The emancipation

• what was the moral case for the emancipation of serfs?

  Nicholas I had named it evil, palpable and a virus t all

  • Turgenev portrays them as humans
  • Majority of nobels don’t accept this though
• what was the risk of revoltsrole?

  • disturbances had increased since 19840’s
  • Better to abolish it above then serfs doing it themselves
  • the army were majority serfs so they coulent be controlled which threatens tsar
• what was the Crimean wars role?

  • It highlighted the state of the army
  • needed a smaller, better skilled army
  • question of loyalty emerges - how long will the serfs remain loyal
• what were the economic reasons?

  • Adam smith - Labour was better than forced Labour
  • Britain didnt use it
  • greater incentive for peasants t worj harder - gain surplus - exports gain money - mobile peasants - Russia gets rich
• what was the preparation?

  • thousands of officials and committees set up to tackle 51 million serfs
• what were the main considerations?

  • should the serfs be freed with or without land
  • if theyre given land, how much?
  • How is this paid for?
  • compensation for nobility?
  • should nobility retain judicial and economic control of serfs?
• 1859 - editing commission set up
• the emancipation occurred on the 19th of february 1861
• what were the statutes?

  • abolished seRadom
  • can buy land around their houses
  • redemption payments over 49 years for land
  • still under Mir control
  • Nobility play role in policing
  • aren’t compensated for labour loss only land loss
• how was serfdom implemented?

  • two year transitional period - still had obligations to nobles
  • This gave time for Land division
  • recieved slightly less land than they’d worked whilst nobility retained better plots
  • Landowners chargers higher than value for land
  • Internal passports stop peasants leaving without payments
• what were the consequences?

  • Over 1000 disturbances during 1861 - one including 10k invlved in one
  • nobles felt it was unfair and started leaning towards the idea of a parliament - nobility couldn’t afford old life
  • mourned loss of power
  • many of payments went to fulfill previous debt and mortgages
  • 1862 - 1905 - landholdings fell - 87 to 50 million desyatina
  • radical Intelligensia felt it protected nobles
  • kulaks emerge - rich Peasnats who rent land
• who is blamed for it?

  milyutin who is sacked