Lesson plan
Week 1
Week 2
Nicholas I
Nicholas system
Crimean War
Alexander II
Emancipation
of the serfs
Alexander II
other reforms
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Web Wiz
Alexander II (1855 - 1881)
Alexander II
The disastrous state of affairs left by Nicholas I meant that change had to come to Russia. His son, Alexander II was responsible for introducing major changes to the social system and other important aspects of life in Russia. Because of this, the reign of Alexander II was one of the most important periods in Russian history. Many historians believe that if Alexander II had been prepared to grant moderate political concessions, along with his social, legal and military reforms, Russia might have gradually become a constitutional monarchy. But although Alexander did tackle the urgent problem of serfdom his reforms did not go far enough and he too was determined to hang on to his autocratic power.
After the defeat in the Crimean War many Russians now realised that Russia's only hope for military survival lay with modernisation. This would mean industrialisation to supply the military, improvements to communications and the introduction of a railway system. Financial reforms were introduced to meet the needs of the government not of the private sector. In 1860 Alexander II established the State Bank to provide credit for industrial development to supply the needs of the military. However, Historian David Christian says that the government was 'hostile' to other forms of industrialisation. Although there had been some financial reforms and industrialisation had started, by 1894 Russia was still largely the same agricultural nation it had been at the start of the century. Emancipation had done little to relieve the distress of the peasantry who were now tied to the land by debt rather than by obligation. There were no moves to improve the lives for worker in the cities who worked long hours, for low wages, in dangerous and dirty condition and lived in squalid tenements.
Like Alexander I, Alexander II began as a liberal tsar but when his attempts at reform brought about demands for further reforms and the outbreak of rebellions in Poland, he too returned to the repressive system of the past. And again the return to repression led to the growth of secret, revolutionary organisations pressing for political reform. After a number of attempts on his life, a revolutionary group assassinated Alexander II in 1881.
We will look at Alexander II and his reforms in depth in later lessons.
Assessment
Alexander II introduced a series of great reforms which transformed the social system but failed to establish a firm base for his government. The emancipation of the serfs is seen as 'too little, too late'. Because of this it failed to end the major problems in the countryside. The other reforms were limited and the reform in local government created an area of possible criticism of the Tsar. Another missed opportunity to modernise agriculture, introduce industrialisation and establish some form of national assembly to work with the Tsar.