Consolidation of Russian conservatism

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Consolidation of Russian conservatism

• What is special about the 19th century in Russia?
  It is a society so different from the west but
  its effect is still felt in the failure of Russia
  to adapt to modernity. The chaos in Russia to day
  may be traced back to these times.

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Russian expansion
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Nicholas I 1825-55

• His principles of government
• Orthodoxy, Autocracy, Nationality
• Orthodoxy
• The church the most important supporter of the
  government.
• Only orthodox are reliable subjects

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Autocracy

• Defender of the old paternalistic discipline
  against the influence of rotten pagan France
• Horror of the decembrists revolt
• The Tsar is the father
• The third section of the Chancery was in charge
  of state security
• Shadowed 2000 persons annually

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Nationality

• Slavophils thought russian institutions superior
  to institutions of the west.
• Extension of Russian influence over the
  neighboring countries, Balkan countries,
  countries to the south (Armenia), Vladivostok
  founded in the east.
• Suppression of the Polish revolt 1831

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Where are the forces of change?

• Literature and papers were heavily censored
• Alexander Pushkin - Gogol
• 1848 the Buturlin commission was established to
  regulate the work of existing censors
• University education increased until after the
  1848 revolution To educate officials
  byproduct some learned to think
• Enlightened bureaucrats had some interest in
  reform
• Reform were only allowed if government acted
  alone. Tsar Nicholas afraid of change

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Serfdom

• The primal social problem of Russia was the
  institution of Serfdom
• Size of the serf population
• How was the serf/owner relationship
• If Nicholas admitted the ills of this system, why
  didnt he abolish it?
• What effect did serfdom have on the development
  of society in Russia?

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Russia lost the Crimean War 54-56

• Tsar Nicholas died during the war
• Russian strength proved to be an illusion
• Lack of communication hindered mobilisation
• Industry unable to provide weapons
• The autocratic government was forced to reform,
  otherwise Russia and Autarchy would perish

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Alexander II

• Why did Alexander instigate reform?
• Out of concern for his subjects?
• Because of Russias backwardness
• Because of rural unrest
• Reforms
• Emancipation
• Zemstvos
• Judical system
• Educational reform
• Military reform

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Emancipation

• Emancipation of 40 million serfs 1861
• Peasant serfs received land but had to pay for
  it.
• The government compensated the landowners with
  government bonds but the peasants paid redemption
  to the state for 49 years
• The Mir, the peasant commune was responsible for
  these payments.
• The landowner kept one third of the land, usually
  the best? ?
• The mir could repartition land

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Zemstvos

• Assemblies for local government that replaced
  landlord government
• Elected assemblies but still dominated by
  landlords.
• Responsible for administering
• Schools, public health, poor relief, roads.
• Alexander turned down suggestions for national
  Zemstvo of Zemstvos

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Judicial reforms

• The nobles lost their role as judges and a new
  judicial system was introduced with
• Proceedings in public
• Same laws applying to all classes
• Jury system
• Judges independent of government
• But still we have political courts, censorship
  and strong police.

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Military and educational reform

• Conscription reduced from 25 years to 6
• Universal military service by draw
• Military service no longer punishment for crimes
• Education liberalized, increased number of
  university students and liberalization of
  curriculum, 2000 women in univ. 1881
• Gymnasiums founded (history not allowed)
• Zemstvos allowed to open primary schools

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Economic reform

• Railway building 700-14000 miles 1855 to 1881.
• Encouraged grain export with success
• Establishment of banks encouraged.
• Settlement limitation on Jews lifted,
• They can trade and work as artisans everywhere in
  Russia

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Finland - Polland

• Calling of diet in 1863
• Constitution in 1867
• Finnish recognized as official language in 1872
• Polland enjoyed some liberties but polish
  nationalism and Tsarism could not be reconciled
• After the Polish revolt in 1863 liberal agrarian
  reform in Polland but russification continued.

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The radical opposition

• Alexanders II reforms raised hopes but he was not
  ready to go further
• Typical dilemma of the reformer, you can not
  satisfy both the liberals and the conservatives
• The intelligentsia a critically thinking
  minority
• Blended the ideas of slavophiles and westernisers
• Wanted some kind of a unique Russian freedom
• Tended to be absolutists, wanted to find the
  truth
• No compromises tended to be fanatical

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Opposition taking form in the sixties

• Bakunin anarchy of the simple peasant
• Herzen Socialism based on the mir
• Chernyshevsky
• What is to be done?
• Fundamental change necessary
• Democracy means individual freedom,
  self-government and a federal system

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Alexander and the intellig...

• The Zemstvos called for a central Zemstvo
• Alexander rejected the idea then
• The intelligentsia had no outlet for their ideas
  in practical politics had no influence
• Many of them would have supported the Tsar
• Now they became underground fanatics
• Attempts on Alexanders live 1866 and 1867 made
  him more reactionary

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The opposition movement

• Populism (Narodnic)
• go into the countryside 1874 and 1876 to teach
  the peasants but no contact
• Trial of the leaders gave great publicity
• Form Land and liberty 1877
• Vera Zasulich tried for the murder of general
  Trepov and acquitted.
• Both trials showed the government incompetent and
  impotent
• Public opinion changed in favor of radicals

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Rise of terrorism

• The Peoples Will split out of Land and
  Liberty.
• Made repeated attempts on the Tsars life.
• When PW killed him in March 1881 Alexander he had
  just given approval for a national assembly.
• The new Tsar Alexander III was conservative and
  under influence of Pobedonostsev like his son
  Nicholas II.

