AS HISTORY

1
AS HISTORY

• Russia and Reform

2
Question

• So, how and where would change come from in
  Russia in the 19th Century?
• How could Russian society be reformed?

3
In Context Reactive System

• Acceptance amongst ruling elite that Russian
  society must reform
• Need to move away from backward econ/soc
• Westerners vs Slavophiles.
• Consequence
• Impression of hesitancy and inactivity
• Sporadic reform and dependent upon the will of
  the Tsars rather than an organised programme of
  modernisation.

4
Some changes

• In 1864 A.II established the Zemstva, rural
  council network.
• Elected bodies but not truly democratic
  restricted voting to landowners and local gentry
  limited representative bodies.
• Gave hope to liberals of reform.
• Complimented the role played by the Mir,
  traditional village commune means of keeping
  order and collecting taxes.
• Simplification of court system and opening of
  universities for all.

5
Summary of Imperial Russia

• INSTITUTIONS
• Autocratic Government
• Corrupt bureaucracy
• Conservative Church
• Oppressive Army

• THE ECONOMY
• Limited industrial growth
• Backward agriculture
• 80 peasant population
• Inadequate
• communications

• POLITICS
• No parliament
• State censorship
• Prohibition on political parties
• An embittered intelligentsia
• Underground revolutionary
• parties

6
In reality

• Emancipation and reform was greeted with
  enthusiasm.
• Tsarist Russia was still ruled by an Autocrat.
• It was not reform for its own sake..
• According to many historians, A.II began to turn
  away from reform after 1872 for fear that he
  had .gone too far
• Many of the intelligentsia felt betrayed and a
  significant number of them turned to thoughts of
  revolution.

7
AS HISTORY

• Russia 1881-1953