Introduction
Like the empire he inherited, Alexander II was a man of contrasts and contradictions. Historians have found it hard to categorise him and he has traditionally had the reputation of "Tsar Liberator" for the reforms undertaken in his reign. However, many historians now criticise this view and point to his reactionary and traditionalist ideas as evidence that he entered into reform because of fear not philanthropy.
Task 1: To get a brief overview of these views read Waller pp 19-25 and create a two column chart recording
Evidence of Liberalizing Ideas Evidence of Traditional/Reactionary Ideas
You will need to add more evidence to this table as we move through the unit on Alexander II.
Task 1 part ii: Now read the article about the Emancipation Edict "Charter of Freedom or Act of Betrayal" by Michael Lynch to get an overview of the historiographical debate. Read this article and do a summary - speed reading exercise with it. For example, allow yourself three bullet points of notes per section.
Like the empire he inherited, Alexander II was a man of contrasts and contradictions. Historians have found it hard to categorise him and he has traditionally had the reputation of "Tsar Liberator" for the reforms undertaken in his reign. However, many historians now criticise this view and point to his reactionary and traditionalist ideas as evidence that he entered into reform because of fear not philanthropy.
Task 1: To get a brief overview of these views read Waller pp 19-25 and create a two column chart recording
Evidence of Liberalizing Ideas Evidence of Traditional/Reactionary Ideas
You will need to add more evidence to this table as we move through the unit on Alexander II.
Task 1 part ii: Now read the article about the Emancipation Edict "Charter of Freedom or Act of Betrayal" by Michael Lynch to get an overview of the historiographical debate. Read this article and do a summary - speed reading exercise with it. For example, allow yourself three bullet points of notes per section.
serfs_freedom_or_betrayal_lynch.pdf | |
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The Need for Reform
Alexander II came to be known as Tsar-Liberator primarily because of the 1861 Emancipation Edict (of serfs). Before assessing how successful the emancipation of the serfs was, find out more about why it was considered necessary. Task 2: Firstly review the brief timeline of events leading to the Emancipation Edict. Then, use the article by Robert Bideleux and pp 25-30 of Sally Waller create a spider diagram or table to show the various factors that led Alexander II to emancipate the serfs. Use the following as headings for key arguments for emancipation: Economic, military, moral and practical. |
A 1907 painting by Boris Kustodiev depicting Russian serfs listening to the proclamation of the Emancipation Manifesto in 1861
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04_emancipation_events.doc | |
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alexander_ii_bideleux.pdf | |
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How successful were Alexander's Reforms?
Areas of Reform
Alexander II's "great reforms" stand out as among the most significant events in 19c Russian history. He became known as the "Tsar Liberator" because he abolished serfdom in 1861. Yet 20 years later he was assassinated by terrorists. Carl Watts article (below) discusses why Alexander introduced a programme of reforms and why they failed to satisfy the Russian people.
Task 3: Using all your reading so far (Waller, Lynch, Watts' and Bideleux's articles) make notes on Alexander's programme of reforms in the following three column chart format.
Area of Reform Nature of Reform Assessment
(what changes were made) (How far did reform go/was it effective?)
Create two columns (successes & failures) to . help you reach an overall judgment.
Emancipation
The Law
Local Government
Education & Censorship
The Military
Economic Policy
Church
Areas of Reform
Alexander II's "great reforms" stand out as among the most significant events in 19c Russian history. He became known as the "Tsar Liberator" because he abolished serfdom in 1861. Yet 20 years later he was assassinated by terrorists. Carl Watts article (below) discusses why Alexander introduced a programme of reforms and why they failed to satisfy the Russian people.
Task 3: Using all your reading so far (Waller, Lynch, Watts' and Bideleux's articles) make notes on Alexander's programme of reforms in the following three column chart format.
Area of Reform Nature of Reform Assessment
(what changes were made) (How far did reform go/was it effective?)
Create two columns (successes & failures) to . help you reach an overall judgment.
Emancipation
The Law
Local Government
Education & Censorship
The Military
Economic Policy
Church
reforms_of_alexander_ii.docx | |
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Reformer or Not?
At this point go back to your T Chart on Evidence for or against liberalising ideas. Including material from pp 58-60 on Alexander's treatment of minorities.
At this point go back to your T Chart on Evidence for or against liberalising ideas. Including material from pp 58-60 on Alexander's treatment of minorities.
Growth of Opposition to Alexander II
Alexander's reforms were controversial. Not all his ministers agreed with what he was doing and he was not always certain himself. Most criticisms from outsiders (mostly intellectuals and students) were that the reforms did not go far enough. Before 1866 the criticisms and actions were broadly controlled by the tsarist secret police. In April 1866, Dmitri Karakozov, a member of a revolutionary cell known as the Organisation tried to assassinate the Tsar. The assassination attempt undermined Alexander's confidence in his reforming mission and made him more willing to listen to conservatives and churchmen who were urging caution. According to historian Richard Pipes "The Emperor faced the solid opposition of the rank and file of the bureaucracy as well as that of his son and heir-apparent, the future Alexander III". Historians sometimes see this as a turning point of Alexander's rule, from reform to reaction. A number of measures were taken to halt the tide of reform in education and in strengthening the police to root out subversion. However this reactionary approach led to the growth of opposition from the 1860's and eventually the assassination of Alexander II by People's Will in 1881.
