Alexander II as Tsar Liberator

509 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Achievement and failure of Alexander I of Russia

Alexander II as Tsar Liberator

When Alexander the second came to power in 1855, he inherited many of

the problems that augmented from his previous predecessor, Nicholas

the first. This led the tsar to undertake a series of great reforms,

which gave him the charming title of “Liberator”. However, were his

motives clearly to bring change and a better Russia or were there

other motives? Did he expect something in return? After all, for the

sake of autocracy he couldn’t just welcome liberation with arm wide

open, but rather with a wary handshake.

Perhaps the most significant reform was the emancipation of the serfs.

This sought to update the structure of the current serf system and in

turn reverse the fortunes of the failing nobility. As the peasants

made up 80% of Russia it thought to be wise to improve their situation

and as a result this would strengthen Russia as a whole. However, the

results of the emancipation of the serfs did not match its propose.

Peasants actually ended up with around 1/5 less land than before as

they now had to pay for it. They now had to pay direct taxes and land

was never really theirs to privately own. The nobles felt disgruntled

at having to give up 1/3 of their land. Alexander the second didn’t

really get any gratitude from the serfs and lost respects of the

nobility. This level of resentment did not, nevertheless, create a

strong challenge to the autocracy because of the largely uneducated

peasantry. Unrest would die down subsequently in the countryside.

Alexander the second did not fail entirely though. Nobles were

compensated with political power for the reduction of their land. One

must also consider the awful conditions already at the countryside

before reform. The tsar at least made an effort to combat the out-

dated structures.

The tsar also tried to reform the local politics and the economy. The

zenistra (local council) would govern over many issues such as

education. Despite early fast establishments of the council, by 1917

only 43 of the 70 provinces of Russia were converted.

Show More
Related

  • The Pros And Cons Of The Louisiana Purchase

    1007 Words  | 3 Pages

    For around three cents per acre, 15 million in total, the land would have been as if one was giving land away in modern days. But even when the purchase was made, it was a steal. But this is exactly what was needed, land, and more land. A place to grow larger, somewhere to call ours. But even then that we bought the land, we did not know what was upon the land. To even have any knowledge of what was in the land, there were ones who were paid to be sent out to see what the land had to offer us. This was a very scary risk for him as he didn’t know if the land would have anything to offer. Though these peoples main purpose was to map out the land for it to be sent out. But if anything were to come up wrong in the purchase, Jefferson’s reputation would be ruined. Not only would they think that his opinions were useless, but he would no longer be a man anyone will

    Read More

  • Shawnee Chief Tecumseh Thesis

    701 Words  | 2 Pages

    illegally settling upon the decreasing land of the Indians that the government noted as theirs. Due

    Read More

  • Rigoberta Menchu's Book

    1621 Words  | 4 Pages

    Two years passed and they returned with the document in hand, claiming the land was no longer theirs to live off of. The signed document was in truth an agreement to live on the land for a mere two years and a promise to uproot once the two years expired.

    Read More

  • Political Party System: The Federalists vs. the Republicans

    1439 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...so that the debt would force Indians to sell their land to the whites (Foner 310). Under the rule of the two parties, Indians had two choices: to give up their land to the whites and move further west or to assimilate themselves into the white society.

    Read More

  • Land Rights in Australia

    786 Words  | 2 Pages

    land away from indigenous people and he did not think is was fair for them to

    Read More

  • Character Analysis: Hattie Big Sky

    995 Words  | 2 Pages

    Imagine living alone at 16, thousands of miles from your only family, no friends, and trying to gain land of your own. Hattie Brooks did just that, she was always known as Hattie Here-and-There because her parents died when she was young and she was shipped from relative to relative. She was bound to change that. She wanted something of her own, she wanted a home. So, in 1918 after receiving a letter leaving a homestead claim to her from a long lost uncle Chester she packed up all she owned and moved to Montana. She quickly found out how difficult and demanding farm life was. In order to own the land officially she had to prove up which included having to set 480 rods of fence, cultivate one eighth of land, and pay thirty-seven seventy-five

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Mexican America

    706 Words  | 2 Pages

    Another example to demonstrate why some of the land was taken unlawfully was signing of the Tierra Maria Grant. This grant sold a large amount of land that belonged to many heirs, however, the grant

    Read More

  • Alexander The Great: The Historical Era Of Alexander The Great

    872 Words  | 2 Pages

    Even though Alexander III of Macedonia, more commonly known as Alexander the Great, only lived to be 32 years old, his accomplishments were so vast it would be impossible to capture them all in a 3-hour Hollywood film. The well-known director, Oliver Stone, spent years studying Alexander and dreaming of making an epic film about his life. Stone's 2004 film, Alexander, was met with reviews that made it sound as if it was mediocre or disappointing, but the problem with it is that in the era of exciting action-driven Hollywood films, Alexander asks viewers to go deeper than they are accustomed. The length of the film was considered too long, but the history of Alexander is so huge that it is actually too short. Since Alexander lived more than 2300 years ago, and much of the information on Alexander's life has been lost over time, it seems to me that Alexander accurately depicts the historical era, Alexander's relationships, battle scenes and the different cultures involved in Alexander's conquests.

