Emancipation

• Who did Nicholas marry in 1841?

  Maximilian of Hesse Darmstadt
• How many children did Nicholas and Maximilian have?

  Eight children
• What did Nicholas oversee in government?

  The transition to personal rule
• Who was Nicholas's heir?

  His son, Alexander II
• What was the impact of Nicholas's reforms?

  They improved railway and communications
• How did Alexander II feel about his role as tsar?

  He was well qualified for the role
• What was Alexander II's perspective on the world?

  He had a broad and modern perspective
• What did Alexander II lack in knowledge?

  Understanding of the Russian Empire's modernization
• What did Nicholas I think about serfdom?

  He considered it evil and vicious
• What did Alexander II intend to do about serfdom?

  To abolish it from above
• What was the moral case for abolishing serfdom?

  It was considered morally and politically wrong
• Who opposed serfdom besides the royal family?

  A radical intelligentsia and liberal reformers
• What were the reasons for emancipating the serfs?

  • Moral and political wrongness of serfdom
  • Nicholas I's admission of serfdom's evils
  • Long-standing arguments from liberal reformers
  • Growing opposition from radical intelligentsia
• What did Alexander II's speech to the nobility emphasize?

  The need to abolish serfdom
• What was the significance of the Emancipation of the Serfs in 1861?

  It was a major state-directed social reform
• What did Emmons suggest about the Emancipation's impact?

  It produced serious stresses in society
• What was the reaction of the nobles to the Emancipation?

  They felt compensated too little
• What did the government do to compensate the nobles?

  Paid them to settle debts and mortgages
• What was the outcome for peasant holdings after emancipation?

  They grew beyond 50 million hectares
• How did the radical intelligentsia view the Emancipation?

  As half-hearted and a betrayal
• What was the role of Nicholas Miliutin after emancipation?

  To assess the cooperation with the reform
• What did the peasants remain after the Emancipation?

  A segregated class
• What did Christian Road suggest about the peasants?

  They couldn't move beyond their circumstances
• What were the long-term implications of the Emancipation of the Serfs?

  • Created desire for further political change
  • Led to opposition from peasants and landlords
  • Disintegration of faith in enlightened despotism
  • Emergence of opposition groups like Narodniks
• What was the main criticism of the Emancipation according to Emmons?

  It exaggerated the struggle with the gentry
• What was the significance of the 21 million serfs freed in 1861?

  It was a major social engineering effort
• What did the redemption payments cause for the peasants?

  Opposition and dissatisfaction
• What was the role of the Zemstvo created in 1864?

  To provide local government reforms
• What was the overall assessment of Emmons regarding the Emancipation?

  It had significant long-term implications
• What did the government assume during the Emancipation process?

  Initiative without public interference
• What was the impact of the Emancipation on the relationship between the Tsar and the gentry?

  It led to disillusionment and conflict
• What did the Emancipation fail to provide for the serfs?

  Complete freedom and equality
• What was the significance of the 20 million state-owned serfs freed by 1866?

  It marked a vast social change
• What did the government do to address the issues post-Emancipation?

  Discussed problems with the arrangements
• What was the role of the radical intelligentsia after the Emancipation?

  To oppose the regime's actions
• What did the peasants gain after the Emancipation?

  Limited rights and property ownership
• What was the overall impact of the Emancipation on Russian society?

  It created tensions and demands for reform
• What did the government fail to do after the Emancipation?

  Provide adequate support for the peasants
• What was the long-term effect of the Emancipation on political participation?

  It led to a desire for popular participation
• What did the Emancipation reveal about the Tsar's authority?

  It challenged the notion of enlightened despotism