Task 4: Find out more about the growth of opposition.
Make notes on
a) What opposition groups emerged and who were their members?
b) What were their major grievances?
c) What methods were used by opposition groups to spread revolutionary activity?
d) How did Alexander II respond to increased opposition?
From Waller pp 60-68, Evans article below and the other articles your have read.
opposition_tsar_alex_ii_evans.pdf | |
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Problems of Interpretation
The conventional view of Alexander II is that of "Tsar Liberator". However criticism stand and are often linked to the intention behind the reforms, another line of interpretation suggests that Alexander's character was flawed and that accounts for his inconsistent approach to reform. Another view still identifies Alexander as being at the crossroads between autocracy and modern liberal constitutionalism and judges him a failure for seeking an unrealistic compromise between the two.
Task 5: Read the useful summary of the historiography in Waller pp69-70.
Task 6: Read the two articles below: One by Darby is directly criticising the Watts' article you previously read and the other by Neville is addressing Alexander's reputation of Liberator or Traditionalist.
The conventional view of Alexander II is that of "Tsar Liberator". However criticism stand and are often linked to the intention behind the reforms, another line of interpretation suggests that Alexander's character was flawed and that accounts for his inconsistent approach to reform. Another view still identifies Alexander as being at the crossroads between autocracy and modern liberal constitutionalism and judges him a failure for seeking an unrealistic compromise between the two.
Task 5: Read the useful summary of the historiography in Waller pp69-70.
Task 6: Read the two articles below: One by Darby is directly criticising the Watts' article you previously read and the other by Neville is addressing Alexander's reputation of Liberator or Traditionalist.
alexander_ii_alternative_view_darby.pdf | |
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alexander_ii_neville.pdf | |
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Task 7: Essay Assignment
To what extent do you agree that Alexander II transformed Russian society?
See the following pages in Waller for advice of answering Paper 3 questions
Planning pp 71-73
Markscheme p 215
Sample Answer and examiner comments pp 216-220
To what extent do you agree that Alexander II transformed Russian society?
See the following pages in Waller for advice of answering Paper 3 questions
Planning pp 71-73
Markscheme p 215
Sample Answer and examiner comments pp 216-220
markscheme_paper_3.docx | |
File Size: | 152 kb |
File Type: | docx |
may_2014_subject_reports_student_version.docx | |
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Marckscheme: To what extent do you agree that Alexander II transformed Russian society?
The reforms of Alexander II will be well known, the major ones include:
Emancipation of the Serfs 1861
local government reforms – zemstva and duma
legal reforms – trial by jury, independent judiciary
education reforms – extension of secondary schools and more independence in the universities, reduction of censorship
military reforms
attempts to modernize the economy.
The focus of the question is the extent of change, analysis of the impact of reforms will be necessary for higher level marks. Possible points:
Peasants remained tied to the Mir as a consequence of the burden of Redemption dues.
Local government tended to be dominated by the nobility. There was no elected national assembly.
Legal reforms led to the most extensive change as the population had more protection from arbitrary police action. Political cases were often tried separately.
Education reforms led to the growth of an educated middle class. This group proved problematical as they demanded further reform.
Military reforms lead to a better educated and more egalitarian army, although exemptions for the nobility were relatively easy.
Economic change was slow, emancipation did not lead to the emergence of a prosperous peasant class, the nobility used compensation payments to pay off debts rather than invest in Russian industry.
The major change was the emancipation of the serfs but even that was limited as they remained firmly at the bottom of the social hierarchy which otherwise changed very little. Political power remained largely with the autocracy.
The reforms of Alexander II will be well known, the major ones include:
Emancipation of the Serfs 1861
local government reforms – zemstva and duma
legal reforms – trial by jury, independent judiciary
education reforms – extension of secondary schools and more independence in the universities, reduction of censorship
military reforms
attempts to modernize the economy.
The focus of the question is the extent of change, analysis of the impact of reforms will be necessary for higher level marks. Possible points:
Peasants remained tied to the Mir as a consequence of the burden of Redemption dues.
Local government tended to be dominated by the nobility. There was no elected national assembly.
Legal reforms led to the most extensive change as the population had more protection from arbitrary police action. Political cases were often tried separately.
Education reforms led to the growth of an educated middle class. This group proved problematical as they demanded further reform.
Military reforms lead to a better educated and more egalitarian army, although exemptions for the nobility were relatively easy.
Economic change was slow, emancipation did not lead to the emergence of a prosperous peasant class, the nobility used compensation payments to pay off debts rather than invest in Russian industry.
The major change was the emancipation of the serfs but even that was limited as they remained firmly at the bottom of the social hierarchy which otherwise changed very little. Political power remained largely with the autocracy.