    Read More

  • The Great Alexander: The Battle Of Alexander The Great

    994 Words  | 2 Pages

    Even if some tend to assume that Alexander truly was great, one cannot fully argue with the fact that Alexander had a huge ego, and he could barely maintain it himself. He was only twenty years old when he launched his invasion of the Persian Empire, and he could have had such a bright future that allowed him to deserve the title of great. Yet even Alexander’s army turned back after eight years of marching due to the fact that his ego could not wrap around the idea that all of these battles remained useless. Conquering so much land for personal pleasures just demonstrates how power hungry Alexander truly was. The city name Alexandria appears eleven times on the map of his empire. He was so conceited that he wanted people to know how much land

    Read More

  • Alexander The Great: Alexander The Great

    1085 Words  | 3 Pages

    Alexander the Great (July 356BC – June 323BC) was King of the ancient Greek Kingdom of Macedon. By the age of thirty he had created one of the largest empires of the ancient world. He remained undefeated in battle and is considered one of history’s most successful Military commanders. Historians’ have offered theories which could explain Alexander’s motivation to conquer so much of the known world. Some suggest that Alexander was an idealistic visionary who sought to unite the world, whereas others argued that he was a fascist whose hunger for power drove him. The Ancient Greeks were driven by love of honour (philotimaea) and their desire for greatness. They were competitive, always striving to better one another.

    Read More

  • Alexander the Great

    417 Words  | 1 Pages

    Alexander the Great died about a month short of his thirty-third birthday. The exact cause of death remains a mystery. He was a strong man with an athletic build and said to be an Olympic quality runner. Many believe that he was a victim of poisoning. After he drank the tampered cup of wine, he began to gasp and expire soon after. The most probable cause of death is that he contracted malaria while in Babylon or suffered and finally succumbed to the complications of the flu virus. Due to the enormous decline of his popularity prior to his death, many were either relieved or unaffected by it. They no longer had to practice the common religion of which Alexander was god nor did they have to be forced to partake in intermarriages. Despite this downfall he still had many soldiers who respected, loved, and worshiped him. They remained outside his tent until his death.

    Read More

  • The Homestead Act

    1405 Words  | 3 Pages

    The expansion of the United States is such a vital part of American history, yet some often forget how it all happened. Many thriving settlers were given an extraordinary opportunity starting on January 1, 1863 that would end up laying the floor work for many Midwestern and Western citizens today. The rights and responsibilities to live on and maintain 160 acres of land may seem like a lot to take in for a student learning about an Act about land from the 1860s. However, think about all the people the Homestead Act of 1862 affected. There was a lot of pressure on the original homesteaders to make good use of their newfound land, the government was giving out land that wasn’t exactly theirs, and the Native American would have some their rights stolen.

    Read More

  • Alexander II's Title as Tsar Liberator

    1146 Words  | 3 Pages

    Alexander II's Title as Tsar Liberator Amid the Crimean War克里米亞戰爭 of 1854-56, Alexander II阿歷山大二世 succeededç¹¼ä½ to the throneçš‡ä½ of the Romanov Dynastyç¾…æ›¼è«¾å¤«çš‡æœ of Czarist Russia. Russia was finally defeated. He saw hopes of Russia's recovery in reforms. During his reign在ä½æœŸé–“ in 1855-81, Alexander II carried out a broad reform programme, covering the Emancipation of Serfs解放農奴, establishment of zemstva地方議會, judicialå¸æ³•, educational, economic and military reforms as well as relaxation放寬 of press censorship報刊檢查. Mosse莫斯 named him the "Czar Liberator沙皇解放者".

    Read More

  • Disneyland Hong Kong

    1681 Words  | 4 Pages

    - main collateral for the deal (land) would only become gradually available as the government first

    Read More

  • Alexander the Second and the Title Tsar Liberator

    816 Words  | 2 Pages

    Alexander the Second and the Title Tsar Liberator In the 19th Century, Russia had no zemstva, very little education, industry and railway building, a biased judicial system and very few freed peasants. Czar Alexander II, who succeeded Nicolas I in 1855, went some ways to remedying these deficiencies through a series of reforms. Alexander II became the great modernizer of Russia, walking a delicate line between preserving Russia's Slavic identity and enabling its people to benefit from Western advancements. For this reason he was known to some as the ‘ Czar Liberator’.

    Read More

More about Alexander II as Tsar Liberator

Open Document