Political,social, and economic system of government in which supreme power is concentrated in the hands of one person, whose decisions are subject to neither external legal restraints nor regularized mechanisms of popular control or power-sharing
Alexander II
Firm believer of autocracy
Eager to reform
Crimean War
1853-56
Emancipation motivations
Moral case - Nicholas I called it evil and palpable + turgenev humanises serfs within literature
Risk of revolt - Reports of instability and abolition meant he kept control of the army
Crimean War - highlighted state of the army - needed serfs support to resize it and retrain + question of loyalty meant it was inevitable
Russia overestimated herself: biggest army but all conscripted, untrained peasants + lack of infrastructure,tech + industrialisation
Crimean War was a wakeup call for Russia - first loss
Crimean War impacts 1853-1856
Wishes to extendempire,improvearmy + industrialise
Economic backwards: serfdom main hindrance, 1:1 village to town dweller v GB 2:1
Novelift Turgenev-humanises serfs
Reports of instability: abolition of serfdom is means of control
Crimean War
Highlighted state of army
Needed smaller, trained army
Needed serf support
Question of loyalty
Emancipation
Needed to accommodate aspirations, improve conditions
Economic reasons: no other country needed slavery, further improvement, free labour further incentive: "work harder"
Serf-based economy inhibited development: no incentive,cottage economy + no internal market (varied currency), no demand: no capital accumulation opportunity, falling behind western Europe due to lacking competitiveness
Russia possessed mass reserves of timber,coal,oil, gold + precious metals
Emerging market forces - peasants moving for work (like serfdom)
1859-edit committee - reports legislation
1. Terms
2. Other reforms: local gov, nobles oversaw, army support, meet
3. Reaction appointments
Tolstoy: 1866-education minister, primary schools state, promote classical subjects (Latin, Greek) no critical thinking, uni disciplined by police
Nobles lost power: local assemblies (zemstvo) restricted uni to classic+nobles, heavy power in electoral college
1870-1937: mass improve school, roads, under 1/2 Provinces had one
Strong restrictions on tariffs
Patent 1867-justice, increased search arrest
1879:gov generals-power to prosecute people
Third element educated dominated by nobility: corrupt, patchy results, very decisions hamper progress, military courts put off peasant participation
1863-Polish revolt, quickly put down-Alex furious
1864 meets mistress: 1 secular, 1865-son dies - divine punishment?
1886 - first assassination attempt -ex-uni student, blames reforms
Emancipation of serfs
Serfs abolished and given (around house) redemption payments (49 years) + under mircontrol payments
Nobility police+.compensated for land +.State paid waits year
2year transition (free but obligations): work out land ownership: last fed payment
Noble's best land and internal passports: no leave without £ land
10k+ Peasant disturbances (cheored), nobility unfair + wanted parliament + debt: broke, loss of power talk of national assembly
1892-1905: Went from 87% to 50%. land for ]nobility, spark opposition for +sanam (radical)
Kulaks: rich peasants enterprising, blamed Milyatin: Tsar support
1867 second assassination attempt, Alex III scared
1879-third assassination attempt, paranoia - needs affirm power
1886: 180° move, liberal minister sacked,conservative appointments, tighten censorship, stricter rules: Students + uni, military courts usage, rule by decree
1877-50 (most not) guilty, 1877/78-193-153 not guilty, sympathetic jury, Zasulich-Shot at governor of St Petersburg (injured), not guilty of attempt
Assassination of Alexander II
March 1881
1880: Loris Melokov interior. min. the ppl, thousands came Alex anniversary
March 1881 Loris constitution, abolishes the 3rd section (secret police), give peasants civil rights-easier to buy land, introduce national assembly-devolve legislative power
13 March 1881: bomb hurled at carriage-steps out+ and is fatally wounded