to the West
• What were the inadequacies highlighted by the Crimean War?

  • Outdated technology
  • Poor transport
  • Inadequate leadership
  • Disrupted trade
  • Escalated peasant uprisings
• What was the catalyst for change in Russia after the Crimean War?


  • The accession of Alexander II
  • The emergence of a new generation of liberal-minded nobles and officials
  • The need to close the gap between Russia and the West