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Death of Alexander

• After assassination attempts Alexander appointed
  Loris-Melikov minister of interiror
• Some attempt to liberalize the government
• When Alexander was killed on 13th of March 1881
  he had approved the calling of a national
  assembly
• His son Alexander III recalled this measure

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Alexander III

• Influenced by the conservative Pobedonostsev
• Autocracy agains democracy
• Orthodox against other sects
• Russian against other nationalities
• Attempted to reinstate the influnce of the
  nobility and attack the Zemstvos
• Limited franchise 21 000 to 7000 in St.
  Petersburg
• Raising tuition fees for universities
• Illiteracy rate 79 1897!!
• Pan-slavism becoming influential

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Russification

• Russian 45 of the population of the empire in
  1897 (total pop. 125 mill.)
• Confiscation of church property in Poland
• University in Warsaw closed 1869
• Russian as an administrative language
• Similar attacks on Ukrainians, Tartars,
  Georgians.
• Alexander III also attacked nations that had been
  loyal to the Tsar like the Finns, Baltics and
  Armenians.
• Alexander also limited rights of Jews and pogroms
  were supported. Jews become socialists and
  Zionists

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Foreign policy before Crimea

• Holy Alliance with Prussia and Austria 1815
• Peace, concorde and love
• Nicholas 1 the policeman of Europe to 1848
• Agreed to Belgian independence 1831
• Still nationalism and democracy is a threat
• Gained Caucasus and part of Armenia
• Winning Turkey in a war 1828 establishing
  protectorate in Moldavia and Wallachia and
  gaining free access through the straits
• The eastern question Nicholas sought agreement
  between Russia, Austria and Britain
• If Turkey crumbled the pieces should be divided
  in accord

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1848

• Economic crisis in Russia
• Revolts in Europe
• Supressed the Hungarian revolt on demand from
  Austria
• Suspicious towards the regime of Louis Napoleon
  in France
• Napoleon demanded the keys to the temple of
  Betlehem taken from tho Orthodox priests and
  given to the catholics Nicholas outraged!

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Foreign Policy The Crimean war.

• The Crimean war is a part of the Eastern
  question.
• The Eastern question was the question How are
  the European powers going to respond to the
  crumbling of the Turkish empire in Europe.
• Russia wanted to gain free access to the
  Mediterrainian from the Black Sea.
• This included influence in the states along the
  Black Sea Coast west of Russia.

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Charge of the light brigade
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The war started 1854

• In 1853 Russia moved army to Moldavia and
  Wallachia.
• Turkey attacked Russia but lost its fleet at
  Sinope and to avoid the danger of russian
  domination
• France and Britain attacked Sebastopol in the
  Crimea. Piedmont took also part.
• Austria stayed neutral but threatened Russia
• Russia gave up in 1856. Russian influence in the
  Balkan and the straits was reduced.

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Crimean war
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Effect of Crimean war

• Internationally
• Austria isolated from Russia and the west.
• Opening up for Italian unification
• France becomes dominant power
• Prussia gains prestige among German states
• Russia becomes isolated and the unification of
  Germany becomes more likely.
• In Russia
• Reforms from above 1855-1874

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Russian foreign policy after the Crimean war

• From 1856-1870 Russia passive
• Bitterness towards Austria because Austria had
  not supported Russia in the war
• Russian aim to revise the Black Sea clauses of
  the treaty of Paris
• 1856-63 friendship with France the strongest
  power in Europe
• Renounced this friendship after
• French adventures in Italy and
• the sympathy for the Polish revolt 1863 in France

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Leaning towards Prussia

• Prussia offered aid against the Polish rebels
• Russia remained neutral during Prussian wars of
  unification
• During the Franco-Prussian war 1870 Russia
  renounced the Black Sea clauses
• The other powers opposed this in principle but
  notin action

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Alignment with Germany 1870-90

• Bismarck alignes Prussia with Austria and Russia
  in the Dreikeiserbund.
• A dubious friendship because of conflicting
  interest in the Balkans
• 1877-78 Russia declares war on Turkey after the
  brutal Turkish suppression of the Bulgarian
  uprising
• Treaty of San Stefano (march 78) created a big
  Bulgaria
• However in
• The Congress of Berlin in June 1878 Bulgaria was
  reduced and so also Russian influence in the
  Balkans

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San Stefano and Berlin concress
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The end of German friendship

• After the Congress in Berlin Germany became
  suspicious of Bismarck
• The alliance lasted to 1890 when the new German
  emperor Wilhelm II refused to renew the
  Reinsurance treaty with RussiaRussia turns to
  France for alliance (entente 1894)
• After Crimean war Russia had limited scope for
  influence in Europe and focused on expansion in
  Asia.
• Alaska sold 1867
• Foundation af Vladivostok 1861